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.