Sunday, December 14, 2008

Muscle Building Supplements and Creatine, How to Use it Properly

By Ricardo d Argence

Creatine is produced naturally in the body and is not really a drug. It's a combination of three amino acids: actually glycine, arginine and methionine. Creatine is available in some foods, and is commonly found in things such as fish or meat.

It enables the body to perform more intensive and repetitive workouts. Taking creatine can facilitate a better workout. After your workout, your feeling of well being will be increased, because creatine aldo helps your muscles recover more rapidly from exertion. It works to lower accumulated lactic acid post-workout, which is effective for avoiding muscle soreness following exercise.

Although you are able to get some creatine from foods, supplementing will obviously increase your intake of this nutrient. Taken as directed, this can increase your exercise time and decrease fatigue and muscle strain. It can also shorten your recovery time between workout sessions. This is particularly beneficial for bodybuilders or those trying to amass muscle rapidly or achieve improved performance through longer and more strenuous worlkouts.

Adenosine triphosphate or ATP is a substance that is stored within your muscles for whenever you might need it. This provides an instant fix, accounting for the "explosive" benefit given to the muscles, leaving the body ready for a more intense workout.

When taking creatine, its essential to drink more water to make up for the water that is retained in muscles. The extra water recoups the water stores in your muscles instead of other organs. In short, be sure you drink enough when you're taking creatine.

Creatine may facilitate longer, more strenuous and more frequent workouts than you would have without using it, helping you to amass muscle quicker. In addition, it can vastly lower the amount of post-workout muscle soreness, and as a result you'll return to your workout earlier and feel better too.

However, it has some cons, too. You will experience weight gain because your body will retain water in its muscles. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but just be prepared for the higher number on the scale. You can experience dehydration and related side effects like nausea, vomiting or even seizures, in addition. Also, it is not advised to take Creatine if you have kidney problems due to the added stress that Creatine can cause to the kidneys.

But, simply put, no matter the supplements you take, your body's not going to function right and your workouts aren't going to be as effective or as efficient if you don't eat right.

You can take all the creatine in the world, for example, but if you sit there and eat junk food instead of concentrating on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables, you're not going to be helping your workout. Your muscles have to have something to build themselves on, and junk food is not the answer. So make your diet healthy by including plenty of lean proteins like lean meats and fish, complex carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables. Limit or eliminate trans fats, simple sugars and carbohydrates, and junk food in general.

Even so, when following these guidelines, creatine can definitely promote better workouts and muscle building if it is used appropriately. - 15343

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