CREATINE: The latest research

Most omnivores (those who eat animal and vegetable foods) get a gram or two of creatine from their meals each day. Adding a few grams as a supplement, however, has been found to increase levels of phosphocreatine, a chemical "super battery" within muscle cells. In fact, when creatine is taken as a supplement for a few weeks, muscle fibers can end up with 4-6% more phosphocreatine, which can boost performance significantly during sets of intense exercise. Most bodybuilders can squeeze out an extra rep or two per 10-bench-press set after they have supplemented with creatine for a couple of weeks. It helps them get a more intense muscle stimulus and anabolic effect.

Studies are surprisingly mixed when it comes to whether creatine benefits athletes in such sports as Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting (or, presumably, caber tossing if you're a Scot), which require max effort on ultrabrief lifts; some studies say it helps, some say it doesn't. Nonetheless, these are short-term studies, and many powerlifters and weightlifters find that creatine is excellent at improving strength. In general, creatine is best for enhancing "strength endurance" during movements lasting between several seconds and two minutes; i.e., intermittent sets of brief high-intensity exercise like that done during a bodybuilding workout. Based on the latest research, here are some of the primary advantages of creatine supplementation.

For bodybuilders, one of the most useful benefits of creatine is its cell-volumizing effect -- its ability to cause muscle cells to swell by taking up more water. This gain isn't like bloat from eating too much salty food (water retention under the skin). Rather, the extra water is carried inside muscle cells, increasing muscle size. In fact, creatine can boost the cross-sectional diameter of your muscle fibers by as much as 15%, with an overall gain of about two to four pounds of fat-free bodyweight in as little as six days, depending on how much you take. Because it's water, the rate of gain inevitably levels off. A loss of muscle and body water often occurs once individuals stop taking creatine for a week or more if they've been using high doses.

Some scientists believe that the extra water inside cells could also promote an increase in muscle protein synthesis and therefore cause gains in muscle tissue that are solid protein, not water. This may happen in the absence of training or in addition to it. Apparently, when creatine swells muscle fibers, enzymes are switched on that trigger muscle protein synthesis. Creatine may also boost muscle mass by improving the uptake of carbohydrate into muscle and increasing glycogen, the primary energy source for bodybuilding exercises.

Creatine also appears to increase the activity of muscle helper cells called satellite cells. These live side by side with muscle cells, helping to repair them when they're damaged and helping them grow bigger and stronger after bodybuilding exercise. Because creatine stimulates satellite-cell activity in rats and very likely in humans as well, it may cause lasting improvements in muscle protein mass in addition to the water gain.

Improve the loading effect by increasing insulin

Improve the loading effect by increasing insulin

Insulin improves creatine uptake into muscle. Taking 96 g of a high-glycemic-index carbohydrate such as dextrose (glucose) or even white bread improves creatine absorption dramatically by boosting insulin levels. However, a recent study found the same benefit when 50 g of dextrose was replaced with 50 g of protein. Therefore, the best strategy is to take creatine with simple carbs and a quickly digested and absorbed protein such as whey.

TAKE ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID WITH CREATINE

A recent study of healthy men ages 18-31 found that 250 milligrams (mg) of alpha-lipoic acid (1,000 mg per day total) increased muscle creatine absorption over and above what 100 g of dextrose was able to do. No wonder that alpha-lipoic acid is widely available and already included in some creatine preparations. For convenience, rather than using four 250 mg doses, take a 500 mg dose of alpha-lipoic acid with 3 to 5 g of creatine and a carb/protein meal twice per day.

TAKE A DOSE AFTER EXERCISE

Your body's cells are hungry for nutrients after training. Down one of the aforementioned creatine cocktails immediately after your workout to take advantage of faster-than-normal absorption of creatine by muscle.

BALANCE CREATINE WITH CAFFEINE

One study suggests that taking a lot of caffeine (at least three cups of coffee or about 400 mg) with creatine may hamper its performance-enhancing effects. However, since both agents can increase athletic performance, the best advice is to use trial and error to find out what balance of the two works for you. If you take creatine primarily for performance enhancement and you find that caffeine interferes with it, then avoid coffee, caffeine supplements and other caffeine sources, including certain soft drinks and cold remedies. Otherwise, don't worry about it: You'll still get the cell-volumizing effect of creatine, which is equally if not more important to most bodybuilders. Caffeine was not found to interfere with muscle creatine loading. And, obviously, many bodybuilders regularly get a lot of caffeine from ephedrine-caffeine supplements, as well as from dietary sources without any perceived negative effects on the benefits of creatine.

Regenerate creatine during workouts

Unfortunately, but naturally, the performance-enhancing effect of creatine wanes if too little rest is taken between sets. That's why it's important to take a creatine-regenerating break every so often during your workout. In weight training, when too little rest is taken between sets, an enzyme called creatine kinase doesn't have enough time to fully recharge creatine (by turning it into phosphocreatine). After one minute, for example, creatine is only half recharged with. phosphate. A two-minute rest every now and then seems to be enough to regenerate the performance-enhancing properties of creatine. Science continues to provide more information about optimizing creatine supplementation for bodybuilding gains. Clearly, you Want to take as much as you need, but beyond a certain amount (about 20 g. per day), you'll just be wasting your money. Seeing how your body responds to creatine in various amounts and in different forms is also essential, as individual variance is always a factor in supplementation. F ollow FLEX's guidelines, and adapt them to your own needs to get the most from your creatine supplementation.

