What Creatine Can Do For You

Several studies show thge effectiveness of creatine and how to take it for maximum results.

Fuller, Harder Muscles

Creatine increases the amount of fluid retained inside your muscle cells-not outside.¹ The result? More fluid inside muscle cells makes your muscles feel fuller and gives you a harder, more defined look. (You don't gain fluid outside the muscle cells, which would give your physique a softer, puffy look.) Creatine also enhances your body's ability to make proteins within its muscle fibers by stimulating the uptake of amino acids.² Your muscle-fiber thickness increases, so you pack on more mass.

Less Body Fat

Creatine can indirectly help you lose body fat. Here's why: For every pound of lean muscle you gain, you'll burn an additional 16 calories per day. Unless you eat more to compensate, you'll lose fat as your body uses the calories in your stored body-fat for energy.

NOTE: A recent survey of creatine users found that 34 percent experienced BOTH a reduction in their body-fat level and an increase in definition or vascularity.³

Bigger Muscles, Faster

Creatine supplementation can speed your muscle growth by boosting the resynthesis rate of ATP. Your body uses ATP to power intense muscular movement. So you can train your muscles harder and longer-and build lots more muscle in less time.

NOTE: A study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that when 8 weight-trained men took 20 grams of creatine per day for four weeks, their average muscle mass increased by 3.5 pounds.⁴ (see figure 1)

Greater strength and power

Creatine can prolong the amount of time your body remains within the ATP-CP cycle before it reaches muscular failure. More intense workouts mean you can finally break through "plateaus."

NOTE: In the University of Texas study mentioned earlier, the athletes added 18 pounds to their single-repetition bench press, going from an average of 278 lbs. to 296 lbs. in just one month. (see figure 2)

They also went from 11 to 15 repetitions when they lifted a weight that was 70 percent of their one-repetition maximum. ⁵ (see figure 3)

A separate study found that a week of creatine supplementation boosts mean power output by 6 percent!⁶

The Best Time to Take Creatine

Your muscles absorb nutrients at a greater rate during the 1 1/2 hours after a workout-so take part of your creatine dose right after you exercise. Another good time is an hour before your workout.

If you're in the loading phase (or if you divide your maintenance dosage into more than two doses), spread your doses throughout the day.

It'll give you several "windows of opportunity" to boost creatine concentrations inside your muscle fibers.

NEWSFLASH...Creatine Huge Hit with Sluggers!

If you've read any of the sports magazines, you know creatine is BIG news. It's one reason home runs are flying out of the parks. Many top pro athletes have found it can give them an extra advantage on the field that can translate into millions during contract negotiations.

Not Just for Bodybuilders Anymore

For a while now, bodybuilders have known how creatine can help build muscle. But, if you play football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, raquetball, box, throw the discus or javelin, row or swim, creatine can likely enhance your performance, too. ^{7 8 9}

In fact, if you play a sport where added muscle strength is a decisive advantage, creatine can almost certainly help you. For example: If you play football or wrestle, creatine can help you overpower your opponents-simply because you can bring more muscle mass and brute force to bear. Generally speaking, you'll find creatine can help you perform at a higher level in any sport requiring short bursts of concentrated power.

How to Mix Creatine to Achieve Maximum Results

Studies show you'll achieve the maximum benefits from creatine during the loading phase by consuming it with some form of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates stimulate your body to produce insulin which helps transport enhanced amounts of creatine into your muscle cells.

NOTE: A study at Queen's Medical Center in England found that creatine concentrations in muscle increased by 36 percent when the athletes added 93 grams of glucose and simple sugar to the 20 grams of creatine they took each day for five days. ¹⁰ (see figure 4)

The most common practice is to mix Pure Creatine Monohydrate with sugar like that found in grape juice. However, grape juice is not nearly as high of a glycemic index sugar as dextrose. Dextrose rates about the same as glucose, about a 100 on a scale of 1 to 100. Table sugar only rates a 59 on this scale.

Or save yourself the mixing hassles and try Fitness Labs CreaFit Creatine Transport. It's a precise mixture of creatine, high glycemic index carbs from dextrose and a precise blend of glutamine, taurine and phosphates to help drive creatine into muscle cells for maximum impact.

Sources for our study information:

1. Fitch, C. & Shields, R. "Creatine metabolism in skeletal muscle." Journal of Biological Chemistry; 241(15): 3611-3614, 1966.
2. Ingwall, J. "Creatine and the control of muscle-specific protein synthesis in cardiac and skeletal muscle." Circulatory Research; 38: 115-122, 1976.
3. Sahelian, R. & Tuttle, D. Creatine: Nature's Muscle Builder. Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group; pp. 34, 88, 1998.
4. Earnest, C. et al. "The effect of creatine monohydrate ingestion on anaerobic power indices, muscular strength and body composition."Acta Physiologica Scandinavia; 153:2207-2209, 1995.
5. Earnest, C. et al. ob cit.
6. Birch, R. et al. "The influence of dietary creatine supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of maximal isokinetic cycling in man." European Journal of Applied Physiology; 69: 268-270, 1994.
7. Volek, J. et al. "Creatine supplementation enhances muscular performance during high-intensity resistance exercise." Journal of the American Dietetic Association; 97: 765-770, 1997.
8. Harris, R. et al. "The effect of oral creatine supplementation on running performance during maximal short-term exercise in man." Journal of Physiology; 467: 74P, 1993.
9. Rossiter, H. et al. "The effect of oral creatine supplementation on the 1,000-m performance of competitive rowers." Journal of Sports Science; 14: 175-179, 1996.
10. Green, A. et al. "Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine feeding in humans." Acta Physiologica Scandinavia; 158:195-202, 1996.
11. Harris, R.C., et al. "Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation." Clinical Science; 83; 367-374, 1992.

Copyright 2001, Fitness Labs
Reprinted with Permission.