Creatine: who and why this element should be consumed in the diet and in which products it is found

Creatine is widely reported to only improve strength. In fact, it benefits much more.

For whom and why is creatine recommended?

For marathoners

It is unlikely that creatine will give you any additional strength at the 42nd kilometer, but you will definitely recover much faster after this hectic distance. Researchers from Taiwan have determined that after an hour of endurance training, athletes who consumed creatine in their diet had greater muscle glycogen stores than participants in a control group who were not given this nutritional supplement. Larger inventory - faster return to line.

Weightlifters

Creatine allows you to endure the run by "spiking" energy a couple of extra times. This increases the time the muscles stay under load, resulting in an increase in the number of micro-injuries in the muscle fibers, but you have much more strength and bigger muscles.

For sprinters

By providing your body with energy for short but intense physical exertion, creatine provides incredible strength for an athlete whose sport involves periodic accelerations, lunges and quick maneuvering.

Products with high creatine content:

10* - herring

6 - pork

4.5 - beef

4.5 - salmon

4 - tuna

3 - cod

Which creatine to choose?

Buy regular mohohydrate. All other forms with good-sounding names (creatine ethyl ester, for example) are just marketing gimmicks. About 600 studies confirm the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate. It really works.

Pay attention to the country in which the particular food supplement was made. Creatine produced in Germany has been studied best by scientists. Although US products are not to blame either.

Tablets, powders and bars are equally effective. On the other hand, avoid liquid formulas and capsules - creatine tends to be unstable in them.

Is it true that...

1. Creatine retains water in the body

If you use creatine in high doses to "recharge", the body will really retain some water. This is related not only to the chemical structure of creatine, but also to its ability to improve the accumulation of glycogen, which is able to retain water. If you dream of gaining weight and increasing muscle mass, this effect will make you happy. However, it will not be suitable if you play football or tennis - in this case, always use the recommended daily dose. Otherwise, you risk injuring your joints due to rapid mass growth.

2. Creatine causes kidney problems

It has been determined that the daily dose of creatine traditionally taken by athletes - 2-20 grams - is absolutely harmless for the kidneys. So stick to this norm. If, however, the kidneys are not in order and you are still wondering whether this component, which increases the load on the urinary system, is not worth including in the diet, don't worry for a long time - go to a doctor's consultation.

How much?

Don't be too clever and stick to the recipe determined as a result of countless studies. For starters, five "loading" days: 20 g of creatine per day. Divide the entire daily dose into 4 parts - 5 g each. Take into account that when using creatine in the diet, it is important to take in a lot of water, otherwise there is a risk of muscle cramps, spasms and even injuries in the intestines (creatine has an unpleasant property of absorbing water from your body tissues, considering what is contained in connective tissue). After the "charging" stage, a maintenance dose of 2-3 g per day is used. If you take creatine with regular food, you will be able to improve its absorption. The recommended duration of creatine use is 4-6 weeks.