What is Creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound found largely in the muscles and minutely in the brain. It helps in the recycling process of ATP(adenosine triphospahte) which is the energy measurement in the cells. Essentially this compound helps your muscles produce energy during intensive training sessions.It is very much like amino acids in terms of chemistry and synthesis. In this post we will talk about consumption of Creatine before or after a workout.
Creatine itself is a non-protein naturally produced substance. Its sole objective is to be combined with phosphoryl to generate phosphocreatine which is used to regenerate ATP.
More than 95% of phosphocreatine is found in the skeletal muscles,hence or interest in the intake of creatine. Studies show that it can increase muscle mass,performance in the gym and strength. The production naturally occurs in the liver and kidneys from arginine and glycine which are amino acids.
Procedure of functionality
During workout sessions the key objective of creatine is to increase the said phosphocreatine concentration in your muscles. This way it produces more ATP which enables heavier and longer lifts.This is how it helps in improving athletic performance.You will get a slight hint of the optimum time for consumption,whether its before or after a workout.
- Enables extended lifts either same volume or progressive overload for a long time.
- Increase muscle mass by slowing the rate of muscle breakdown during workouts.
- Studies conducted has shown that an increase of anabolic hormones after taking creatine. What we often hear is that bodybuilders injecting them rather than supplementing with creatine.
- Quicker muscle recovery because creatine reduces myostatin elevated levels which slow the rate of muscle growth and recovery.
- Elevates the water content in your muscles which might result in effective muscular growth.
- Additionally although it may seem irrelevant,creatine also is responsible for increasing phosphocreatine stores in your brain that helps in reducing neurological diseases.
Optimum time of consumption
So now we get into the actual topic of the day. What is the best time to consume? is it before,after,during workouts? with meals,after meals and so many other alternatives.
Should I take creatine everyday or just on workout days?
Well this is how it works essentially. When you supplement during the workout days you have three main options. You can either take it before the gym,right after the gym or maybe a couple of hours before the gym.As for taking everyday this is how the experts put it. You can take it during the rest days but it is not as important as supplementing on workout days.
As for the dosage,we will talk about it shortly after discussing the basic supplementation methods.
Before the gym
By now we are well aware of what creatine does. And that is regenerate ATP. Therefore supplementing before the gym means more cellular energy on muscles. Since your muscular energy is higher,you can lift heavier.Ultimately heavier lifts result in better gains.
After the gym
In this scenario the concept is reversed. After a workout your muscular system and bones are greatly depleted from the nutrients needed. Which is why most people opt for a post-workout shake and a nutritiously rich diet to fill up the lost energy. The same goes for creatine. If you are post workout nutrition fan then you can supplement after the gym.
Actually a study was conducted to decide the optimum absorption of creatine to the body and it showed evidence that both pre and post workouts are fine.The time period was 4 weeks with 5 days training and the lean muscle mass gain was same for both the groups. The basic push pull exercises were included in the training program and the dosage was 5 g.
How much creatine should I take a day?
At the beginning there is something called the loading phase during which you have to consume at least 20 grams for 5 consecutive days.Read more about it here. What this does is increase the creatine concentration in your muscles and bring it upto a required level.After that a daily supplementation of 3-5 grams is perfectly fine.Just remember the sole purpose of consuming during rest days is to maintain the required levels.
Several experiments show that creatine+ carbohydrates result in better gains.However some experts agree otherwise. But as always a good strategy is to have your intake along with a good diet of carbs and protein. This way your body will retain creatine better.
Food containing creatine and some supplements
- Beef and salmon has the highest amount per 100 g.
- Pork
- Cured ham
- Lamb
- Chicken breast
- Tuna and cod
- Milk
- Cranberries
- Seeds of pumpkin,sesame
- Walnuts,almonds,legumes
It could be a little difficult for vegans,but still try to intake as much as nuts and legumes as you can. There are many Creatine supplements out there in the market, but the ones below, especially Optimum Nutrition is widely popular among the fitness community.
Can you take creatine with pre workout?
Yes you can. Although for a beginner it would be better to just stick with only one. They both work together via separate mechanisms towards one goal. And that is to fuel your system with energy during workouts.
Creatine works directly with the muscular system while pre workouts do the same with your brain in association with the nervous system.
Final conclusion
Creatine is a perfectly healthy,well recommended,nutritious supplement not just for bodybuilders and gym addicts but to anyone irrespective of gender. Now that you are aware about creatine usage before or after a workout.But the usual warning has to be given. There is absolutely no use of consuming higher than recommended dosages. For one thing it could be harmful and the other is that it won’t accelerate results.
Just remember on workout days take it right before or right after the gym,without waiting for a long time. This way it is quickly absorbed to the blood and given to the muscle when it needs creatine most. The results will be more fruitful if taken with a balanced diet during rest days.
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