I often get the question from athletes: "Should I use creatine before training?" Using creatine before exercise can have benefits because it has a positive effect on physical performance. But what exactly is creatine and why should you or shouldn't you take it? I will explain this briefly.
Creatine is an organic nitrogen compound that is made up in the body from three amino acids: arganine, glycine and methionine. It is produced in the liver and kidneys and is also found in food products such as meat and fish. The body stores this substance in the creatine phosphate system, which is used when a short intensive effort is made.
Benefits of creatine use include that it can help increase muscle strength and the ability to lift heavier, that it can promote protein synthesis and thus help with muscle building, that it can promote recovery time after training by reducing the muscle damage caused by you will experience much less after training and that it can help reduce fatigue because the creatine phosphate supply in the muscles is increased.
Disadvantages of using creatine include that your body retains more fluid, which can cause you to gain weight if you take it as an extra supplement, and that excessive doses of creatine can cause nausea or intestinal complaints.
Creatine can certainly have advantages as an additional supplement before exercise, especially for athletes who practice explosive sports. If you are considering taking it as an additional supplement, make sure you read up on it before you start.
Randy Bosch
Enforce Master Trainer
randy@enforce.nl
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