DIVIDE CREATINE DOSES

Muscle maniacs who want to make gains as fast as possible must divide to conquer. To get the most out of creatine, especially if you're taking a daily 20 gram (g) loading regimen (for five to seven days), divide the amount into two to four doses. In doing this, you'll lose less of it via your urine. Scientists have found that taking 5 g of creatine in four divided doses throughout the. day (20 g total) gives muscle all the creatine it can hold. Nonetheless, an intensive loading regimen isn't necessary, since muscle saturation can be reached in about 28 days with as little as 3 g of creatine daily. So most people have learned to stay below 5 g of creatine per day to save money (2 or 3 g per day appear to be enough to maintain optimal muscle creatine levels for some, but only after saturation has been achieved).

Dissolve it in a beverage

#2 Creatine is sold in powder form, in drink mixes, in ready-to-serve beverages and even in candy. We suggest you dissolve powdered creatine in a beverage. In cool water, creatine stays suspended, so it will resemble slurry (to keep it mixed, swirl it as you drink it). As an alternative, use warm (not hot) water, keeping in mind that it generally takes at least 32 ounces (about a liter) of water to dissolve 10 or so grams of creatine.

Pure powder is the cheapest form of creatine, but drink mixes and drinks that actually deliver efficacious amounts of real creatine into your system are now available. These are convenient and taste better than other forms. Dissolved creatine breaks down over lime in liquid, especially if it's in an acidic solution such as orange juice, Nonetheless, the supplement is definitely stable enough even if you don't drink the mixture down right away. But, hey, why wait? Don't let the stuff sit, just drink it and grow.

women body building

Bodybuilding is not only just popular with men, it's increasingly becoming popular with women as well. To meet this growing demand, bodybuilding supplements made exclusively for women have appeared.

The reason for the different supplements lies within the body differences of men and women. The bodybuilding supplements for men have different ingredients made to affect the male body in a certain way. For example, it wouldn't be advisable for a woman to use the testosterone booster, as it would cause extra hair growth and a much deeper voice. A woman surely wouldn't want these kinds of side effects to appear, not matter how good the bodybuilding supplement might work.

There's a few bodybuilding supplements that are entirely suitable for women, however. One such supplement is creatine. You can find special creatines made just for women, like Femme Advantage Creatine. This and other creatines made specially for women are designed to eliminate the unwanted side effects that a traditional creatine might cause for a woman. These side effects include cramps, dehydration, upset stomach, and other irritating side effects that you'll surely want to avoid.

Vitamin B bodybuilding supplements help your body in many ways. Firstly, they increase the efficiency of the metabolic process of carbs, proteins, and fat. Secondly, vitamin B is also important for the health of your hair, skin, and eyes.

Use calcium bodybuilding supplements to keep your bones solid and healthy. Strong bones are especially important when you're bodybuilding, they help provide the stability in your body that you'll need plenty of.

If you have fat to burn, you'll need to take care of it before you can start building muscle. Use fat burners to help in the battle to knock the fat off. Fat burners will provide you with the energy and metabolism boost you need to get the job done quickly and effectively. Take care when using fat burners, however. Some can prove to be dangerous, and it's best to use them in moderation and mixed with a healthy diet.

Protein bodybuilding supplements for women are perfect since protein is considered one of the most essential nutrients for building muscle. You'll find a wide variety of protein supplements available, most of it comes in powder form so it's easy to mix with a drink or shake. You might favor supplements that are soy or whey based. These natural supplements and very effective in delivering all the protein a body needs for quality muscle production.

A good body is something to be proud of. Not everybody has been given the gift of good and fast metabolism, and not everyone has the discipline to maintain a fit and healthy body.

That is why many people are trying to keep their bodies in excellent condition. People try different methods to loose the excess weight as well as to keep the muscles toned and well used. Some claim that diets work for them. Others state that they can only have great bodies through medical procedures and operations, while there are also people who are living testimonials of a strict bodybuilding regime.

For people who take up bodybuilding, bodybuilding supplements are oftentimes a part of the whole deal. These supplements are mostly taken to provide the much-needed balance of vitamins, proteins, and minerals that are lost during bodybuilding exercises and training. Also, these are needed to keep a body healthy and well.

Various kinds of bodybuilding supplements are offered in the market. There are some supplements that offer a specific element or ingredient, while there are others that provide various types elements in just one supplement. There are those that work simply to boost your energy level. There are some that provide relief for those aching muscles and joints. Some provide vitamins and minerals that are lost during your workout.

If you are interested in locating the right kind of bodybuilding supplements, there are various companies scattered around the country that offer these. You can easily check them out through the Internet. However, it is important to consult and talk to a doctor or professional first so that you are sure that you are not taking anything that could be disastrous to your health.

Bodybuilding is necessary for the heavyweight lifters and body builders. So mostly they are the buyers of Bodybuilding supplements. Other than them, the people who want to low down their body fats are also the users of the Body Building Supplements. These not only helps in building our body but also aid in improving the performance of the body. There are two types of Body building Supplements- the exercise supplements and the dietary supplements. Dietary Supplements contain amino acids and other nutrients those are required to build a body. Exercise Supplements are those that help to increase the nutrient level of the body. Now a days the players commonly used creatine as bodybuilding Supplements since this product provides them instantaneous strength and saturate their muscles in such a way that they can perform in a higher level without getting weak.

Digestive Enzymes present in Bodybuilding Supplements

Body Building Supplements mostly include egg, meat, milk and milk products and soy proteins. The supplements when taken regularly help in bodybuilding by promoting tissue growth. After the vigorous activities of exercises intake is very important. Enzymes are one of the main components that are present in the bodybuilding supplements. In order to digest and absorb food Enzymes play the prime role. The digestive Enzymes secreted in our alimentary canal break down carbohydrates and lipids of the food. The enzymes can be secreted from the digestive glands as well as from the hormones. The digestive glands of our body are pancreas, liver and small and large intestine.