Creatine Information

Everyone is talking about it and they all agree on one thing: For increasing muscle mass, Creatine (or more precisely Creatine Monohydrate) is the most effective legal sports supplement ever. But does that mean that you should jump blindly onto the Creatine bandwagon? Absolutely not. We at i-supplements.com believe that you should take the time to get all the information you need in order to make an informed decision.

According to the experts, Creatine supplements give you the ability to work out longer and harder. It is that simple. If you're wondering who the experts are, check out the reports by everybody from ESPN to Sports Illustrated.

Some estimate that 75% of the Denver Broncos and 60% of all major league baseball players use Creatine: including Brady Anderson and Mark McGuire (and you keep hearing that the ball is juiced). Bodybuilders around the world are making use of the most effective sports supplement with no proven negative side effects (provided you do not abuse it).

Creatine (scientifically known as Creatine Monohydrate) is a naturally occurring substance that exists in every muscle of your body. Whenever you use your muscles, a chemical (adenosine tri-phosphate - ATP) is broken down into two simpler chemicals (adenosine di-phosphate - ADP and inorganic phosphate). This process of ATP turning into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles power. The problem is that your muscles only contain enough adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) to last about 10-15 seconds at maximum exertion. The ADP can not be used to create more energy for your muscles. However, with the help of Creatine and phosphates - the ADP can be converted back into the very useful ATP. Creatine Monohydrate combines with abundant phosphorus stores in the muscles and is converted intoCreatine Phosphate. The Creatine-Phosphate is then able to restore the adenosine di-phosphate (ADP) into adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), by giving up a phosphate molecule. Now instead of just ADP, your body has more ATP. More ATP in your body means more fuel for your muscles. This allows you to keep pumping.

Unfortunately your muscle's Creatine supply is not limitless. The average human muscle contains between 3.5 and 4 grams of Creatine per kilogram of muscle. Once the Creatine is used up, so are you. You then have to rest your muscles and wait a while before your next set of repetitions. The good news is that your body can store up to 5 grams of Creatine per kilogram. In other words, if you are not taking creatine supplements to get the full 5 grams of creatine in your muscles - up to 30% of your body's Creatine capacity is not being used. It is no coincidence that studies have found bodybuilders to display an increase of up to 30% in their repetitions after only one week of using Creatine supplements.

According to every known study, the answer is that Creatine is safe. It is not a steroid. It is a natural substance which already exists in your body. But what does this mean to you? It is important to remember that just because a substance is naturally occurring does not mean that it can not be dangerous. Creatine should always be taken within the recommended dosages. Exceeding the recommended dosages could indeed lead to problems ranging from muscle cramps to dehydration. In addition, there are no proven benefits to exceeding the recommended dosages, so the solution is simple – just don't do it!

The reason that so many people are taking Creatine is that it has been shown to be safe and effective. In fact, the only recorded problems accredited to Creatine were caused by customers buying their Creatine from less than reputable manufacturers. Creatine must be 99% pure and free of harmful fillers. All the Creatine products we sell are 99% pure or better.

Not only is creatine safe for vegetarians, it is likely to be particularly useful. The reason for this is that creatine is found naturally in the lean red muscle tissue of animals. Vegetarians who have cut red meat out of their diet will find that the creatine supplements can help restore the minimum acceptable levels of Creatine in their muscles.

Taking Creatine does not change any of the standard requirements for healthy living. Creatine will only work effectively if taken with a balanced, nutritional diet. Muscle mass is increased because you are able to work out longer and harder, but you should expect the changes to be gradual and steady. You should not need to shift your life around to accommodate the addition of Creatine.

There are several forms of Creatine available on the market. The most popular forms are powder, concentrate and liquid. We sell all three varieties, but we strongly recommend the liquid form. That being said, we want to issue a word of caution. Liquid Creatine is the most difficult form to manufacture. Many brands of the liquid Creatine on the market today are long on promises and short on delivery. The reason is that Creatine is highly unstable in liquid form.