Beginners Guide to Creatine
If you’ve ever set foot in a gym, you’ve probably heard about creatine. But this brings questions: What exactly is it, and should I be taking it? We’ve broken it all down in the most straightforward way possible…
Quick note: If you’re after intermediate or advanced knowledge hit this link where we analysed 20 creatine studies and gave our verdict on each!
What is Creatine?
This is creatine for beginners, so let’s start with the basics: Creatine is a naturally occurring compound. It helps give you a boost of energy during high intensity exercise. Your body gets some from food – but just not enough! You’d need to eat a crazy amount of chicken, steak, fish, eggs every single day just to get a mediocre dose. So the simple solution is to supplement creatine...
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine isn’t just for gymrats – it has benefits for everyone! Yes, it helps increase lean muscle mass, boost strength, and improve recovery. But did you know it’s been seen to increase mental performance in sleep deprived individuals (article here and study here, they even did brain scans!). It’s also great for the elderly, helping mitigate muscle atrophy. Women can also tap into creatine’s rich host of benefits.
It’s truly a supplement which does not discriminate! Athletes, students, men, women, young, old, anyone with a brain (potentially) – creatine has something to offer.
How Does Creatine Work?
Science bit: Your muscles store creatine as phosphocreatine – which helps regenerate ATP (your muscle energy source). More ATP = more power, strength, endurance in the gym.
What’s the Best Type of Creatine?
You will hear about many different types of creatine, but creatine monohydrate is the undisputed champ. It’s the most researched, most effective, and best value for money. Yeah other forms exist, like creatine HCl, creatine ethyl ester, creatine magnesium chelate – but these don’t offer any advantage when compared to creatine monohydrate benefits (the king).
Powder or Creatine Gummies?
When it comes to taking creatine, you have two options: powder or gummies.
Two things to keep in mind: Convenience and Consistency.
Do you enjoy digging to the bottom of the tub to find the scoop? Love wiping messy powder off your kitchen counter every day? No? Didn’t think so. Gummies win in the convenience category.
The other thing to remember is you’ll only tap into the merits of creatine with consistent usage. If chucking back chalky powder sounds like a chore, then opt for your creatine as a sweet treat you enjoy daily (gummies). This approach will make your creatine unforgettable! Helping you never miss a dose, creatine gummies win again for consistency.
How to Take Creatine
One of the most common questions we get asked: How to take creatine properly?
It’s super simple:
⚡With or without food? Doesn’t matter!
⚡With or without water? Just make sure you drink enough water each day.
⚡Every day or just training days? Every single day!
⚡How much creatine should I take? 5 grams daily is a sufficient creatine dosage per day. But benefits have been seen at higher doses.
Any other quickfire questions? Shoot them down in the comments section below.
What’s the Deal with the Creatine Loading Phase?
So you’ve heard about the infamous loading phase, where you take a big dose (20g daily) for a week to saturate your muscles faster. It’s not essential, but does have some merit.
Our take: consistency is what’s going to be important in the long run, so just stick to 5g daily and you’ll be getting the same benefits anyway.
Should I Take Creatine Every Day?
Yes yes yes! Consistency is key. Taking creatine every day ensures your muscles stay saturated. Even on rest days.
Best Time to Take Creatine
There’s always going to be some debate about creatine timing… but honestly it’s not that deep. You wonder about taking creatine before or after workout? Studies suggest both are equally effective. Just get your daily dose in and you’re good to go.
Does Creatine Help Build Muscle?
Absolutely! Here’s how: Creatine itself isn’t a muscle building block like protein… but it helps you train harder, lift heavier, and recover faster. All of which lead to more lean muscle mass. If you’re pairing creatine with training hard and eating enough protein, you will see the gains start stacking up.
Any Creatine Side Effects to Worry About?
For almost everyone, creatine side effects are minimal. The myth that creatine harms your kidneys? Total nonsense – if you have healthy kidneys you should be fine. And no, it won’t cause hair loss or bloating. If you’re a healthy individual, creatine should be risk-free.
Still Unsure on Creatine?
We get it, you’re still unsure. If you want to tap into another read, we love the way Jake Mahal outlined all things creatine over in this article. He’s a health coach with over two decades of experience under his belt, so yes he knows a thing or two about creatine…
Unconvinced on creatine but mental about matcha? Give this article a quick read, it will be right up your street.
Conclusion
Creatine is the GOAT of gym supplements.
It’s the banker. A supplement which rarely disappoints.
It’s the simplest and most effective way to elevate your gym performance.
Looking for a creatine solution to slot into your routine? Check out our creatine gummies [learn more here].
New to creatine or used it before? How has creatine impacted your workouts? Still have questions? Let us know in the comments below: