Let’s talk about Creatine by Mac Griffiths

One of the most popular questions I get asked when talking about fitness is “what supplements do you use” and without even thinking, I know the answer! Because the most frequently used supplement in my cupboard aside from protein powder is of course Creatine!  So let’s talk about it a little bit…

What is Creatine and why did I start using it?

Creatine is a combination of three amino acids – glycine, arginine and methionine. It naturally occurs in the body and more than 95% of it is stored in our muscles, however, storage is limited. 

Since being introduced to Creatine in 2013, it has become part of my daily routine. I wanted to know more about the supplement and to my surprise, it happened to be one of the most researched supplements out there.

A lot of studies prove its effectiveness to slightly improve the rate of strength, lean body mass, anaerobic capacity and power output. As a newbie to the gym (with the constant need to question why about everything), I decided to educate myself and do as much of my own research as possible. This also stopped me wrecking peoples heads on the gym floor asking them every question under the sun about training, nutrition and supplements!

So now 8 years on and being a massive gym rat, I want to ensure I get the absolute most out of my body when it comes to performance, so I needed to know how it works and what the real benefits were, and I want to share this insight with you.

So when we work out our body uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as the main energy source for our muscles and Creatine enables a faster regeneration of said ATP. 

When I found out that Creatine increases its ability to rapidly produce energy I was pretty set on testing it for myself. To me it was pretty straightforward, If I’m able to perform better on the gym floor lifting more weight, then I’m able to create more muscle fibre tears that would in turn allow my body to repair and rebuild bigger and stronger.

I quickly found that my performance increased and with that so did my strength and rate of recovery. It’s important to note that I make sure that I also cater my diet and training towards my goals whether that be building muscle or losing fat and that Creatine is a supplement to that. Creatine promotes the production of proteins that form muscle fibres which also helps to increase insulin-like growth factor 1 that effectively promotes muscle mass growth. 

Will Creatine increase water retention?

I know the question that you’re all wanting to be answered – Will creatine increase the water content of your muscles (water retention) leading to an increase in volume? 

It should be noted that it’s possible but not a long term effect and it doesn’t happen to everyone. In addition to increasing cell volume, Creatine is known to promote glycogen production, this is beneficial for anyone looking to get a boost in performance in the gym. It’s a great supplement for performance athletes as the more glycogen a person stores, the more energy their muscles have therefore helped with the reduction of fatigue. 

So what creatine should you take and how should you take it?

There’s a lot of different types of creatine out there on the market but by far the most researched is creatine monohydrate so if I was to suggest any it would be that. The way I’ve found Creatine to work best for me is a 5g scoop in my breakfast shake however lately I’ve been switching it to my post-workout shake. It’s important to remember that timing of consumption does not influence its effect, it’s more about when it works best for you.

I take no more than 5g a day as my body is performing and absorbing the creatine well. I believe that only athletes performing at an elite level should consume more than this. Creatine intake solely depends on your level of activity and how much you push yourself to perform. A good recommendation would be to start at 2g a day and see how that affects your training.  It’s important to ensure you are continually consuming creatine to get the most out of it long term. Creatine relies on regular consumption to get the best results, plus the cherry on top is that if you choose to stop you’re not going to lose your gains. 

For me creatine is a simple but effective supplement, helping me perform better and recover faster. The only time I remove creatine from my routine is around about 6 weeks out of stepping on stage. It is without a doubt the supplement that I use every single day.

Want to get some more training tips and tricks? Check them out here.

Don’t forget to fuel yourself Pre, Intra and Post-workout – You can grab yourself all your workout must-haves here.  Make sure to let us know how you get on with your training program and tag us in your workouts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – @phdnutrition.

Written by PhD Ambassadors