The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle
Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it's unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions.
Let's first establish what creatine actually is. In brief, creatine is produced naturally in our bodies to help supply energy to the muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys before being transported in the blood to our muscles. It is then converted into phosphocreatine which is a powerful metabolite used to regenerate the muscles' ATP source of energy.
From a bodybuilder's perspective, creatine can significantly increase lean muscle mass quickly, improve performance in high intensity exercise, raise energy levels and speed up recovery rates. Creatine's ability to raise energy in muscles is due to its muscle protein synthesizing action whilst reducing the breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine has the effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also improves muscle growth adding size and strength to muscle fibers.
Creatine is normally taken in two ways. The first involves loading the muscles with 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four to seven days. At the end of this phase maintenance involves a regular intake of 5 to 15 grams per day. The other method is more gradual in that it skips out the loading phase and simply involves supplementing with 5 to 15 grams per day for an extended period.
Two questions remain to be answered - does it work and is it safe? Creatine has undoubtedly been proven effective in recent years - over twenty scientific studies have concluded that creatine can increase energy levels and result in enhanced strength, endurance levels and recovery rates. As a training aid it therefore has many merits. In terms of safety, no study to date has shown creatine to be anything other than safe, provided manufacturers' instructions are followed.
There is a bewildering range of creatine supplements on the market so subsequent articles in this series will examine the relative merits of the most popular and effective forms. In the meantime, you can find out more by visiting the site listed below. Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Creatine Supplements to learn more about the issues covered in this article.
MORE RESOURCES:
Arizona Power Yoga offers Yoga with a kickKOLD-TV, AZ - 5 hours agoIf you're tight and lack overall flexibility, the last thing you should attempt is yoga, right? Wrong. At least, according the owner of the new Arizona ... |
Martha's Vineyard Magazine |
Finding your yogaMartha's Vineyard Magazine, MA - 7 hours agoJust like Goldilocks trying to find the right porridge and bed, this writer had to sample different styles of yoga before settling into a groove that worked ... |
The Australian |
Healthy habitatsThe Australian, Australia - 6 hours agoOrder personal meditation and yoga instructors; yoga mats and well-being DVDs are provided. Guests are encouraged to co-design bespoke detox meals with the ... |
Yoga tree poseIndianapolis Star, United States - Aug 25, 2008This traditional "tree" yoga pose has many benefits for regular yoga practitioners, as well as those who want to strengthen their core muscles and improve ... |
Health Calendar: Free yoga classes, and moreDallas Morning News, TX - Aug 26, 2008Yoga teachers from around the area will hold free classes Monday as part of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Free Day of Yoga. Labor Day classes will be from ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Gain Weight Fast With These Ten Powerful Tips! Part -2
By the time you finish reading this you will have the basics down to eating to gain weight fast!If You want to gain weight fast you have to eat right to gain weight! So here we will focus on this crucial yet misunderstood element to gain weight.Gaining weight fast takes much more than just eating though.
How to Lose the Most Fat and Build the Most Muscle in 30 Days
A lot can happen in 30 days.The dream of everyone who trains is to lose maximum fat and build maximum muscle in the shortest period of time possible.
Enough Already! Stop Coming Up With New Weight Loss Programs...
Great weight loss techniques are completely worthless.That's a true statement 99.
Chest Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders
The chest area is one of the easist muscle groups for beginning bodybuilders to strengthen and develop. It consists of a large muscle (pectoralis major) to either side of the breastbone and a smaller muscle (pectoralis minor) underneath.
Exercise The Right Way - The Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes.
Hair Removal Tips For Bodybuilders
One of the most time consuming and frustrating parts of
bodybuilding is not building muscles, it's removing unwanted
hair.For any competing bodybuilder, hair removal is a must but
it's also growing in popularity among casual bodybuilders.
