What, why and how of Creatine Monohydrate?

What is Creatine Monohydrate?

Creatine Monohydrate is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in animal proteins, such as meat and fish, and is also made by the human body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. 

It is designed to help increase your muscle energy and restore your ATP levels.  Creatine can help you gain strength, increase muscle volume and assist with recovery. Just 3g of a creatine supplement is equal to what you would get in just over 1-1.2kg of cooked red meat or fish. So a supplement such as Muscle Protein's Creatine Monohydrate Performance is a very good way to get an adequate dose daily.

Do you really need to supplement?

When you supplement, you increase our stores phosphocreatine, which is stored energy in the cells, which consequently helps your body perform better during exercise.  Studies also indicate that Creatine can potentially help to minimise bone loss, which is great for an ageing population, and it's been shown to be protective for people at risk of traumatic brain injuries, whether that be through sports or because of their job.

In addition, Creatine has also been investigated as a potential nootropic. Which is a substance that enhances brain function or cognition, so it is definitely worth the benefits!

Should we take it regularly? 

The good news is that studies looking at people supplementing with creatine for three to five years have found it to appear safe. Long-term supplementation has shown no adverse effects on renal, liver or musculoskeletal function.

Your body excretes a lot of creatine in urine (roughly the equivalent of what you consume from your diet) so supplements are the most efficient ways to increase creatine stores in the body.

For vegetarians and vegans who don’t get creatine via their diet, supplementation can be extremely beneficial to enhance creatine stores.

How to take Creatine Monohydrate?

We recommend mixing just 3g of Creatine with approximately 200mL of water and consume immediately for best results.

As far as timing goes, there is not any definitive studies that show a certain time of day, however there are suggestions that taking it soon before or after exercise is beneficial when it comes to muscle growth and strength.

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