Creatine
Creatine is a naturally occuring amino acid that is found in our body that has the chemical name methl guanidine-acetic acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The majority of creatine is located in the skeletal muscle system. We acquire most of the creatine in our system by consuming meats and fish as well as dairy products, egg whites, nuts and seeds. Although the human body has a way of storing very high amounts of creatine, it is quite challenging to consume enough food to suit your body's requirements. Your body can synthesize it from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. This takes place in the liver, kidneys and pancreas.Creatine's main benefit is its ability to aid in the production of energy. When ATP (adenosine triphosphate) loses one of its phosphate molecules and becomes ADP (adenosine diphosphate), it must be converted back to ATP in order for the molecule to be able to produce energy again. The creatine in our body is mostly stored as creatine phosphate (known as phosphocreatine) and it will donate its phosphate to the ADP which renews the ATP molecule so it can produce energy.
ATP is the form of energy that is used by the muscles in anaerobic activity (explosive movements that happen too quick to use oxygen as energy). By consuming a creatine supplement, an athlete can create an environment in their cells where there is an abundance of creatine phosphate available for the rapid replenishment of ATP. This leads to a readily available energy source so the muscle is able to recuperate quickly.
Creatine monohydrate powder is a cost effective supplement. Dosage recommendations are to take from 2 to 5 grams per day. The amount you ingest will not be the amount that the body will be able to utilize. A percentage will be lost due to your stomach's ability to digest the creatine.
Taking creatine with juice (or any other fast-acting carb source) has been shown to be more effective than taking it with water. The carbs break down and release glucose into the blood and the body reacts by releasing insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose find its way into the cells where it is stored as glycogen. Insulin also transports creatine into the muscle cells.
The most commonly used juice to mix with creatine is grape but anything with high sugar content can be used effectively. The insulin spike created by the simple sugars may be too brief to be ideal. This theory suggests that the majority of the creatine is not broken down down in the stomach and available for transport until after the insulin spike has dissipated. Take additional juice about 30 minutes after taking your creatine dosage.
Drinking a lot of water is a good thing to do whether or not you are using creatine supplements but it becomes even more important when you do supplement. Creatine draws water into the muscle cells and therefore the body will require more water. Your body weight will increase by a few pounds.
![[Snatch - Elwood Bluzinskovich]](asnatch.gif)
![[Clean and Jerk - Elwood Bluzinskovich]](acandj.gif)