When Should You Take Creatine Monohydrate?

If you have been considering ways to bulk up fast with increased muscle mass, you likely have considered the option of taking supplements like creatine. You can take creatine monohydrate in a variety of formats, such as gel capsules, tablets, and a powder mixture to be mixed with water or another liquid beverage. Anytime you take a supplement such as this, however, you want to consider the ideal time to take it in order to maximize the benefits to the fullest.

Supplements such as this are a great way to increase muscle mass and strength, and are commonly used by serious athletes, bodybuilders, and others. At one time it was recommended that you take creatine monohydrate as a supplement before your workouts. Taking such a supplement as this will replenish your body's stores of creatine, but is it really best to take it before a workout? Creatine is actually a substance that is naturally produced inside your body, and it helps your body produce adenosine triphosphate, otherwise known as ATP. ATP is used by your body for short-term but large energy bursts, so it is in high demand during an intensive workout.

Many experts now believe, though, that you should take creatine monohydrate as a supplement after a workout rather than before unless you feel that your body is already drained of creatine from previous intensive workouts. If your body is well-rested and nourished at the start of your workout, you likely have enough of this substance in your body to enjoy a great workout. Plus, this substance does have the effect of drawing fluids from other areas of your body into your muscles, which creates the feeling of decreased energy such as the down you feel after a sugar high.

So why would you take creatine monohydrate after your workout if it produces ATP you need for short-term, larger energy bursts? Through scientific research, evidence and research now show that taking this supplement immediately after a workout results in a greater increase in muscle mass, and this is especially true when you take your supplement in combination with proteins and carbs. This is because after an intensive workout, your muscles are susceptible an increased level of creatine uptake. The uptake is enhanced with the aid of proteins and carbs. Ideally, your creatine would be ingested within about thirty minutes or so of completing your workout.

If you are considering taking a supplement like creatine monohydrate, you want to take it at the best time so you get the maximum benefit out of it. You can benefit when you take creatine monohydrate before or after your workout, but evidence does show that you will enjoy the maximum benefit in most cases when you take it with carbs and proteins within about 30 minutes of completing your workout. With this in mind, you may want to consider the option of taking your supplement with plenty of water and protein-rich and carb-rich health bar shortly after you leave the gym. Following this strategy will have you bulked up in just a short amount of time.

What Is Creatine? Find Out More About This Killer Supplement

If you ask any successful athlete or weight lifter what their essential supplements are, odds are that most, if not all of them will say "Creatine Monohydrate." Ever since creatine hit the market, it has been one of the most in-demand, best-selling supplements of all time. After all, being an athlete or someone trying to get in better shape is all about results. Creatine monohydrate has been talked about a lot for the results that it delivers, so let's take a look at just what this popular supplement is, and how it works.

Creatine is Natural

Your body naturally produces creatine. In fact, if it weren't for naturally occurring creatine, your body wouldn't be able to do any serious physical activity. That's because creatine helps to supercharge your body with ATP, an essential fuel for hard physical activity, like lifting weights. In other words, creatine is one of the building blocks of the energy resources your body needs to work out with more intensity.

The bad new is, though, that your body only has limited stores of naturally occurring creatine. Once it's tapped out, your body can't perform at top levels. By supplementing with creatine, you give your body a bigger store of creatine to create more energy for your workouts. That means creatine loading makes you stronger and able to workout for longer periods of time, which results in more muscle mass over time.

Pump Up With Creatine

If you've ever worked out hard and felt a great "pump" you know how essential those kinds of workouts are to getting bigger and stronger. When your muscles are pumped, they are infused with blood and water. Creatine helps your body to push more water into your muscles, which results in a better pump during your workouts. As you workout in a more "pumped" state, your muscles are forced to adapt and grow. This hydrating action is one of the ways that creatine works to make your muscles larger and more powerful.

Getting More Creatine

As you can see, creatine really does work, so having more of it in your body is definitely a good thing, if you like having bigger, stronger muscles. To get more creatine, you could eat pounds of red meat, which is rich in creatine monohydrate. Unfortunately, you'd have to eat pounds of steak, just to get a few extra grams of creatine. Instead, you should use a supplement that contains pure creatine monohydrate. You can start with a creatine loading dose of 20-50 grams a day for a week, and then taper down to a maintenance dose of 5 - 20 grams a day. That should fuel your body with the creatine you need to take your physique to the next level.

Make no mistakes, creatine monohydrate is a very effective supplement that can help you to gain muscle mass at rates faster than you ever experienced before.

Creatine Supplement – Monohydrate Side Effects, Benefits & More

Creatine Supplement – Monohydrate Side Effects, Benefits & More

I get a lot of emails about the supplement creatine. They’re always from people asking the same basic questions. You know…

What is creatine, what does it do, what are the benefits, how and when should it be taken, does it really work, how safe is it, are there any side effects, what brand and type (monohydrate, ethyl ester, etc.) is the best… and so on.

