Whey, BCAA, pre-workout, casein, creatine... The choice of dietary supplements to improve performance and appearance for bodybuilders is so wide as to be confusing. Without a doubt, creatine is a wise choice for promoting muscle growth during short, intense workouts. As such, it's the dietary supplement of choice for mass gain. Why use creatine? How should it be consumed for maximum efficiency?
What is creatine?
First and foremost, creatine is a substance naturally occurring substance in the bodyfound in muscles and the brain. It is produced by the liver, pancreas and kidneys from amino acids such as arginine, glycine and methionine, at a rate of 1 to 2 grams a day.
But that's not all, since it's also a sports nutrition supplement.
Why is this product so popular in the fitness world? Because its fundamental role is to is to supply energy to muscle cells and contribute to their contraction.
How does it work?
In the body, creatine is stored in the form of phosphocreatine (bound to a phosphate molecule). During chemical reactions, it loses this phosphate molecule, which joins an ADP (adenosine diphosphate) molecule, leading to the formation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This ATP is essentially the molecule responsible for the cell's energy supply and proper functioning. In short, creatine creatine indirectly helps create energy.
But while the body has a reserve of creatine, it's far too low for short, intense activities such as bodybuilding. To quickly increase these reservesdietary supplements!
Creatine and mass gain: why is it useful to consume it?
If you want to gain mass, you're looking to increase your muscle mass while limiting fat gain. The way to achieve this? Increase the intensity of your sessions at the gym, while increasing your total calories to promote muscle growth.
While sport itself and nutrition are the pillars of successful mass gain, creatine is a useful complement.
In any intense effort, whether it's a deadlift or a squat, the body uses the ATP reserves available and stored in the muscle cells to enable maximum muscle contraction.
Creatine supplements intervene by facilitating the production of this same ATP to prevent depletion of these very limited reserves.
Creatine prolongs intense effort and delays muscular fatigue, resulting in a increased performance. Performance and intensity mean maximum muscle gain !
Creatine tends to bring water to muscle cells. It is said toit promotes water retention. This is why you may look bulkier when taking creatine. However, don't be fooled by the fact that water retention disappears as soon as you stop taking supplements.
However, since muscle fibers are well hydrated, you're boosting glycogen reserves in the muscles (since glycogen is automatically linked to a water molecule), and therefore increasing the glucose that can be converted into ATP in these cells.
From studies have shown that creatine consumption may have a direct impact on direct impact on protein synthesis by acting on components of certain modulatory pathways (mTOR), as well as on muscle tissue creatine itself, by modifying myokine (IGF-1) secretions.
However, scientific research has yet to shed any real light on these mechanisms of action, and these facts cannot yet be stated with any certainty.
How do I take creatine to build muscle?
To make the most of creatine's effects on mass gain, it is best to consume your dose dose before trainingto maximize performance and tension on the muscle responsible for hypertrophy. But you can also take it after training to maximize recovery by replenishing stores.
In general, it is recommended to take one dose 3 g creatine per day for 6 to 8 weekswithout a loading dose for the first few days. These are now considered unnecessary, and not necessarily more effective! In all cases, refer to the manufacturer's instructions.
Supplement your creatine dose with a portion of carbohydrates to help its assimilation!
As for the best creatine to take for maximum volume, it seems that creatine monohydrate is the best choice. Why is that? It's the basis of all scientific studies, and therefore of proven effects. Why look any further? It's effective without bringing with it a host of undesirable effects.