Everything You Need to Know About Creatine Monohydrate

Get your facts straight as we disprove the top 3 myths about creatine monohydrate. You’ll also learn the top 3 facts and benefits of creatine.

Creatine monohydrate has been a fitness supplement staple for years but there are still mixed feelings about it still floating around the industry. 

Let’s take a look at the top three myths about creatine along with three truths about this veteran supplement.

Myth: Creatine Monohydrate Is Bad for Your Kidneys

Let’s kick off our list with the myth that began the negative publicity with creatine. In the past, it’s been said that creatine monohydrate puts an enormous strain on your kidneys and liver as these are the organs that do all of the filtering in the body.

Despite these rumors, no study has ever confirmed this to be true. In fact, many studies say just the opposite. To play devil’s advocate, if you’re worried about strain on the kidneys and liver, just make sure to drink plenty of water while supplementing with creatine. [1]

Myth: Creatine Monohydrate Will Make You Bloated

This myth was once a truth. When creatine monohydrate first hit the scene, it was used primarily by bodybuilders whose goal it was to get as large as possible before cutting season.

Creatine monohydrate would provide bodybuilders with usable intra-workout energy but it would also cause the body to retain water, causing a bloated look. This was great news for bodybuilders and a common complaint among average fitness enthusiasts.

Nowadays, creatine monohydrate has been perfected to be rapidly absorbed without causing that bloated look and feel it once did.

Myth: Women Can’t Take Creatine Monohydrate

This myth goes back to the idea that you’ll become bloated from taking creatine. There have also been rumors that creatine will make women look “more manly.” Neither of these rumors are true.

Creatine has been proven in several key studies to be a safe and effective fitness supplement for both men and women. [2]

Truth: Creatine Monohydrate is Ideal During Your Workout

Supplementing with creatine monohydrate on a daily basis will provide muscle tissue with usable energy during your workouts.

Creatine is broken down into adenosine triphosphate, commonly known as ATP. This is the preferred source of fuel for muscle tissue. Your body naturally creates ATP but it quickly burns through this during physical activity.

Supplement with creatine to support your performance and, consequently, your results. [3]

Truth: You Need to do a Loading Phase with Creatine Monohydrate

This has been a subject of debate, especially with the newer forms of creatine being released into the market; however, if you want to maximize the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate, you need to do a loading phase.

You could take 5 grams per day but it would take a month to start noticing the real benefits of creatine. Instead, take 20 grams per day for the first 7 to 10 days. After this, you can supplement with a daily dose of 5 grams. [4]

Truth: Creatine Monohydrate Should be Paired with Glutamine

Regardless if you are driven by muscle building, fat loss, or performance enhancement, recovery is going to be essential. This is why creatine monohydrate and glutamine make the perfect supplement duo.

While creatine provides usable energy to muscle tissue, glutamine helps to support the repair and recovery process of lean tissue. This complementing relationship will help you avoid over training and achieve your fitness goals. [5] [6]

Creatine Monohydrate: A Perfect Workout Supplement

Creatine monohydrate will be there for you during and long after the workout ends. But not all creatine supplements are created equal.

Don’t take chances with your results and progress. Choose an elite quality creatine supplement. Introducing ATP48.

This is not your run-of-the-mill creatine supplements. ATP48 combines the best forms of creatine with complementary ingredients to ensure maximum absorption into the muscle and next-level performance.

References

1. Lugaresi R, Leme M, de Salles Painelli V, Murai IH, Roschel H, Sapienza MT, Lancha Junior AH, Gualano B. Does long-term creatine supplementation impair kidney function in resistance-trained individuals consuming a high-protein diet? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 May 16;10(1):26. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-26.

2. Ellery SJ, Walker DW, Dickinson H. Creatine for women: a review of the relationship between creatine and the reproductive cycle and female-specific benefits of creatine therapy. Amino Acids. 2016 Aug;48(8):1807-17. doi: 10.1007/s00726-016-2199-y. Epub 2016 Feb 22.

3. Kreider RB. Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Feb;244(1-2):89-94.

4. Robert Cooper, Fernando Naclerio, Judith Allgrove, and Alfonso Jimenez. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012; 9: 33. Published online 2012 Jul 20. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-33.

5. Gleeson M. Dosing and efficacy of glutamine supplementation in human exercise and sport training. J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):2045S-2049S.

6. Legault Z, Bagnall N, Kimmerly DS. The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2015 Oct;25(5):417-26. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0209. Epub 2015 Mar 26.

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