Behind whey protein, creatine is easily the most popular muscle building supplement of the last two decades. But for such a popular product there are a massive amount of people who take this product but don't fully know what it is supposed to be doing for their body. Today's article will help you to nail down the basics.
While supplement companies spend so much time filling their packaging with statements of how their product will make your next workout one thousand times better than the last one, it is no wonder why such a huge amount of gym users often get completely lost in the world of supplements.
There are a few proven, noticeable changes which come from using this product.
The first thing you will notice is an increase in your explosive strength. You see, this supplement is actually a naturally occurring substance which your body uses to perform explosive strength movements such as sprinting and heavy lifting.
By taking on board more, albeit from an outside source, you increase your ability to perform this type of movement and therefore increase your potential when it comes to building lean muscle mass or losing fat in the gym.
One great side effect of using this type of product is that water is pushed into the muscles, which cause them to appear fuller and larger than usual.
As with all supplements, however, there are various side effects to look at which can play an important role in your overall results. With this particular product there are in fact a number of myths surrounding it.
Myth number one is the bloating myth. Many gym users believe that this supplement causes a bloated appearance, pushing water between the skin and the muscle to create a blurry effect for your muscles. This is scientifically proven to be untrue.
The second myth surrounding this product is that you must stop using it after two-to-three months or it becomes dangerous. Athletes use this supplement all season round and while the initial advice when this supplement first hit the market 20 years ago was to take a break, this has since been proven wrong.
The third myth concerns which blend is the best. Believe it or not, the most proven blend is the original and cheapest - Monohydrate. In fact most trainers consider that many of these other myths were developed by supplement companies looking to sell their latest product and needing an angle on why it was superior to the last.
And finally you may encounter groups of people who tell you that using this supplement will make you muscular. It will not. At least not directly anyway. You still need to train, keep a good diet and drink plenty water otherwise your results would be lacking just like anything in life.
So you now know the basics of what a creatine supplement is designed to do for your body. Enjoy your next workout!