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.
When it comes to supplements the majority of us are sold by hype. Big claims about piling on slabs of rock hard lean muscle way easier than we could even dream about, right? That's why the supplement market is a billion dollar industry. This often leads us to buy products which we don't really know enough about.
This supplement is no exception. How can a product with so much scientific fact behind it be so unclear to people? Because when money is involved things become unclear. Companies want you to buy their latest products after all. But when you get down to it, this supplement is really simple 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.
That initial explosive strength you had comes from your body's natural resources of this supplement. When it's gone, it's gone. You'll notice you can carry on running but you need to slow down considerably. As you recover from the burning pain in your legs you're levels of the substance are building back up slowly in the background. After a couple of minutes you are able to briefly sprint once more, as your levels have now built back up.
Using this supplement allows you to briefly increase that small period 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.
When it comes to supplements the majority of us are sold by hype. Big claims about piling on slabs of rock hard lean muscle way easier than we could even dream about, right? That's why the supplement market is a billion dollar industry. This often leads us to buy products which we don't really know enough about.
This supplement is no exception. How can a product with so much scientific fact behind it be so unclear to people? Because when money is involved things become unclear. Companies want you to buy their latest products after all. But when you get down to it, this supplement is really simple 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.
That initial explosive strength you had comes from your body's natural resources of this supplement. When it's gone, it's gone. You'll notice you can carry on running but you need to slow down considerably. As you recover from the burning pain in your legs you're levels of the substance are building back up slowly in the background. After a couple of minutes you are able to briefly sprint once more, as your levels have now built back up.
Using this supplement allows you to briefly increase that small period 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:
Writer: Russ Howe is a respected Personal Trainer. Watch our free guide to get the most from creatine today.
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