Key Elements for a Bigger Bench Press
Proper positioning on a weight bench to maximize leverageKeep the bar in line with the eyes; if you are too far towards the top of the bench it puts your shoulders in a weak position and wastes energy, and creates unsteadiness when lifting off.Firm foot contact with the floor close to the bench is Paramount! Feet on the bench, straight legs with feet lightly touching the floor is a recipe for failure; it decreases force and puts you out of balance.
Lift More Now - Weight Less Forever!
It's week three, and you've already learned the importance of drinking plenty of water, and by now, are seeing and feeling the countless benefits of cardiovascular exercise, or walking. So, it's time to turn it up a notch.
Get Rid of Cellulite, Once and For All!
Get Fit At Home With Ailsa : Get Rid of CelluliteHad it up to here with Cellulite? Want to get rid of it forever, and make your body all lovely and sleek? Yeah, me too, so I when one of my old 'Gym Boys' showed me this Exercise years ago, I started doing it al the time, and changed it up a bit to make it work more effectively for me. This is a great Exercise for Women, but I know for a fact that 'manly men' do it, too! ha,ha! (Oh, and in case you are thinking something 'innaccurate' about the 'Gym Boy' thing, that's just what I used to call all the guys at the gym where I used to work out a lot -- it's a term of endearment, but in no way a reference to anyone I went out with -- I either call those guys "that crazy old jerk" or "one of my great old friends".
Body Building Mind Games: Dont Let Your Weight Determine Your Mood!
Is the 'I Feel Fat Day' (IFFD) syndrome affecting your output? That extra flab can overpower you and your work. Thee feeling of being fat can morph into an emotion like 'happy' or 'angry'.
Barbell Exercises That Suit Beginners
The aim for beginners to weight training must be to lay the foundations for the intensive workouts that their bodies will eventually be subjected to. Obviously successful bodybuilding involves bringing together disparate elements such as nutrition and rest but choosing the right exercises is crucial.
Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 5
Welcome to article number five in our 5-part series "Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts". In this article we are going to cover some basic, yet powerful training principles that are often overlooked and are responsible for nearly all bodybuilding injuries?If you missed any of the previous articles, you can view them using the links below.
How Do I Gain Weight?
Try asking people how to gain weight and you'll likely see some bewildered faces staring back at you. For the majority of people, hearing that question is akin to hearing the questions, "How do I stub my toe?" or "How do I run out of gas?" Those confused faces not withstanding, the question is a legitimate one and one that frustrates those who find themselves on the light end of the scale.
Moving From Beginner To Intermediate Level Bodybuilding
By now you've made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you've learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner.
Preliminary Isometric Tension Improves the Effectiveness of Dynamic Work by up to 20%
Are you looking for a simple and effective way to increase your strength? This article will show you how to incorporate isometrics into your training regime to increase the strength of your favorite lifts.Soviet research, dating back to the sixties of the 20th century, points out that isometric training preceding dynamic work may increase its effectiveness by up to 20%.
Strong To The Core of Your Being - The Benefits Of Core Training
If you were to ask me which muscle group in your entire body you could work to get the greatest benefits in the shortest amount of time, I would tell you without hesitation, "the core." Strengthening the core can realize tremendous benefits to anyone regardless of his or her training experience and can do so very quickly.
Know Your Muscles - The Mid-Section
Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working, the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements.
The Health Risks Associated With The Use Of Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are classed as illegal drugs and are banned by most legitimate sports organizations. There can be no disputing the fact that testosterone boosts the development of muscle mass and aids sporting performance.
Deep Muscle Soreness And Body-Shock Fatigue
In my experience there are two distinct types of muscular fatigue associated with intense progressive resistance training (only intense training is sufficient to trigger muscle hypertrophy) and these two types should be recognized and understood. The first type of fatigue is direct muscle soreness and is the result of a particular exercise targeting a specific muscle.
Shoulder Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders
The main shoulder muscles that concern bodybuilders are the deltoids and although they work closely with the arms and chest muscles, it is possible to isolate the delts in a training session. Unlike other body parts though, the shoulder is not designed for heavy lifting in all directions so beginners need to take care and use lighter weights than usual for shoulder-isolating exercises.
|
