Creatine powder

introduction

Creatine powder is a widely used supplement that many people expect to achieve more effective training and faster progress in building muscle.
Creatine powder is the most widely used form of administration. The powder can be dosed individually and mixed into food or drinks as desired. Creatine powder is a dietary supplement and is not on the doping list. Since creatine is an endogenous substance, creatine powder is generally very well tolerated.

Does creatine powder make sense?

How useful it is to take creatine is a much discussed topic. Since creatine occurs naturally in the body, it stands to reason that it has many positive effects.
These effects are not only limited to the main place of action of creatine, the muscles, where performance and muscle strength are increased, but also affect other areas of the body. For example, taking creatine has a positive effect on brain performance.The ability to concentrate is improved and the resistance to stress increased. This is especially true for people who are already easily under psychological and emotional stress.

Bones and cartilage also benefit from creatine. They are better supplied with nutrients, which explains why the administration of creatine can be useful in the case of bone fractures or osteoporosis. Creatine also supports the bacteria-fighting cells (macrophages) of the immune system in the defense against pathogens. Due to the effects just mentioned, it quickly becomes clear that the intake of creatine has many positive effects and can be used in various areas.
However, not all people respond equally well to creatine intake, so they can be divided into two groups. The people who can utilize creatine well are called responders because they respond well to the ingestion of creatine. The so-called non-responders are people for whom the intake of creatine has no effect. With the latter, the use of creatine does not really make sense. Although the positive effects of taking creatine seem to predominate, it is still not possible to make a general statement as to whether the intake makes sense in individual cases and should therefore always be analyzed separately.

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Creatine capsules

In addition to creatine in powder form, there are also creatine capsules. These have the great advantage that they are very easy to use and can be conveniently taken with you and taken practically on the go. Another advantage of the capsules is that you avoid the inherent taste of the powder with them, as the capsules only dissolve in the stomach. The capsules come with a predetermined dose from the various manufacturers, so they are not as individually adaptable as the creatine powder. When buying, you should therefore pay attention to whether the dose corresponds to the wishes.
The advantage of powder is that you can set the dosage individually. People with swallowing difficulties will have problems with the relatively large capsules; the powder is also more useful for them. In terms of price, the powder is cheaper from most suppliers, as it is easier to produce than the capsules. Ultimately, however, the training goal and individual preference decide which dosage form is best.

Also read: Creatine monohydrate

Who are creatine capsules for?

Creatine capsules are not suitable for every user. The following is a list of who can benefit from taking creatine in capsule form:

• Bodybuilders, athletes who want to increase the speed of their muscles and want to achieve better results in strength training
• Users who find it difficult to compose their own dose every time and would like to have a practical solution for on the go
• Users with long-term use of creatine
• People who travel a lot, as the capsules are more transportable than the powder
• Responder

Who should avoid creatine capsules?

Creatine capsules are not suitable for every user. The following is a list of who should better refrain from taking creatine in capsule form:

• Endurance athlete
• People with difficulty swallowing
• Children and adolescents (in exceptional cases in consultation with the doctor)
• Athletes who are just starting their training
• People with gastrointestinal or kidney disease
• Non responder

dosage

There are different variants for the dosage of the creatine capsules. The manufacturer's information may contain additional useful information.
Your own state of health and fitness should also be taken into account when determining the dosage of the capsules. A popular method of dosing is what is known as charge. Here, 20-25 g of creatine are supplied per day over a period of 5-7 days. The single dose should not exceed 5 g and there should be a time window of 3 hours between each dose. After the loading phase, there is the maintenance phase, in which the intake of 3-5 g creatine per day is sufficient. As an alternative to the charge, a continuous intake of 5 g creatine per day can also be successful; this method takes longer at the beginning, but does not show any significant differences to the charge in the long-term analysis.
There is also the option of taking a creatine cure. There are two options here too. The first is the 12 weeks on 2 weeks off method. As the name suggests, creatine is taken over a period of 12 weeks before a two-week break follows. In the second course, pulsatile loading, there is a 3-5 day loading phase with 30-40 g creatine per day every 4 weeks. Which dosage method is most suitable should best be determined by your personal goals and your own state of health.

