What are the Benefits of Taking Creatine?

August 12, 2020

What are the benefits of taking Creatine?

Is creatine a super supplement that will make you freakishly strong? The short answer is yes, hahaha, at least that’s my personal experience with creatine. I remember during high school talking to my football players buddies and them talking about creatine like it was some sort of underground miracle drug that helped them dominate on the field. At this point I knew absolutely nothing about nutritional supplements, but I was all ears and ready to learn. 

What is Creatine?

Creatine is naturally found in our bodies, and without getting too scientific on you suffice it to say it’s a combination of Arginine, Glycine and Methionine which are three amino acids that helps provide energy for our muscles especially the explosive and quick movements. Your muscles capacity to pay your daily dues is increased and become more energy efficient, but not only does creatine help you with your workout intensity it will also help you in recovery.

 

How fast will it work?

Results and noticed effects of creatine can vary, but for me I can feel and see a difference in under a week when I load the first 4-7 days. Loading simply put, is intaking 2-4 times your normal daily amount of creatine to quickly maximize your muscles stores. At about that week mark I am noticing an increase in my muscle mass, increased strength and an ability to do more reps during my workout,

 

Will Creatine make me stronger and faster?

The short answer as you might guess from my comments above is YES!!! However, its not exactly the creatine that is doing it, you are getting stronger and faster because of the work YOU are putting in. Since your body is being aided by the creatine with faster recovery, you will be ready to go with more energy for your next session. Your workout will be more intense, you’ll have greater focus and be able to squeeze out those extra reps without a problem. Basically each of your workouts are going to feel amazing and you’re going to notice your new feats of strength. As a good example of how my own strength increases when starting on creatine, I can easily go from a max 2-3 Reps of 315 lbs to 3-6 reps, and after a good chest session like that I’m definitely feeling a good pump. But we have to remember that you have to actually do the work. Creatine is there to help you reach new levels not to sit down and relax.

 

Is it safe for me to take Creatine and are there any side effects?

Yes its safe, your body naturally has creatine present, and there have not been any negative side effects noted with the recommended levels. 

Creatine is so efficient at getting water into your muscles that one side effect of taking it without sufficient water intake is cramping, but again this mostly just happens if you are not drinking enough. How can you avoid this? Simply drink water. Drink about 1-2 cups of water with your creatine scoop, and then keep drinking the recommended amounts of water throughout the day. Water will help maximize the effects of the Creatine.

 

How much Creatine should I take?

I have always gone with a scoop (5 grams) right after my workout, and during my loading about 10-12 grams. If you were to do a quick google search on the dosage topic you’ll quickly find that taking about 2-10 gram daily for athletic performance and for muscle strength up to 27 grams daily.

 

How to take my creatine?

Dark Mountain Creatine is made of the highest quality very fine powder creatine and dilutes almost instantly with water. There are many theories out there to take it with cranberry juice, grape juice or another simple sugar base, but I usually just stick to the basics and down it with a cup of water.   

 

When is the best time to take creatine?

The best time to take creatine on your training days is right after your workout. Taking it after your workout will help replenish your lost stores and get you ready for the next sweat session. Some people like to take half a scoop before the workout with Dark Mountain Pre and then the other half after the workout with Dark Mountain Post, but its up to you, and I prefer to take it after.

All in all, I am a huge believer in creatine, and it has definitely helped me get stronger and faster, and it has assisted me in achieving my goals of improving physically.

 

-Kristian Meilsoe, Owner Dark Mountain

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