Alpha Progression
Creatine monohydrate
One of the most important positive effects of creatine is the increase in performance when handling short and intense loads. So you can use more weight (especially in the lower repetition range). Thus, you also have a higher muscle-building potential.
For energy production during strength training, you need so-called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). However, the body's own ATP storage is only enough to last you a short time. Creatine helps to produce ATP and refill your energy stores.
Furthermore, creatine has been shown to increase cognitive abilities, so you should consider taking this supplement even if you're not an athlete.
Creatine is a metabolic product that your body can theoretically produce on its own. However, the body's own production is only 1-2 g per day. Furthermore, foods such as meat, fish, and eggs contain creatine in small amounts. To get the positive effects of creatine, however, you would have to consume an enormously high amount of these foods. Therefore, creatine is often taken as a dietary supplement. This is especially true for vegetarians and vegans, who of course cannot get creatine from meat-based sources.
Numerous myths surround these dietary supplements, including rumored side effects such as hair loss, kidney damage, and other health problems. However, as a healthy person, there is no need to worry about these side effects. Creatine is one of the best-researched supplements out there.
Also, the fact that creatine stores water under your skin and makes you look flabby is just a myth. The truth is that water is stored intramuscularly inside your muscles. This has a positive effect on your appearance, not a negative one.
Many people believe that you need to go on a "loading phase" and take a higher dose of creatine early on to saturate your body. However, when going on a creatine regimen, consuming a higher dose initially is unnecessary.
You can supplement creatine constantly without needing to change your dosage. It doesn't matter if you are in a muscle-building phase, a maintenance phase, or a diet. The time of day when you take your supplement is not relevant. It is only important that you take at least 3-5 g daily. Too much creatine will simply be excreted from your body without harming your health.
Another myth is that you need to "cycle" creatine by taking a week off of creatine every few months to resensitize your body. This is good advice for some other substances, like caffeine, but is totally unnecessary for creatine.
