In exercising and increasing muscle mass, there are many choices of supplements that can be consumed. One of them is creatine supplements, the most scientifically studied supplements.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in muscle cells that is also available in supplement form. Creatine helps muscles to produce energy when we do strength training or high-intensity exercise. Creatine is widely consumed among bodybuilders to increase their muscle mass. This supplement also helps improve strength and exercise performance.
Benefits of creatine in supplement form
Various studies have shown that this supplement has the potential to provide benefits related to physical exercise performance.
1. Help muscle cells produce more energy
Studies have found that creatine supplements help increase the storage of phosphocreatine in muscles. Creatine supplements increase phosphocreatine, which then helps the body increase the high-energy molecule called ATP or adenosine triphosphate.
2. Helps muscle growth
In addition to helping provide more energy, creatine is also reported to be effective for muscle growth, both short and long-term. The benefits of creatine may be felt by various groups of people, including people with a sedentary lifestyle, the elderly, and athletes. Other studies have also revealed that creatine supplements increase water content in muscles. Creatine supplements is touted as the most effective supplement to increase muscle mass
3. Improve the performance of high-intensity exercise
Creatine can affect various factors in exercise, for example:
- Physical strength
- Ballistic power
- Running ability
- muscle endurance
- Resistance to fatigue
- muscle mass
- Recovery
- Brain performance
4. Reduce fatigue
In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine can reduce fatigue in athletes who do bicycle tests.
Are there any side effects and risks of creatine supplements?
Creatine is one of the most studied supplements. And these various studies conclude, creatine is safe for consumption and has not found any negative effects. Some claim that creatine can harm the liver and kidneys. However, there are no scientific studies that can prove the negative claims of consuming these creatine supplements at normal doses. However, you still have to consult a doctor if you have a history of kidney and liver disorders. Make sure you meet your daily water needs when taking creatine. This is because taking this supplement without sufficient water has been reported to cause diarrhea and nausea.
