Creatine monohydrate, know these aspects before including it in your diet !

Creatine monohydrate is one of the trending supplement flooding the market. Talking about natural presence this substance is also naturally found in human muscle cells. The main aim of production of this substance in the body is to fuel heavy intensity work. Seeing the current trend taking creatine as a food supplement is gaining popularity among athletes and sports persons in order to gain muscle mass and enhance strength.

• Going through the chemical structure of creatine, it’s just like the amino acids that are present in the body glycine and arginine.

• Most of the creatine is present in the muscle is in form of phosphocreatine. That is about 95% of total bodies creatine. While brain, kidneys and liver store the remaining 5%.

Now let’s have a look on every aspect of this substance, from pros to cons.

1. Functioning and benefits of creatine monohydrate :

When you supplement your body with this supplement it increases the store of phosphocreatine in the body. This form of creatine stores energy in the cells, which further is used as ATP during high intensity workouts. So this helps in intense workout for long durations. Which will subsequently give better results in short period of time. Creatine also helps in following ways.

• Workload Boosting : This supplement helps in increasing workload or volume during a single session.

• Raising anabolic hormones : This increase functioning of some hormones like IGF-1 . Which are responsible for anabolic activities.

• Reduction in muscle breakdown : This helps in increasing the muscle mass by slowing down the muscle breakdown process.

• Accelerates muscle repairing : Is very beneficial in muscle repairing an new muscle growth. As increases satellite cell signaling for the course.

• Better brain functioning : Creatine supplementations increases phosphocreatine stores in the brain that improves the brain health and neurological functioning.

2. Do it really helps in muscle gain? Let's check :

Creatine is found useful in both short and long term muscle gain programs. During a study in older adults observed that when this supplement was added in their weight training program. This resulted in increasing leg strength and muscle mass.

In another observation of about 12 weeks. It was found that weight lifters who were given creatine monohydrate increased muscle fibre growth by 2-3 times to normal lifters. It is the most researched supplement present in the market.

So yes! creatine monohydrate increases muscle mass and helps in muscle gain program.

3. Dosage and Intake instructions :

Though bodybuilders and athletes start this supplement with a loading phase where they take 20 grams of creatine a day for about one week. Then they add this in their diet with about 3 to 5 grams per day. But for normal people and working professionals loading phase is not important, they can directly add small amount of creatine in their diets. That means 3 – 5 grams per day.

• Because creatine pulls water to your muscles so it is advisable that it should be taken with a glass of water. This will help in hydrating your body too.

4. Precautions and things to keep in mind :

Though creatine monohydrate is the most researched supplement present in the market and have several studies on it. Studies reveal that there is no side effect of using this food supplement.

• Till now, no side effect is observed on Kidneys and liver of healthy people who intake it normally.

• But people who have some digestive issues or liver related problems before using it should consult their doctor before adding this supplement in their diet.

So, according to your goal and body composition just add this food supplement for better results in muscle gain program.