Best Rated Creatine | Creatine Effects | Is Creatine bad for you?

Is Creatine bad for you?

Let's get this one out of the way first. As with ANY supplement, get your physician's advice before you begin using it!

I have been taking Creatine for over 15 years. I have never had any kind of negative side effect except some stomach discomfort when I first started taking it. Some side effects are stomach/intestinal discomfort, bloating, dizziness, and dehydration (always drink lots of water when taking this supplement). Begin with a small amount and gradually increase it to the manufacturer's recommended dose.

I have taken monohydrate in powder form by itself, mixed with other bodybuilding ingredients (such as best rated creatine pre-workout formula, BSN N.O. Xplode), and Kre-alkalyn capsules with no negative side effects. I just have to say, that I would not waste my time in the gym without taking this supplement first! It helps me get a better pump and more forceful muscle contractions. so if you ask me, "Is creatine bad for you?" I would say "no"!

Is creatine good for you?

Well, keep reading and you may agree with me that if you are looking to build muscle mass quickly or increase your strength, then YES, creatine is good for you!
 

What exactly is Creatine?

Next to protein, creatine is the most effective natural bodybuilding supplement available today. Creatine is an amino acid derivative that helps boost muscle and strengths gains. Proven safe and effective, it is no wonder that creatine has become one of the most popular supplements for bodybuilders and strength athletes. Ever since Creatine Monohydrate became popular in the 90s as a hardcore bodybuilding supplement, scientists have been continually trying to make it even better. We have seen all sorts of formulations such as Kre-Alkalyn, creatine citrate, phosphate, malate, tartrate, ethyl ester, etc.

Using creatine as part of a nutrition plan can allow many bodybuilders to add 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle mass in a matter of weeks. Hundreds of studies have been published on it's safety and effectiveness. Most of these studies were done on creatine monohydrate, which was the first and most basic formulation to hit the market. Creatine monohydrate was found to be safe and effective in most of these studies.

Creatine Effects

Creatine has two important effects that make it the top bodybuilding supplement. First, it increases the size, or volume of muscle cells, which is the amount of water each cell can hold. This slight expansion of each cell causes the entire muscle to expand which triggers even further muscle growth. The second important effect of creatine is that it provides muscle cells with immediate energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), which is absolutely essential to perform bodybuilding exercises. Having extra ATP within the muscle cells will allow you to perform more repetitions than you normally could, which translates into greater muscle growth.

Together, you can see why creatine is the top bodybuilding supplement. Unfortunately, creatine effects only work for about 70% of athletes and bodybuilders. Those who do not respond may already produce enough creatine phosphate in their muscles that supplementing does not make much difference.

Different types of Creatine Formulations


Creatine vs Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine comes in many forms, but they are all basically the same except for the way they enter the muscle cell. Below you will find the different types and what makes them different.

Creatine "mono" was the first type available and is still the least expensive form, as well as the most popular and effective bodybuilding supplement overall.

Most people respond well to monohydrate powder, although some people experience bloating, diarrhea and cramps. This can occur if the creatine powder is not ground up into small enough particles. Most of the monohydrate available today has been micronized, which means it is ground up into an extremely fine powder, which mixes much more easily with water. If you decide to stick with creatine monohydrate, be sure that it is the micronized version. This is the type that I use and it works great for me, and it is cheap, which makes it the top bodybuilding supplement used by bodybuilders and strength athletes everywhere.

Kre-Alkalyn

Kre Alkalyn is the newest form of creatine, and probably one of the very best. The biggest problem with most other types is the fact that it is quickly converted to creatinine in the body, which means that a lot of the initial dose never makes it to the muscle. Most other types also become unstable when exposed to liquid.

Kre-Alkalyn creatine is buffered, which means it is extremely stable in liquid and will not convert to creatinine in the body. This means that most of the dose actually is absorbed by muscle tissue. One gram of kre alkalyn  is roughly equivalent to 10 grams of monohydrate, when you measure how much is actually absorbed in the muscle where you want it!

Another big benefit to kre alkalyn is that anyone who experiences discomfort when using other types of creatine can use it without any problem.

Creatine Anhydrous 

Anhydrous is simply creatine with the water molecule removed. This makes the powder slightly more pure, but this is a minor advantage. Monohydrate and anhydrous types are more or less equal.

Creatine citrate 

Citrate came out shortly after monohydrate gained popularity. It is simply a creatine molecule attached to a citric acid molecule. Citric acid is used for energy production, and the theory is that when taken together, the combination would provide more muscle energy than creatine taken by itself.

Although this sounds good, it has never been proven through research. The citrate formulation, when compared serving for serving, supplies, about 40% less creatine than the monohydrate form, but it may dissolve more easily in water.

Creatine Phosphate

Creatine phosphate also popped up soon after creatine monohydrate first hit the supplement market. This formulation is a creatine molecule that is already bound to a phosphate molecule. The bonding of these two molecules normally takes place inside the muscle cell and a something that must take place an order for creatine to be effective at all. Phosphate was very popular when it first came out. However, most bodybuilders found out that it was somewhat less effective than monohydrate.

Creatine Malate 

Malate is one of the newest forms. It is created by binding creatine and malic acid. Malic acid as well as citric acid is an intermediate component of the Krebs cycle, which is the metabolic pathway that creates aerobic energy inside the muscle. This means that malic acid is important for energy creation which is believed to make  malate more potent than monohydrate.  Malate also dissolves easily in water and creates less stomach discomfort. Unfortunately, research on creatine malate is rare at this time, so its benefits are still in question.

Creatine Ester

Creatine Ester is one of the more recent forms, and is technically known as creatine ester ethyl hydrochloride. Developed by scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, this version is basically an alcohol mixed with acid. The theory behind this formulation is that it will allow the creatine to permeate cell membranes more easily in the intestines and muscle cells.This should allow it to be absorbed and taken into muscle cells much more quickly than the other forms.

Effervescent Creatine

This type has been around for a while and creates an effect similar to Alka- Seltzer. The formulation is usually a creatine citrate or creatine monohydrate mix together with bicarbonate and citric acid, which causes the effervescent effect to separate the carrier from the creatine. The creatine left over can dissolve more easily in water, and is prevented from being destroyed by stomach acid and may be better absorbed in the intestinal tract. Some studies have confirmed that this type does indeed remain stable in water much longer than monohydrate does. This would be a good formulation to use if you plan on mixing it several hours before you drink it.

Magnesium Creatine

This is a form of creatine that is bound to a magnesium molecule. This protects it from stomach acid and allows it to be absorbed more easily. Magnesium must be present in order for creatine phosphate to be converted into ATP, which is what creates energy in the muscle. At least one study has shown that this form causes the muscle to taking more fluid and creates greater strength than taking creatine and magnesium separately. If you're looking into using this type of creatine, you're better off buying the actual combination, rather than just adding magnesium as a separate supplement.

If convenience is important to you, I recommend Kre-Alkalyn capsules. If cost is more important, monohydrate in powder form is the cheapest way to go. If you want a powerful pre-workout product that contains everything you need (including Creatine) for a great workout, I recommend BSN N.O. Xplode (my personal favorite) or MuscleTech Nano Vapor. Make creatine as much a part of your daily regimen as protein and you will notice the results very quickly, and agree that it really does work!