Athletic Performance Benefits of Creatine
One of the best workout supplements on the market today, creatine has a number of great benefits for athletes. Unfortunately, athletes are constantly being fed misinformation about creatine, often by the local supplement store guy, who has probably never been in a gym or even used the supplement.
Before stating why creatine is such an effective supplement, there are two myths that need to be debunked:
- Creatine causes water retention. It does not.
- Creatine causes harm to the kidneys or liver. It does not.
Both of these claims have been researched and studied multiple times. If somebody tells you otherwise, a quick pubmed search will prove them wrong.
Now on to the facts and benefits of creatine.
Creatine has numerous athletic performance benefits. Once creatine enters the bloodstream, 95 percent of it is used by skeletal muscle. The heart, brain and testes use the other 5 percent. Without getting too technical, creatine helps the body generate more energy, which is why taking it before a workout seems to be the best method. The extra energy helps you get that extra rep on an exercise to further challenge your body and stimulate strength gains.
The best known benefit of creatine is its ability to increase anaerobic power for short-term explosive movements. This benefit alone makes creatine one of the best workout supplements. An increase in anaerobic power helps you sprint faster, jump higher and tackle harder.
Athletes who benefit most from creatine supplementation include those who play basketball, tennis, football and hockey, to name a few.
Creatine’s other sports performance benefits include:
- Increased muscle mass
- Improved muscular endurance
- Improved hydration
- Improved brain function
- Resistance to inflammation following exercise
- Improved glycemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes
As you can see, the benefits of creatine go far beyond the sports field.
Source: The Creatine Report
photo credit: healthhabits.com
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Athletic Performance Benefits of Creatine
One of the best workout supplements on the market today, creatine has a number of great benefits for athletes. Unfortunately, athletes are constantly being fed misinformation about creatine, often by the local supplement store guy, who has probably never been in a gym or even used the supplement.
Before stating why creatine is such an effective supplement, there are two myths that need to be debunked:
- Creatine causes water retention. It does not.
- Creatine causes harm to the kidneys or liver. It does not.
Both of these claims have been researched and studied multiple times. If somebody tells you otherwise, a quick pubmed search will prove them wrong.
Now on to the facts and benefits of creatine.
Creatine has numerous athletic performance benefits. Once creatine enters the bloodstream, 95 percent of it is used by skeletal muscle. The heart, brain and testes use the other 5 percent. Without getting too technical, creatine helps the body generate more energy, which is why taking it before a workout seems to be the best method. The extra energy helps you get that extra rep on an exercise to further challenge your body and stimulate strength gains.
The best known benefit of creatine is its ability to increase anaerobic power for short-term explosive movements. This benefit alone makes creatine one of the best workout supplements. An increase in anaerobic power helps you sprint faster, jump higher and tackle harder.
Athletes who benefit most from creatine supplementation include those who play basketball, tennis, football and hockey, to name a few.
Creatine’s other sports performance benefits include:
- Increased muscle mass
- Improved muscular endurance
- Improved hydration
- Improved brain function
- Resistance to inflammation following exercise
- Improved glycemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes
As you can see, the benefits of creatine go far beyond the sports field.
Source: The Creatine Report
photo credit: healthhabits.com