When building muscle, if protein supplementation is essential, then creatine, as the "superhero", is even more critical. Many people seem to place too much emphasis on protein supplements during muscle building but sometimes ignore the existence of creatine. Creatine monohydrate is the most effective and relatively safe supplement among all sports nutrition supplements currently. It can not only enhance muscle mass, improve sports performance, and improve training adaptability but also accelerate recovery after exercise and prevent sports injuries. Creatine monohydrate is the best choice for supplements during muscle building.
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What is creatine
Creatine is most closely related to muscle tissue. The vast majority of creatine in the human body is found in skeletal muscles, accounting for about 90 to 95%, and the remaining 5% or so is found in the brain. Creatine is an amino acid derivative composed of arginine, glycine, and methionine. It is mainly produced naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas of the human body, about 1~2g per day. Adults need 1~3g of creatine every day, half of which comes from diet, and half is synthesized by the body. At the same time, creatine is also degraded into creatinine every day and is excreted through urine at a rate of about 2g per day.
Creatine in food can be obtained from red meat and fish, especially beef (500g of raw beef can provide about 1 to 2g of creatine). It is rich in creatine, which is one of the reasons why athletes prefer beef. However, if you simply supplement creatine from food, the burden on the body will be relatively large, especially for sports people with a relatively large amount of exercise. Therefore, creatine is more convenient and efficient as a nutritional supplement.
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How creatine works in the body
Before talking about how creatine works on the body, let's talk about two concepts: ATP and the three major energy supply systems of human body.
ATP
ATP, whose scientific name is adenosine triphosphate, is the most direct source of energy for the human body. It is converted from the daily intake of food into the human body. It can be simply understood that when there is more ATP in the human body, sports performance will be better. The energy supply for muscle contraction is accomplished by muscle cells using the energy decomposed from ATP to perform work. Without the ability to utilize ATP, muscle contraction ceases. ATP is stored in the cells of the human body, but the storage capacity is extremely limited and can only sustain muscle contraction for a few seconds at most. Therefore, if the human body wants to continue to move, ATP must be continuously supplied. Where does ATP come from? Through the three major energy supply systems of the human body, energy is continuously synthesized and resupplied.
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The three major energy supply systems of the human body
The human body has three major energy supply systems, namely the phosphagen system, glycolysis system, and aerobic oxidation system. The phosphagen system is the fastest energy supply system in the human body. It provides powerful energy, but the duration is short, such as sprinting, weightlifting, and other events. The glycolysis system produces ATP through the anaerobic oxidation of carbohydrates for energy, and its speed is slightly slower, such as 400m and other events. The slowest energy supply system is the aerobic oxidation system, which produces ATP through the aerobic oxidation of carbohydrates or fats to provide energy for the human body, such as long-distance running. At the same time, most of the energy supply for the human body's daily work and life also comes from this system.
Creatine
Creatine is a substance produced in the human body from amino acids. The main production site is the liver, and a small part is completed in the kidneys and pancreas. Creatine in the human body is stored in the form of creatine phosphate. When the human body is supplemented by external nutrients, the concentration and reserves of creatine phosphate will increase. When the human body needs energy, especially during high-intensity exercise, ATP as an energy substance is decomposed into ADP, P, and energy. The energy is used by the human body to supply energy, but the ATP in muscle cells will be quickly exhausted. At this time, it is necessary to continuously supply energy through synthesis, and the fastest way is to complete this process through creatine phosphate.
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After ATP is broken down and released, there is remaining ADP, and together with the previous reserve and supplement of creatine phosphate and ADP, ATP is resynthesized, thus providing more energy to the body. In other words, when there is more creatine phosphate in the human body, it means more ATP, thus providing an energy source for short bursts of exercise. The other two energy supply systems rely more on carbohydrates and oxygen, so creatine reserves will not significantly enhance exercise performance.
How Creatine Helps Muscle Growth
Judging from the effects of creatine on the human body, it is obvious that creatine increases the concentration and body reserves of creatine phosphate, virtually increasing energy and improving work efficiency per unit of time. At the same time, creatine also improves the efficiency of cell signal transmission. After training, it increases the division of satellite cells (satellite cells are positively related to muscle hypertrophy), which is beneficial to promoting the formation of protein in new muscle fibers. To put it simply, the more energy, the greater the strength, which has a greater impact on the body. When combined with nutritional supplements, muscle mass is improved.
In addition, some studies have also shown that taking creatine increases the levels of testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). These two hormones are important hormones that are beneficial to muscle growth and fat loss, and the reduction of muscle protein breakdown after taking creatine is also one of the key links in muscle synthesis. In short, creatine is real for muscle growth. In addition to acting on skeletal muscles, it also has a more positive effect on brain diseases and nervous system diseases.
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Questions about creatine
There are also a wide variety of creatine products and varieties on the market today. The International Sports Nutrition Association's 2017 statement on creatine's position also confirmed that creatine monohydrate is the safest and most effective. At the same time, the price of creatine monohydrate is also very cheap. Therefore, it is recommended to choose products whose main ingredient is creatine monohydrate.
Safety
Creatine is currently one of the most well-researched and safest supplements. There is no sufficient research data to show that healthy people will have side effects when taking creatine, and that normal doses will damage the kidneys and liver of healthy people. However, if you have kidney, liver, etc. problems, it is still recommended to consult a relevant doctor before using creatine for children or the elderly.
Body water storage
Creatine is mostly stored in our muscles, and creatine supplementation will increase the water storage capacity of muscles. The increase in water content, whether you are building muscle or losing fat, is not necessarily related to muscle fat. During muscle building, increased water content is beneficial to the body's metabolism. When losing fat, although taking creatine will cause the body to store water, it stimulates the muscles and retains lean body mass, thereby increasing the efficiency of fat loss.
When to take
There are many different opinions on when to take creatine. Creatine is strictly intended to increase the body's reserve levels of creatine phosphate, as long as intake levels are maintained throughout the day. However I prefer to supplement creatine with carbohydrates and protein before and after exercise. Because the supplement of carbohydrates and protein before and after exercise will make better use of muscle anabolism, coupled with the effect of creatine, the muscle tissue will absorb nutrients more quickly.
HSF Biotech SoliProTM Creatine Monohydrate
HSF Biotech is a leading producer of creatine monohydrate. As a professional manufacturer, HSF Biotech not only has the capability of mass production but also provides customized product solutions according to customer needs. Whether for large distributors or individual consumers, HSF Biotech can provide creatine monohydrate products to meet your needs.
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