Creatine - absolutely everything you need to know

Creatine is an organic acid that is used as the initial source of energy for muscles. It provides explosive energy that is the primary fuel during weightlifting and during other activities that require short bursts of energy.

Why take creatine?

When you supplement with creatine, you are essentially adding more fuel to your tank. You'll be able to get a few extra reps that will put more stress on your muscle fibers and build muscle mass faster. The only thing creatine does is it allows you to have a longer workout(more reps). There are no magical powers when it comes to creatine. No direct increase in muscle mass, you won't be able to fly or lift a car over your head etc. It's still all about the perfect diet and training...

Does our body produce creatine?

Of course, the body naturally produces about 3g a day.

What creatine to use?

Well it's not a trivial task because companies like to confuse their customers and sell many nonsensical variants and claim each product to be the best, making it difficult for consumers to make a decision. I, like many others who are not influenced by sponsorship or supported by any sports nutrition e-store, recommend micronized creatine monohydrate. The most economical and smartest choice.

Creatine is like steroids?

Nonsense. Ignorant morons like to use this to defend why they are against its use, even though it is patently false. Some so-called "experts" who think they know will compare creatine to steroids. Mostly these are the same naive people who think that to build big biceps you have to do a few dozen sets on the biceps. But that's the way it is with everything, it's always the one who doesn't have nearly as much experience as the author of the expert articles who gets the biggest grief and looks like he only looks at the gym from the bus when he drives by.

Does the effectiveness of creatine decrease after a certain period of time?

No way. Your body doesn't adapt to creatine. Why adapt to something your body needs to function....

How to take creatine?

Take it every day. On training days, dose 5g before (unless you're using a kicker that already contains creatine) and 5g after training with your whey protein. On off days in the morning when your body is in a state of hypersensitivity, preferably 5g after your breakfast. Take calmly throughout your volume training.

Dose with simple sugar?

The idea is that the insulin flushed out by simple sugars like glucose enhances the effect of creatine. If it does have an advantage, it is not significant enough to notice a difference. So feel free to take it without simple sugars on its own. It's only about maintaining your creatine supply, and the body is very efficient when it comes to using something it already produces naturally.

What happens if I stop taking creatine?

Nothing! What do you think will happen? Will you lose all your strength and muscle mass because someone claims it on some forum? NO! You will lose several kilograms in weight over the course of a few weeks, which is entirely water weight due to depletion of excess intramuscular creatine. It may appear that you have lost muscle mass due to losing body weight, but it's all in your head. No loss of strength or muscle mass.

Do I need to go through a saturation phase?

NO! Taking 20 grams a day is not only incredibly wasteful, but it adds unnecessary stress to your kidneys. Take according to the dosage I listed above. The only downside will be that it will take longer for your muscles to fully saturate with creatine, but since you will be on creatine for months, you will reach 100% saturation no matter which route you choose.

Do I need to cycle creatine?

NO! Why do people think they need to cycle everything they take? Also, do you eat for a few months and then not eat for a few months? As I stated before, the effect of creatine on the body never changes, so there is no need to cycle its use. If you think you're going to have miraculous gains in one month, then you're just wasting your time.

Caffeine and creatine?

Probably mixing creatine and caffeine (like taking creatine with your morning coffee) is a bad combination because caffeine counteracts the effects of creatine. The problem with this topic is , there are many studies but nowhere has any conclusive evidence been shown to support this claim. I am not opposed to the combination and I take creatine with caffeine.

Side effects?

Nothing that is serious, some people may get stomach pain and or most often complain of bloating (edema). As a precautionary measure, I would recommend that people with kidney disease not take creatine.

My opinion:

Creatine is one of the few products on the market that really works. It's all backed up in numerous studies. It's cheap to buy nowadays, so we don't go wrong by including it in volume training. I would not use it in a diet.