If you are a little unsure about what to expect from using a creatine supplement don't worry, you aren't alone. Not by a long shot. Despite being the most purchased muscle building supplement of the last twenty years, as a trainer I meet gym users every day who don't know what this supplement is actually supposed to do for their muscle growth progress.
Most of the supplement industry is built around hype. Each product will tell you that you 'need' it to get a good workout and try to make you believe it's the best thing since sliced bread. That's just life. But usually this also leads to companies trying to over complicate matters by simply confusing people with science. Most people never get past the beginner stages of supplement knowledge because they're led to believe that you need to be a rocket scientist to build muscle.
When you cut to the chase, however, this supplement is very easy to understand.
First thing first, it's a perfectly safe supplement to use. In fact your body creates this product by itself already, it's the substance it calls upon when you perform an explosive strength movement of any kind. So feel free to rid yourself of any worries you might have held about it being steroid-like or illegal, it's perfectly safe and used by all top athletes.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is where most folks get lost in jargon, each supplement trying to over sell you with scientific know how to beat their competition and simply leaving you with a sore head. We're not going to do that here.
Next time you hit the treadmill try sprinting hard and see what happens. For the first fifteen to twenty seconds you'll be flying by at a great pace but then suddenly you will notice an overwhelming burning feeling creeping up on you through your legs. This is called lactic acid, and it's a sensation designed by your body to tell you you have to slow down temporarily.
Your body has ran out of this natural explosive strength resource. You can still run, just nowhere near the same high intensity you could before. If you were to carry on jogging you'd notice after a few minutes you had built up sufficient strength to sprint briefly again.
By taking this supplement you are able to increase your levels of explosive strength.
Watch any Rocky movie and you'll notice just when a fighter appears to be completely done they manage to draw strength from somewhere within for another short blast. This also happens in real boxing and is down to the exact same thing discussed above.
So now you know what this does underneath the surface of your skin, let's put it into a gym context. In effect, by having more of this supplement within your muscles you are able to go slightly harder for slightly longer. That can make all the difference to building muscle.
This can result in a slightly heavier lift, or maybe another rep you previously could never perform. And in a nutshell, without any over complicated science talk, that's how creatine works.
Most of the supplement industry is built around hype. Each product will tell you that you 'need' it to get a good workout and try to make you believe it's the best thing since sliced bread. That's just life. But usually this also leads to companies trying to over complicate matters by simply confusing people with science. Most people never get past the beginner stages of supplement knowledge because they're led to believe that you need to be a rocket scientist to build muscle.
When you cut to the chase, however, this supplement is very easy to understand.
First thing first, it's a perfectly safe supplement to use. In fact your body creates this product by itself already, it's the substance it calls upon when you perform an explosive strength movement of any kind. So feel free to rid yourself of any worries you might have held about it being steroid-like or illegal, it's perfectly safe and used by all top athletes.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is where most folks get lost in jargon, each supplement trying to over sell you with scientific know how to beat their competition and simply leaving you with a sore head. We're not going to do that here.
Next time you hit the treadmill try sprinting hard and see what happens. For the first fifteen to twenty seconds you'll be flying by at a great pace but then suddenly you will notice an overwhelming burning feeling creeping up on you through your legs. This is called lactic acid, and it's a sensation designed by your body to tell you you have to slow down temporarily.
Your body has ran out of this natural explosive strength resource. You can still run, just nowhere near the same high intensity you could before. If you were to carry on jogging you'd notice after a few minutes you had built up sufficient strength to sprint briefly again.
By taking this supplement you are able to increase your levels of explosive strength.
Watch any Rocky movie and you'll notice just when a fighter appears to be completely done they manage to draw strength from somewhere within for another short blast. This also happens in real boxing and is down to the exact same thing discussed above.
So now you know what this does underneath the surface of your skin, let's put it into a gym context. In effect, by having more of this supplement within your muscles you are able to go slightly harder for slightly longer. That can make all the difference to building muscle.
This can result in a slightly heavier lift, or maybe another rep you previously could never perform. And in a nutshell, without any over complicated science talk, that's how creatine works.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe is a respected Personal Trainer. See our free guide to get the most from creatine immediately.
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