Everything you need to know about creatine

One of the most popular supplements among athletes is without a doubt creatine. Not only is this sold a lot, but there has also been a lot of research into it. As a result, a lot is already known about how creatine can help you with exercise. Are you still unsure whether you should take creatine? Not sure what exactly creatine is? Below we would like to tell you everything you need to know about creatine! This way you know exactly how it works, what the benefits are and whether it is something for you.

What is creatine?

First of all, you want to know what exactly creatine is. Creatine is not just a supplement, but is also a substance that your body already produces itself. This substance is mainly found in our muscles and is, as it were, an intermediate product for the energy between our muscle cells and nerve cells. Although our bodies already produce creatine, it is a good idea for athletes to consume more of it.

For example, you can also obtain creatine through food. You will mainly find creatine in meat, but also in fish. You need about 1 to 3 grams of creatine in a day, so that supplies remain replenished. You already produce half of this yourself and the other half you get from your diet.

How does creatine work?

How exactly does creatine help with exercise? How does creatine work? As you probably already know, our body needs energy to move its muscles. To move, our muscles contract. Energy from ATP is used for this. Your energy supply can be replenished by carbohydrates, proteins and creatine.

The creatine in our body is first converted into creatine phosphate. The supply of this then ensures that your body is able to exert force and make explosive movements. You may have noticed that it is difficult to maintain explosive movements (such as lifting something heavy or sprinting) for a long time. The amount of creatine is not enough to continue making explosive movements for a long time.

That's why this supplement is so perfect for athletes! By taking extra creatine, you ensure that your body has a larger supply of creatine. This way you can perform explosive movements more easily and more often during exercise.

The benefits of creatine

Is creatine really worth it? Of course! Creatine can really help you with exercise! Below we have listed some of the benefits of creatine. So you can see that this supplement is definitely worth it!

More power

As just explained, creatine can ensure that you have more strength during exercise. This allows you to lift heavier weights and ensure faster muscle growth. Perfect if you want to get bigger and stronger!

More lean mass

Did you know that creatine can also provide more lean mass? Research has shown that using creatine ensures that your body builds more lean mass. This effect is further enhanced if you use both creatine and whey protein!

Better resistance to dehydration

When you take creatine as a supplement, you also have better resistance to dehydration. Especially when exercising in warm weather. Creatine causes your body to retain fluid. This ensures that you are less likely to dehydrate during exercise.

Higher training volume

Finally, creatine ensures a higher training volume. Because your energy supply is better replenished with creatine, your body can continue for longer. This allows you to train longer and harder and achieve your goals faster!

The disadvantages of creatine

There are also a few disadvantages associated with using creatine. However, these 'disadvantages' are not always a problem, but it is useful to know them in advance.

Not favorable for endurance sports

For example, creatine is probably not beneficial for people who participate in endurance sports. There are actually two reasons for this. Creatine usually causes an increase in weight. This is something that is not desirable for endurance athletes. It is not certain whether creatine has an effect if you exercise for more than an hour. Creatine focuses more on the explosiveness of your muscles and is therefore not suitable for endurance sports.

Increase in weight

As just mentioned, the use of creatine usually leads to an increase in weight. However, this is nothing to worry about. Part of this weight already consists of water. By using creatine, your body will retain more fluid. You will also gain muscle mass. This is actually positive!

Smaller effect in women

A lot of research has already been done into the effect and functioning of creatine. However, most studies have been conducted with men. Creatine does indeed provide more muscle strength in men and women, but the effect is smaller among women. This has been shown in various studies with female subjects.

Drink more

This is not a disadvantage and something you should do anyway, but using creatine will require you to drink more water. The creatine ensures that more water is stored in your muscles. That's why it's important to drink more water so you can replenish your supply. Therefore, drink about 300 to 500 ml of water on top of your regular water intake. 4 to 5 liters of water is often recommended for athletes who use creatine.

Try GT Nutrition's creatine!

The use of creatine therefore has many advantages for athletes! If you would also like to build more muscle mass quickly, we definitely recommend using creatine. So try creatine from GT Nutrition! This supplement can be perfectly combined with our Whey protein and our Pre Workout and you will quickly see results!

In the first week, take 5 grams of creatine 3 times a day. Only do this twice a day in week 2 and only once a day from week 3 onwards. It is best to take the creatine during or after a meal.

Try creatine from GT Nutrition quickly, so that you can grow the muscle mass of your dreams faster!