Much like all sports supplements, the world of creatine products is very murky and easy to get lost in. We are going to clear up the facts today, showing what the product does inside your body and which blend of it is superior.
As fitness instructors, we know that half the battle with supplements is won by being able to see the difference between facts and sales pitches. Every supplement you come across these days tells you that is' bigger, badder and better than anything else before it.
So how do we know which to trust and, more importantly, what is this actually designed to DO for your body?
Whether you are taking an Ethyl Esther, Monohydrate, Kre-Alkalyn, Intra-Workout formula or any other blend of this supplement the task it has is the same. This product is designed to increase your explosive strength. It's as simple as that.
How does it actually work?
A good way to explain this is to use a sprinter as an example. If you begin sprinting flat out as hard as you can, you will feel a horrible burning sensation in your legs after approximately twenty seconds. This sensation is called Lactic Acid and is your body's way of telling you to slow down while it recovers. Basically, your natural resources of this substance have evaporated and it needs to generate some more before you can sprint again.
So by taking on board more of this substance via the use of a sports supplement you increase your body's ability to resist that 'stop' button. You can run harder for a short period longer. This is why athletes use it.
If you hit the gym using the product you'll notice you can lift for slightly longer or even add an extra plate onto your explosive lifts like squats or bench presses. This can make a ton of difference to your overall results, all from a naturally occurring, perfectly safe supplement.
With all the different blends out there, however, it can be almost impossible knowing which one to purchase.
When it comes to science fact rather than science fiction, one blend stands above the others. Believe it or not that blend is Monohydrate. That's correct, the oldest and in most cases the most affordable of the whole range.
There is more evidence and research behind monohydrate than any other blend. Perhaps more than all of them put together. But as it's common knowledge that it's a cheap product to manufacture, companies have a difficult time trying to market new formulas. This is why they say unproven negative side effects occur with monohydrate such as water retention and bloating - both of which have been scientifically studied and proven wrong. It's like when a razor company sells a new product. Why should you spend $20 on a new razor when the last one was perfectly fine? They'll tell you the last one is obsolete and hype up the new one, of course. But ultimately they'd stop selling the old product if it was as bad as they make out when their new one is developed...
One of the easiest ways to convince someone to spend an extra $40 per month is to frighten them. Even though the side effects they mention aren't proven and have actually been proven to by no more than myths, if people get scared they'll begin seeing things.
Overall, when it comes to creatine supplements you cannot go wrong with the trusty monohydrate option. It simply works and, better still, is backed up of two decades of scientific fact and not a single marketing claim followed by an asterisk. If you are figuring out how to build muscle and are looking for supplements to help you along the way, this is it.
As fitness instructors, we know that half the battle with supplements is won by being able to see the difference between facts and sales pitches. Every supplement you come across these days tells you that is' bigger, badder and better than anything else before it.
So how do we know which to trust and, more importantly, what is this actually designed to DO for your body?
Whether you are taking an Ethyl Esther, Monohydrate, Kre-Alkalyn, Intra-Workout formula or any other blend of this supplement the task it has is the same. This product is designed to increase your explosive strength. It's as simple as that.
How does it actually work?
A good way to explain this is to use a sprinter as an example. If you begin sprinting flat out as hard as you can, you will feel a horrible burning sensation in your legs after approximately twenty seconds. This sensation is called Lactic Acid and is your body's way of telling you to slow down while it recovers. Basically, your natural resources of this substance have evaporated and it needs to generate some more before you can sprint again.
So by taking on board more of this substance via the use of a sports supplement you increase your body's ability to resist that 'stop' button. You can run harder for a short period longer. This is why athletes use it.
If you hit the gym using the product you'll notice you can lift for slightly longer or even add an extra plate onto your explosive lifts like squats or bench presses. This can make a ton of difference to your overall results, all from a naturally occurring, perfectly safe supplement.
With all the different blends out there, however, it can be almost impossible knowing which one to purchase.
When it comes to science fact rather than science fiction, one blend stands above the others. Believe it or not that blend is Monohydrate. That's correct, the oldest and in most cases the most affordable of the whole range.
There is more evidence and research behind monohydrate than any other blend. Perhaps more than all of them put together. But as it's common knowledge that it's a cheap product to manufacture, companies have a difficult time trying to market new formulas. This is why they say unproven negative side effects occur with monohydrate such as water retention and bloating - both of which have been scientifically studied and proven wrong. It's like when a razor company sells a new product. Why should you spend $20 on a new razor when the last one was perfectly fine? They'll tell you the last one is obsolete and hype up the new one, of course. But ultimately they'd stop selling the old product if it was as bad as they make out when their new one is developed...
One of the easiest ways to convince someone to spend an extra $40 per month is to frighten them. Even though the side effects they mention aren't proven and have actually been proven to by no more than myths, if people get scared they'll begin seeing things.
Overall, when it comes to creatine supplements you cannot go wrong with the trusty monohydrate option. It simply works and, better still, is backed up of two decades of scientific fact and not a single marketing claim followed by an asterisk. If you are figuring out how to build muscle and are looking for supplements to help you along the way, this is it.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted personal trainer. See how to build muscle with our new video guide showing the five principles to a more muscular body and creatine.
