So you want to take that plunge into the deep end of the pool. You want to go where no scrawny man has ever gone before. You want to stop listening to what your mom says is good for you, and become a man that makes his own decisions. You want to bulk up and get in shape and do it in a way that will produce quicker and more noticeable results. You want to take creatine.

Despite what all the moms say about creatine, it is actually one of the few supplements out there that works and doesn’t harm you in the process if used correctly. Your body uses creatine whether you put it in your body via powder form, pill form, or red meat. Creatine simply gives you more energy that allows you to push that extra rep or two up. Those extra few reps will produce bigger gains over a length of time.

The first step in taking creatine is the loading phase. I would take what the creatine bottles say with a grain of salt. Always read the directions on the package before you use anything, but also realize that these companies are out to make money. They sometimes fudge their dosage amounts so you run out of product faster and have to order more.

Creatine is used in cycles. The typical cycle will last about 8-10 weeks depending on the individual. The first week of ever cycle consists of what we call a loading phase. During the loading phase, you will take more creatine than usual to get your body ready for it. It is recommended that you take 20 grams/day during the loading phase. You can break this up into 4-5 times a day depending on when you eat your meals and when you work out. It is also important to take creatine up to 2 hours before you work out because it will take time for the muscles to absorb it.

There are several ways you can take creatine. Some people take it in the form of pills, while the majority of us use the powder form. I always buy flavorless because I generally put the scoop right into my mouth and wash it down with a tall glass of grape juice. It is also ok to mix creatine with protein or to put it in shakes or a glass of water. The problem with creatine is that is doesn’t dissolve well. That’s why I recommend you just put the scoop on the back of your tongue and swallow it, that way you don’t lose any of the creatine in the bottom of your cup.

Packages might tell you to take more than the daily loading phase dosage, but don’t listen to them. The body will just excrete any excess creatine and it will be wasted. Creatine can be a great tool in aiding you in your journey to get in shape. The loading phase is very important in the cycle, so be sure to follow the recommended dosage amounts and try not to skip any servings. If you miss your morning scoop, do not take 2 scoops at the next scheduled time.

Creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid, is a natural component of skeletal muscle in vertebrates, including human beings. It helps to supply energy to our muscle cells, and when taken as a dietary supplement, increases the body’s capacity for work. As the creatine supplement is popular among athletes that want to gain muscle mass and improve their performance, there is an ongoing debate surrounding the use of creatine supplements today. Even though sport-governing bodies have not banned the supplement yet, some countries have placed a strict ban on its use.

Creatine was first identified in 1832 by French scientist and philosopher, Michel Eugene Chevreul, who named it after the Greek word for flesh, kreas. Soon afterwards, a German scientist, Justus von Liebig helped promote a commercially available extract of meat, on the grounds that it would give the body strength for extra work. The secret ingredient in this enigmatic meat extract was, of course, creatine!

This important acid can be found in our muscle tissues, supplying much-needed energy for muscle contraction to our bodies. The acid finds a way in each time we consume meat or fish; in fact, almost half of the creatine stored in our bodies originates from food.

Creatine functions as part of a coordination based on arginine/phosphoarginine and operating in lots of invertebrates. By the presence of this energy shuttle, the ATP/ADP ratio is kept high. This ensures that the level of free ATP energy stays on top, while also minifying the loss of adenosine nucleotides; thus also preventing cellular dysfunction.

The human body mainly synthesizes creatine in the liver, using parts from three amino acids, namely arginine, glycine, and methionine. Ninety five percent of this creatine is later stored in our skeletal muscles, while the brain, the heart, and the testes get to keep the remaining five percent. It’s important to note that genetic deficiences in the creatine biosynthetic pathway may often result in severe neurologic imperfections.

The endogenic synthesis of creatine in the human liver is adequate for normal functioning of the human body. In other words, vegetarians do not suffer from creatine deficiency even though vegetables do not contain creatine. However, scientific studies show us that an addition of creatine intake to a vegetarian diet does indeed enhance physical performance. Chemical synthesis with plant-derived amino acids is the method employed in obtaining vegetarian creatine; in fact it is the only method we know of at this time.

Scientists continue to investigate the benefits of creatine supplementation in treating muscular, neurological, and neuromuscular diseases. Studies have already revealed that creatine is effective in extending the lives of mice with the degenerative neural disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and can cause modest improvements in the power output of people with a range of neuromuscular disorders.

In the human body, creatine is broken down to creatinine, before taking the exit route which eliminates the acid through the kidneys. Creatine also acts as a means of diagnosis as doctors and health facilities determine kidney functioning by routinely measuring blood creatinine. As an e.g. renal failure is indicated by high creatinine serum levels.

Leaving out the cases of creatine abuse, studies have shown that short-term creatine supplementation in healthy individuals, increasing the activity of myogenic cells, is actually quite safe. Yet, there is still a debate over the incidence of muscle cramping which may result as a side-effect of creatine use. Moreover, scientific research has also revealed that creatine supplementation increases both total and fat-free body mass.

Following the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, creatine received great mass media attention when it was discovered that a number of the athletes had used it as a supplement. The Times in August of that same year reported that the 100 meters gold medal, Linford Christie, had utilized it as a dietary supplement prior to the Olympics, while an article appearing in Bodybuilding Monthly labeled the 400-meter hurdle gold medalist’s victory as a product of creatine use. It was further brought to public attention that quite a few medal-winning British rowers had used creatine while preparing for the Barcelona games.

This media attention, which generated in 1992, is still in full-swing, what with the controversy surrounding the usage and banning of creatine as a supplement, and the worldwide attention the debate has awakened.

Welcome to my journal, my name is Terry Bytheway. This blog has been created to give you a true insight of the using Creatine Monohydrate.

I myself have never used creatine as a supplement for weight training, i have heard good things about it from close friends, so i think it is time to try it.  All posts in this blog will be written by me, and tested by me.