Increasing muscle mass can be a most exhausting and demanding task, especially if you try to obtain without the proper requirements. With this we do not mean that you cannot gain muscle mass at the tip of training and above all, a good diet rich in protein. But if it is done by incorporating others supplementally to our diet or shakes, we can achieve better results in record time. Even more so if you are a person who is or intends to enter bodybuilding, or practice sports of “muscle explosion”, such as athletics. That is why the information that we will share today in this entry, will be the most useful for more than one reader. Since we will introduce creatine and what its function is.
If you are interested in knowing how you can achieve greater results, and an increase in the volume of fiber or lean mass of your body. We invite you to stay until the end of this article. Since we will give you all the information you need to know about creatine.
However, you can also go through our article on “How to increase muscle mass”.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a substance that can be found naturally in the liver, pancreas and kidneys. Being a derivative of amino acids. Supplements belonging to this compound can be ingested for about two to three months (approximately). As long as it is done under the supervision and guidance of a doctor, nutritionist or nutritionist, trying to vary the dose, which will depend mainly on the weight of the person. Although an average of 5 to 3 grams daily is estimated. Being ingested for limited periods of time.
What is the function of this compound?
Creatine is a supplement that has a number of functions or benefits for those who consume it. Being its main focus to strengthen the muscle and increase its volume, although it also has other functions, which are described below:
- It promotes the gain of lean muscle mass, which means fat-free.
- Facilitates muscle recovery after training sessions.
- It provides energy for the muscle fibers, thus preventing muscle fatigue and thus benefits your training.
- It increases the volume of the muscle, because it encourages the reception and storage of fluid within the muscle cells.
Optionally to its functions focused on physical training and increase muscle volume. Creatine has been proven to possess neuroprotective qualities, what does this mean? That creatine prevents or reduces the severity of neurodegenerative diseases. Such as Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy or Huntington’s disease.
Among other functions at the medical level, we can find that creatine is used as a complement in some treatments for diabetes, cerebral ischemia, depression, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and cardiac ischemia.
Surely you want to read our entry on “How to gain muscle mass”.
How should creatine be ingested?
As previously mentioned, the consumption of this supplement should be done under the prior guidance of a doctor or nutritionist. In addition, it should be taken if you are doing intense training and following a correct diet. Otherwise, the potential of this supplement will be wasted in your body. You have to record that the muscles are not achieved just by consuming creatine, it is important to use it more as a supplement.
There are three ways to ingest creatine to promote muscle hypertrophy, among them we have to:
- Cyclic supplementation. This means that you should consume approximately 5 grams daily for about six months. Then pause for about three weeks and repeat the cycle.
- Supplementation for three months. It is usually the most common way to consume creatine, and consists of ingesting between two to five grams daily for three months. To then take a break from its consumption for a month.
- Overload supplementation. This third and final method consists of consuming creatine in doses of 0.03 grams about three or four times a day. Thus, favoring the saturation of the muscle. This method is employed only if it is used for sports purposes, since it regularly a few months before an event or contest (bodybuilding for example). The bodybuilder usually trains with greater intensity, and that is where consuming creatine by overload may be appropriate.
Does it help you lose weight?
To finish the article, we want to answer a question that is usually frequented in the minds of people when they know creatine. And is if this can be used to lose weight … The answer is evident after everything said in this article. It is not advisable to ingest creatine if you want to lose weight.
If you want to read more related articles, go through “How to Recover Muscle Mass”.