There have been some misconceptions about the use of creatine. Lots of people think that the supplement is for those trying to build muscles, as it may change the look of people using it. The truth is, creatine is not only for bodybuilders. It has many health benefits that aid the production of energy in the body.

Creatine is popular among sportsmen and women, including athletes. There’s no restriction of gender as both females and males can use it. With the benefits attached to the use of creatine, caution should be taken when using it as some people may not experience any beneficial part of the supplement. Read along while we expatiate further on the topic.

What Is Creatine and Where to Find It?

Creatine can be found naturally in human bodies. Three amino acids merged to form Creatine is present in the liver; the body produces it using the backing of the kidney and the pancreas. Apart from this, other animal supplies like meat contain creatine in specific percentages. The deposits are usually found in muscles and other tissues in the body of these animals. Vegans and vegetarians do not have enough intake of creatine, and this is because most foods they eat do not contain the supplement, so they need to find alternative ways to get it into their system.

Companies that produce supplements used in sports also produce creatine, and it is available at most stores where food supplements are sold. Most creatine is very cheap, well researched, and effective, especially the creatine monohydrate.

How Does Creatine Work?

Most people do not know that creatine creates energy. It gives your body the energy it needs to do physical activities. This is why sportsmen and women adopt it and implement it into their systems. When on the move, you would be able to perform more than you normally do, you would run faster, longer, and achieve more with creatine. All forms of aerobic exercise can be impacted by the use of creatine.

One of the misconceptions about creatine is that it adds to the number of muscles in the body, thereby changing the look of the user. This is true to some extent, the muscle proportion in the body may increase if you deal with heavy objects like weightlifting and so on. In females, this is different; instead of building muscles, the creatine will filter excess fat and give you the body shape you want.

The Science of Creatine

Creatine lives in the muscle, as phosphocreatine, which is formed when phosphate molecule merges with creatine. But this compound can’t work by itself; it needs another compound to aids its movement throughout the body, this compound is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As soon as creatine gets into your body, ATP will be in charge, aiding it indigestion and helping it to circulate in the muscles, making it easy for you to maneuver.

When you get involved in physical activities that require you to use your strength, your body calls on ATP, which breaks down to produce phosphocreatine needed to do the job. This means creatine is a vital part of activities performed that require energy.

Weight-Gain and Water

We’ve learned that creatine can add to the size of muscles in the body. However, it goes two ways. Other factors can cause muscle mass to increase with the use of creatine. For instance, using creatine can cause water retention through osmosis. This involves muscles retaining water in cells and storing them inside the muscle, making it get bigger. Most women experienced weight gain when using creatine, and this resulted from muscle building due to water retention.

However, this may vary from women to women, depending on body type and stature before the use of creatine. The good thing about weight gain is that it is not because of fat, which is bad. Weight gain resulted from water retention is good and healthy, but that of fat is drastic, and it needs to be controlled. Notwithstanding, creatine use can make you feel dehydrated, but you need to increase your water intake when using it to keep your water level balanced.

How Should Women Take Creatine?

Humans, in general, irrespective of gender, have the same dosage of creatine. The amount to be taken depends on individuals, their lifestyle, and body type. People with larger muscle mass tends to use more creatine those with the smaller mass of muscles; this is because they have more room to store it.

Timing

Studies showed that creatine should not be used before physical activities. It should be used after you finished working out. If you want to influence the supplement to decrease the muscle mass, you may take it with carbohydrates as this will make the insulin respond slowly concerning the muscle. Although some people use creatine before work out, it is advisable, the energy you would use in the workout was already in your body before the intake after all. So, the creatine you took will do nothing for the first few hours. You can take it any time of the day if you are working.

Loading

Some people go through a loading phase when using creatine; this involves using it at a high dosage for a certain period of time, then when the desired result is reached, they continue with the normal dosage. This can quicken the work of the supplement, making you get the benefits sooner than expected. However, it is not a must as you can just go with the normal dose getting the benefits with time.

Dosage

It is recommended that an adult should take 3 to 5g daily. Those that want to start with a loading phase should take 15 to 20g every day for five days consecutively, then continue to take the recommended dose on the sixth day.

Summary

With the explanation above, you should now understand how creatine works and also the benefits it offers for the body. It is safe for use, but you need to consult your doctor if you suffer from diseases related to the liver and the kidney before use.