Throwing away the advice and guesses of our gym partners and let's hear what they say about Creatine from a scientific point of view. Is Creatine really that safe and effective? Many sports experts believe that the Creatine regimen that most athletes use today is not the most effective. In their opinion, this supplement has a significantly greater potential, which has not yet been revealed. Let's find out what scientific point of view exists on the intake of Creatine in bodybuilding.
Many supplements disappear from store shelves quickly enough after creation, and do not deserve the trust of athletes. With Creatine, the opposite situation has developed and this substance has already passed the test of time and enjoys well-deserved popularity.
During the entire existence of Creatine on the sports pharmacology market, a large number of studies of its effect on the body have been carried out, but disputes about the scheme of its use do not subside today. In the early days of its existence, Creatine was heavily attacked by a large number of scientists, but each time it proved to be effective. A very important fact is its cost-effectiveness. After studying the absorption genetics of the substance, the mechanisms of cell transport, metabolism and other indicators, a new scheme for the use of the additive appeared.
Currently, the main scheme of creatine use involves two phases: loading and support. At the first stage, Creatine is taken daily in an amount of 20 to 25 grams. This period lasts from 5 to 7 days. Then comes the support phase, during which the dosage of the supplement is 2 to 5 grams per day.
All studies of the mechanisms of Creatine's effects on the body lasted from 6 to 12 weeks, and closer to the end of these periods of time, the effectiveness of Creatine began to decline. Athletes use the supplement for a significantly longer period.
How to increase anabolic background with creatine?
According to the results of numerous studies, it can be assumed that in order to obtain the maximum possible effect from the use of the substance, its concentration in the muscle tissues should be increased. The higher the concentration of Creatine, the more energy the muscle tissue cells receive, the production of proteins is accelerated, the recovery processes are enhanced, and the reserves of glycogen increase.
About ten years ago, scientists were sure that such effects could be obtained only with the use of AAS. However, now this is only possible with the use of Creatine in the complete absence of side effects. In order for the substance to work as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to achieve its high concentration in plasma. In this case, the muscles will absorb Creatine much faster. For a significant increase in the level of a substance in plasma, as little as five grams is enough. Unfortunately, the resulting effect will only last for a few hours. When using the loading phase, the plasma will be oversaturated with Creatine, making it difficult to transport the substance into the muscle tissue. This fact is associated with a decrease in receptor sensitivity. It takes a long time to restore their reaction to Creatine and it is necessary to reduce the level of the substance outside the tissue cells.
In one study, an athlete took creatine in a popular regimen today. At the end of the weekly loading phase over the next six weeks of maintenance dosage, Creatine levels slowly returned to their original values. This suggests that this regimen does not contribute to maintaining a high concentration of the substance in the plasma.
At the same time, it should be noted that the subjects did not carry out intensive training sessions, which will reduce the level of Creatine even faster. From this we can conclude that when using the support phase and using five grams of the substance, it is not possible to achieve a high concentration of creatine in plasma.
Cycling Creatine Regimen
Based on various studies, a scheme for the cyclic use of Creatine has been created. It consists of two stages.
Stage 1
Creatine should be consumed within three days at a dosage of 15 to 25 grams, and for a more accurate calculation, the body weight of the athlete should be taken into account. If you weigh more than 100 kilograms, then the dosage should be close to the maximum and be between 20 and 25 grams.
The first 5 grams should be consumed in the morning after a meal. The next two doses of Creatine should be carried out three hours before the start of the training session and within 3 hours after its completion. The remaining two doses can be combined with the use of protein-carbohydrate cocktails in the evening or morning.
Stage 2
The supplement should not be taken for the next three days. You should alternate the three-day intake with a similar rest period for eight weeks. Then you should not train for seven days. Three days before resuming exercise, you should start using Creatine according to the above scheme.
With this approach to the use of supplements, the receptors should not lose their sensitivity, which will maintain a high concentration of the substance in the blood plasma. It is for the maximum absorption of Creatine by the muscle tissues that the three-day loading stage is intended. Over the next 3 days, the sensitivity of the transport receptors will be restored.
The question of the use of Creatine on days without classes remains unresolved. You should not pay attention to this, and continue to alternate days regardless of the availability of classes in the hall. After intense training, the body recovers and during rest, Creatine is also needed by the tissues. This will speed up recovery at the cellular level.
On non-exercise days, Creatine should be taken after eating, observing the above dosages. It should also be remembered that Creatine needs water to maximize its effect on the body. Thus, you need to consume at least 400 milligrams of liquid for every 5 grams of a substance.
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