Well, if you’ve ever had any of these questions, you’re in luck. I’m now going to answer every single one of them.

What Is Creatine, And What Does It Do?

Creatine, which is naturally found in red meat and certain types of fish, is produced naturally by the human body for the purpose of supplying energy to muscle and nerve cells. Of course, it’s the “muscle” part of that description that is the reason creatine supplements exist.

In the most basic sense, a creatine supplement will help increase the amount of energy your muscles have. While it is used as a muscle building supplement, it doesn’t just magically “build muscle.” It works like this. Creatine will increase the energy your muscles have. This will increase the amount of work they will be able to do. The more work your muscles can do, the more weight you’ll be able to lift and the more reps you’ll be able to lift them for.

It’s THIS that leads to muscle being built. In fact, progressive weight training (along with a proper diet) is the only thing that actually builds muscle. A creatine supplement just helps make it happen.

Does Creatine Really Work?

Yes, for the majority of the people who take it, it works exactly like it’s supposed to.
Countless studies have been done (specifically on the creatine monohydrate form), and the scientific proof and real world benefits are definitely there. It’s one of the only proven muscle building supplements there are.

Of course, there are certain people who take it and notice no benefits at all. They are referred to as the “non-responders.” The best explanation for these “non-responders” is that these are just people who happen to have naturally high creatine levels in their bodies already, either because their body naturally produces an above average amount of it, or possibly because they eat a diet very high in red meat (which as I mentioned before naturally contains a small amount of creatine).

It’s possible it could be a combination of both as well. However, for most people creatine definitely does work.

Are Creatine Supplements Safe?Are There Any Side Effects?

Creatine supplements have been around now for quite a while (since the mid 90’s) and they have been studied quite a bit (again, primarily in the monohydrate form).

The results of all of these studies are pretty much exactly the same… creatine monohydrate is safe for the average healthy adult.

What that means is, if you already have some sort of pre-existing health problem (like some type of actual medical kidney issue, for example), you should check with your doctor first just to be safe (like you should before taking any supplement). However, in the typical healthy adult (male or female), there have been no studies that have shown any significant creatine side effects.

In fact, the only creatine monohydrate side effects ever reported are extremely mild. Specifically, things like muscle cramps or an upset stomach. The thing is, these side effects are caused by not using creatine properly and can easily be avoided. The 2 biggest causes of these side effects are not drinking enough water, and just taking too much creatine.

How do you avoid these mild side effects?

Uh, it’s not rocket science. Drink plenty of water and don’t take idiotic amounts of creatine (more on that below). Simple.

How Much Creatine Should I Take?

I’ll keep this short and to the point. You should take 5 grams of creatine per day. That’s it, no more than that. I know… most creatine supplements tell you it needs to be loaded and that you should take 20 grams per day for the first week, and 5-10 grams per day after that. This is stupid, and it’s what causes the mild stomach related side effects mentioned above.

Instead, take 5 grams per day for the first week, and the same 5 grams per day from that point on. Your body isn’t capable of using any more than that… so any extra you take will at best just go to waste in your body, and at worst be the cause of an upset stomach.

The only other thing I’ll mention is that by the skipping the high dose loading phase (and thus avoiding the side effects), it will probably take about 1 month (20-30 days or so) before you start to notice the benefits. No big deal.

When Should It Be Taken?

On the days you work out, you should take it with your post workout meal (the meal directly after your workout). The ideal post workout meal is a shake consisting of whey protein, dextrose and water. You should add 5 grams of creatine to this shake.

Just throw it all into a shaker bottle (absolutely no need for a blender), add water after your workout, and shake. It mixes within seconds and is ready to drink. (If you’re not having a shake after your workout, still take your 5g of creatine with whatever post workout meal you’re having).

On the days you don’t work out, take your 5 grams of creatine any time you want. It really doesn’t matter when you take it on non-workout days. Whenever you remember to is fine.

What Type Of Creatine Supplement Is The Best?

The only type of supplement you are looking for here is Creatine Monohydrate. That’s it.
This is the form most of the research has been done on, and it’s the form whose benefits are most proven without any side effects.

You don’t want any other fancy, flavored, chewable, capsule version, and you certainly don’t want a version that combines 100 other crappy supplements with it to make it cost more. Even if another form of creatine claims to be better, you don’t want it. It’s all marketing bull@&it.

You just want plain old creatine monohydrate powder, period. If it happens to mention the word “micronized” somewhere, that’s good too. Micronized just means it will mix a bit easier.
As for which brand is the best, most that fit the above guidelines will be fine, although the quality of some may be a bit better than others.

Well, that’s pretty much everything. Hopefully this post has helped end your creatine confusion:)

Post is for informational use only and is designed solely for healthy adults. It is not medical or professional advice, nor is it meant to be seen as medical or professional advice, nor should it ever take the place of medical or professional advice.

 By  : Juraj Krajcik