Every Athlete Should Take Creatine

EVERY ATHLETE SHOULD BE TAKING CREATINE

Creatine is literally a SUPER supplement.  If there is one supplement that you should take that will help you Transform from Athlete to SuperAthlete then Athlete Creatine is it!  Athlete Creatine is one of the most widely researched and safest supplements available, which raises the question why aren’t all athletes taking this supplement?

Creatine increases energy levels in your muscles by raising the amount of phosphocreatine, which leads to greater ATP production.  ATP is the energy currency for every cell.  Anytime you want your muscles contract so you can lift a weight or run by a defender you have to expend ATP.   Here are 8 reasons why Creatine can help you as an Athlete. 

1) LESS STRESS AND DEPRESSION

A primary source of depression and low mood is when the brain is not getting the energy necessary to keep you feeling good.  Increasing Creatine levels appears to be able to improve levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin in animal studies.  Our brain requires a Ton of Energy!


2) BETTER METABOLIC HEALTH

Studies have found that diabetics who supplemented with 5 grams of creatine while engaging in a training program for 12 weeks improved glycemic control.  Markers related to insulin sensitivity also improved.  Sports science researchers think Creatine improves metabolic health by increasing the signaling pathways that allow the body to burn sugar for energy in the body. 

3) BETTER COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

Your brain uses more energy than any other human organ, accounting for up to 20% of your body’s total energy use.    When your workload is heavy, lck of fuel is the factor limiting cognitive functioning.  Creatine is a pivotal energy source for the brain because it provides “Fast” energy. 

4) LESS FATIGUE

Sleep deprivation impacts every aspect of your life including your performance.  Creatine supplementation improves work capacity and reduces the fatigue you experience during training, but it can also overcome the effects of sleep deprivation. 

A sports science study looked at pro rugby players who were sleep deprived.  Initially these rugby players had significant reductions in performance and power output.  By supplementing with Creatine, they were able to perform just as well on repeat rugby passing tests as when they were rested.  Creatine does not increase levels of cortisol, making it preferable to caffeine for overcoming sleep deprivation.  This is important because lower cortisol allows for a more favorable testosterone-to-cortisol ratio, indicating greater motivation and readiness to perform. 

5) EASIER TO KEEP ON MUSCLE MASS

Supplementing with a few grams of Creatine a day along with eating high quality protein from fish and meat is a proven way to keep on muscle mass.

6) BETTER BODY COMPOSITION/LESS BODY-FAT

Taking Creatine improves the Quality of your Workouts.  This leads to greater training adaptation and in the recovery period for bigger improvements in body composition and fat loss.  By increasing your training intensity and volume, you will be able to apply greater overload to the body for a leaner more performance ready physique.  Additionally studies have found that Creatine can double the muscle gains when training for hypertrophy. 

7) CREATINE BENEFITS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN

Creatine impacts men and women differently.  Males tend to see substantial increases in lean body weight when using Creatine.  Sports science studies show women comparatively show no evidence of significant weight gain in women, but there are cases where body fat is reduced to improve body composition.  In a sports science study of female college soccer players, those who took Creatine in partnership with a training program lost 0.3 kg of body fat and reduced body fat percentage by 1.5%, compared to the placebo group who had no change. 
8) CREATINE INCREASES STRENGTH AND POWER

Its Amazing how much Creatine impacts Strength and Power.  Scientists first noticed that Creatine improved Power by 40% when going up a Flight of Stairs.  Since then multiple studies have shown that Creatine improves all measures of power performance, including squat and bench press power, vertical jump height, and repeated sprint performance.