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What should be considered when taking?

Creatine is a supplement that is usually taken over a longer period of time, i.e. at least 3-6 months.
Creatine takes around 30-60 minutes to be absorbed by the body. In capsule form, the absorption time also increases by 30-60 minutes, as the capsule shell must first dissolve before the creatine is released. Once the creatine has been absorbed by the body, it first travels via the portal vein from the intestine to the liver and from there into the bloodstream. It remains there for 1-1.5 hours. During training, the creatine stores in the muscle cells are emptied, so taking it 1.5-2 hours before training makes sense so that the creatine can be stored in the muscle cells.

Nevertheless, it can make sense to take creatine after training, for example to fill the creatine stores in the muscles directly after training and thus possibly prevent sore muscles. The daily dose of creatine capsules can be freely selected on days when there is no training. However, you should always make sure that the maximum dose is not exceeded. In any case, excess creatine in the bloodstream is quickly broken down and excreted by the kidneys as creatinine.

also read: Creatine for muscle building

Effects of creatine

Creatine is an endogenous substance made up of amino acids. Creatine plays a crucial role in the formation of the muscle fuel adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Certain enzymes split ATP and ADP in the body. During this process, energy is released, which is responsible for muscle contraction. ATP is only available to a limited extent in the muscles. If you now add creatine externally, this promotes the formation of new ATP so that more energy is available, which can increase performance. Creatine therefore indirectly ensures that, for example, the strength and endurance of the muscles is increased.
Due to increased water retention in the muscles, creatine also leads to an increase in the volume of the muscles, which makes them look plumper and larger. Overall, creatine has a positive effect on the energy and endurance of the muscles. Competitive and amateur athletes have been making use of this effect in training for years. Creatine causes a higher number of repetitions and an improved strength of the muscles for users in sports. The training can be optimized by the administration of creatine.

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Side effects

As with almost all nutritional supplements, side effects can also occur when taking creatine. Since creatine is also consumed in everyday life, for example through food, and it is an endogenous substance, side effects occur very rarely. Creatine-associated side effects are more likely to occur especially in people who do not ingest a lot of creatine through their diet or in those who are in the early stages of supplementation with creatine. Most of the side effects described relate to the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms such as flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or unpleasant bad breath are the most common side effects. Normally, the symptoms subside as soon as the creatine intake is stopped or the dose is reduced.

Another typical, but sometimes desirable (plumper looking muscles) side effect of taking creatine is water retention. As already described, this can simply be justified by the fact that creatine transports more water into the muscle cells. In order to avoid side effects when taking creatine as much as possible, it is important to ensure the correct dosage of creatine and only buy products that can guarantee a good quality.

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What should be considered when buying?

The market for creatine products is very large. There are numerous providers on the Internet in Germany and abroad, but some of them have significant differences in price.
Of course, there are also large differences in the quality of creatine due to the large number of providers. It is therefore important to pay attention to quality features when buying creatine. One quality feature is, for example, the fine grain of the powder, which is measured in terms of mesh. The finer-grained the powder (good quality starts at around 200 mesh), the better it can be absorbed by the body.
In addition, products that are made in Germany often have to meet higher quality standards than comparable products abroad. The seal made in Germany is therefore also a good indicator of a quality product. Creatine can be taken in various dosage forms. There are tablets, capsules and powders. Capsules and tablets are the easiest to use and convenient to take. These advantages are also reflected in the price, which capsules and tablets are usually much more expensive than creatine powder. With creatine powder, you can find good products from as little as € 12 per kilogram.
In general, it is true that high-quality products usually have a higher price, but conversely, a high price does not automatically mean that it is a quality product. Because creatine is so popular and has been used for years, you can find numerous test reports from various creatine manufacturers on the Internet. These can be the first point of contact to help you make a purchase decision.

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