In this article we feature creatine monohydrate, possibly the most popular bodybuilding supplement of all time and also one of the most misunderstood. There is so much hype and so many lies surrounding products it is easy to get lost, so today we'll clear things up for you.
There is a growing trend among supplement manufacturers to get so carried away in their hype that they often leave customers with no idea what their new product is actually supposed to do.
Let's take a quick look at the effects you will notice with this particular supplement.
The next time you do a short sprint or a big lift know that your body is actually using this naturally occurring substance to do it. That's right, it's already inside your body. This supplement is designed to help you increase your ability to perform high impact movements.
By taking on board more, albeit from an outside source, you increase your ability to perform this type of movement and therefore increase your potential when it comes to building lean muscle mass or losing fat in the gym.
So you will often hear people talking about how their strength has improved while using this supplement but you should also be aware that it makes a change to your actual appearance, too. It pushes water into your muscles creating that full, round appearance.
Most supplements have many negative side effects however this particular one is of a rare breed. However, while there are no scientifically proven negative side effects here there are several common myths which you will need to be aware of because you will undoubtedly hear them on the gym floor at some point.
One of the main myths surrounding this product is that it causes a bloated appearance. This is proven to be nonsense. While it forces water into the muscle, research shows it doesn't push water in between the muscle and the skin causing a blurry, bloated effect.
We would also like to discuss the opinion that you need to stop using this after eight weeks to avoid becoming used to it. As this is a naturally occurring substance you needn't worry about this the way you would with other supplements. In fact, athletes use this all year round.
The oldest and purest blend, Monohydrate, has the most scientific research to back up it's effectiveness. Despite the fact that supplement companies often try to claim their latest blend is superior to monohydrate, the facts don't agree. More often than not this is merely a marketing attempt to get you to buy a more expensive product.
The final myth is that this product will make you become muscular. It will not directly make you bigger, but it will help you indirectly. Taking this product won't make you bigger but it will increase your explosive strength. So if you are going to the gym and training hard, you will find that you can go for one extra heavy rep or perhaps slip an extra few lbs onto the bar which, in turn, will make you more muscular.
So you now know the basics of what a creatine supplement is designed to do for your body. Enjoy your next workout!
There is a growing trend among supplement manufacturers to get so carried away in their hype that they often leave customers with no idea what their new product is actually supposed to do.
Let's take a quick look at the effects you will notice with this particular supplement.
The next time you do a short sprint or a big lift know that your body is actually using this naturally occurring substance to do it. That's right, it's already inside your body. This supplement is designed to help you increase your ability to perform high impact movements.
By taking on board more, albeit from an outside source, you increase your ability to perform this type of movement and therefore increase your potential when it comes to building lean muscle mass or losing fat in the gym.
So you will often hear people talking about how their strength has improved while using this supplement but you should also be aware that it makes a change to your actual appearance, too. It pushes water into your muscles creating that full, round appearance.
Most supplements have many negative side effects however this particular one is of a rare breed. However, while there are no scientifically proven negative side effects here there are several common myths which you will need to be aware of because you will undoubtedly hear them on the gym floor at some point.
One of the main myths surrounding this product is that it causes a bloated appearance. This is proven to be nonsense. While it forces water into the muscle, research shows it doesn't push water in between the muscle and the skin causing a blurry, bloated effect.
We would also like to discuss the opinion that you need to stop using this after eight weeks to avoid becoming used to it. As this is a naturally occurring substance you needn't worry about this the way you would with other supplements. In fact, athletes use this all year round.
The oldest and purest blend, Monohydrate, has the most scientific research to back up it's effectiveness. Despite the fact that supplement companies often try to claim their latest blend is superior to monohydrate, the facts don't agree. More often than not this is merely a marketing attempt to get you to buy a more expensive product.
The final myth is that this product will make you become muscular. It will not directly make you bigger, but it will help you indirectly. Taking this product won't make you bigger but it will increase your explosive strength. So if you are going to the gym and training hard, you will find that you can go for one extra heavy rep or perhaps slip an extra few lbs onto the bar which, in turn, will make you more muscular.
So you now know the basics of what a creatine supplement is designed to do for your body. Enjoy your next workout!
About the Author:
Writer: Russ Howe PTI is a certified Personal Trainer who helps individuals discover how to lose weight and keep it off. Get our exclusive guide to taking creatine supplements next.
