Athletes today can now run faster, jump higher, and are now stronger than the athletes before them. But how did they do it better? It’s not because we humans somehow have evolved, but because we understand ourselves better than before.
We have become more efficient in our training and in using the right tools. Companies around the world have developed advanced technologies that can help the athlete become more and more efficient. Shoes these days can help boost an athlete’s performance by 2-5%. It may not seem much, but if an athlete has maxed out their athletic capabilities, a 2-5% boost is a huge difference.
However, even these are not enough. What makes the athletes better than before now is their use of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. As long as they are legal performance-enhancing drugs, the judges would allow it. So what are these supplements, and can you as an individual have them? Yes, you can have them! And one of the most popular supplements you can easily have is creatine. Keep reading to find out what it is and how to dissolve creatine.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is one of the most accessible performance-enhancing supplements on the market. It’s pretty easy to find this supplement. You can either find them in gyms, drug stores, and online stores.
You might have heard of this drug before. Gym instructors and bodybuilders frequently tout how intaking creatine has benefited them greatly. They claim that through their use of creatine, performance and muscle growth developed quickly and significantly increased.
It seems too good to be true, right? You might think that there are drawbacks. Fortunately for you, creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements. You can be sure that when you decide to add creatine to your diet, it is harmless to your body.
However, before you get into buying creatine, you first must understand what it does and how to use it efficiently. Otherwise, you might be wasting your money instead. Let’s identify what creatine is and how it will affect your body. You also need to know how to dissolve creatine properly.
What is Creatine Made of, And How Does It Work?
Creatine is composed of three non-essential amino acids, namely, methionine, arginine, and glycine. You can find creatine within your brain, muscle cells, and bones.
Your body distributes creatine through the blood vessels, but the distribution is not exactly equal. Should a need arise on a particular body part, your body will choose to prioritize it. So how do we activate this “need”? You can choose which body part to prioritize by specifically exercising it.
Creatine is naturally produced in the body. But you can also acquire it through diets such as red meat, seafood, and supplements.
After producing or intaking creatine, your body then combines it with a phosphoryl group to make phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is then used in regenerating adenosine triphosphate, or in short, ATP. ATP is an organic compound that serves as fuel for the use of any bodily function. Think of ATP as your body’s gasoline, and without it, you can’t move at all.
Through high-intensity activities such as exercise, the ATP within the body is being used up. Every amount of ATP within your body will determine how long you can last on a continuous workout. You will only recover your ATP taken when you have sufficiently rested.
Benefits of Creatine Supplements
Now that you understand how creatine is used, you will now get a picture of how it will affect your body. Now that we are putting more creatine in the body through supplements, the benefits should be astounding! But we want to be specific, and so, here ways intaking creatine can benefit you.
Longer Duration:
By intaking creatine supplements, the stores of phosphocreatine, which produces ATP, is significantly increased. More ATP means you will last longer in your exercise. An average person has enough ATP for an 8-second workout burst. But with ATP, a person can last a few seconds longer. And now you can see why athletic performance is improved with creatine.
Muscle Gains:
Now we get to what I consider the best benefit, which is muscle gains. By intaking creatine supplements, it will stimulate an IGF-1 hormone. The stimulation of this specific hormone will start different processes that lead to producing more proteins. More proteins mean more muscle growth!
As previously stated, creatine will help you last much longer. And if you are lifting weights, this means you can lift more weights much longer. The more you lift weights, the more you will increase your muscle mass!
Of course, take note that creatine is not a miracle drug. It does quicken the process, but the results will take some time. You won’t notice any changes at all for a few days. Only when you have spent a few weeks consuming creatine supplements that can you see the results.
Safety
Many internet forums insist that there are many side-effects to consuming creatine supplements. But the thing is, there is no basis for their claims. Countless studies have been conducted, and so far, there is not a single research paper that would suggest otherwise.
Is Creatine For You?
The effect on creatine can largely depend on a person’s genetics. Some of us respond well to creatine, but some don’t. No matter how much creatine supplements they take, it seems to have not worked at all.
If you aren’t sure if your body responds well or not, try creatine first for a few weeks. Judge your results based on your growth.
How To Dissolve Creatine
When you buy creatine supplements, they usually come in powdered form. But they aren’t like instant milk or coffee, but more like sand. So when you try to stir it on water, it doesn’t dilute as quickly, just as sand does not dilute in water.
To dissolve creatine quickly, I would suggest putting water and creatine powder in a bottle and seal it tightly. Next, shake it with all your might! After that, take a look at creatine if it has sufficiently diluted. Shake more until you think it’s enough.
Conclusion
Not only will your athletic performance increase with creatine, but you will also gain muscle mass quickly! However, remember that creatine is just a supplement. You will need to perform some intense workouts to get their benefits. Otherwise, the creatine supplements you ate won’t be used in the body at all!
