Creatine Monohydrate:
The BodyBuilding Wonder Supplement!

Creatine monohydrate... in a world of bodybuilding supplements that make exaggerated, ridiculous claims and outrageous promises, creatine monohydrate stands alone. It's one of the few products that actually works -- and delivers measurable, noticeable results every time. I first experimented with creatine back in 1996 after reading about it in the now defunct Muscle Media magazine, and have been using it religiously ever since. In fact, while I've experimented with almost every bodybuilding supplement under the sun (including HMB, No2, Methoxy, Andro, and so on), creatine, along with a high quality whey protein and l-glutamine supplement, have formed the backbone of my supplement regimen since then. I'd call creatine a "no-brainer" supplement.

Sidebar: About 20% of the population, known as "nonresponders" do not respond to creatine supplementation. Nobody's really sure why -- it may be these people already have a higher concentration of muscle creatine.

Creatine is ideal for performance gains in activities that are largely anaerobic -- i.e., those exercises requiring short, intense bursts of energy at maximum effort. In other words, creatine monohydrate is a great supplement for a weight lifter or bodybuilder, and not-so-great a supplement for a long distance runner (although it may be helpful for sprinters who run very short distances at maximum intensity -- 50 or 100 meter sprints, for example).

Unlike many other bodybuilding supplements, creatine is already at work in your body, playing a vital role in the creation and replenishing of ATP, the body's energy source. Creatine does not alter the body's hormonal environment -- it's not a steroid, a prohormone, or anything similar. Creatine can be, and is acquired naturally -- there's plenty of it in beef, pork, herring and salmon (between 3-6 grams per kilo) for instance. As far as supplements go, it's as natural as it gets.
How does creatine work?

Well, if you remember your high school biology class (alright, alright, I don't either), energy in the cell is produced via the Krebs cycle by a process called glycolysis -- the use of glucose and oxygen to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Creatine's job is to re-energize the ATP energy molecule, which becomes ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) after being depleted. By providing the body with large amounts of raw creatine, your muscles have the necessary raw material to perform more intense contractions (work) with less recovery time.

What will you notice on creatine? Well, the first thing you'll notice is that you will weigh more -- creatine causes a cell volumizing effect -- meaning it draws water and other nutrients into the muscle cells. Don't worry, this isn't the same thing as water retention, which is water being stored outside of muscle cells. Basically, you'll bigger and more pumped (don't get too excited -- this only last while you're on creatine).
How will Creatine effect my power and workouts?

You will definitely be stronger. The exercise I like to reference when describing the effects of creatine is the bench press. Supposing your current max for 5 reps is 200 lbs. On creatine, you won't go suddenly marching into the gym and start throwing 250 lbs around. You will, however, probably knock off a couple extra reps of that 200 lbs. And you'll really notice the effects at those two critical points of the bench press -- at the point where the bar touches your chest (it is touching your chest, right?), and starts to travel upwards, and the point about 3 inches from lockout (the point where your arms are fully extended). If you're working hard with heavy weight, these two points can sometimes be sticking points that require a couple of fingers from a spotter. On creatine, I personally notice how much easier it is to force a rep through these two points.
What about Creatine Side Effects?

As as far a supplements go, the side effects associated with creatine have been relatively minor -- stomach upset and gastrointestinal distress are the two most common side effects. Despite what you may have heard about other creatine side effects, they are largely unfounded. According to Dr. A. Franco-Obregón, author of "Creatine: A Practical Guide," there have never been any kidney-related issues -- by healthy athletes with normal kidney function using sensible amounts of creatine. Dr. Franco-Obregón also notes that some of the biggest health concerns with creatine supplementation are not with creatine itself, but with impurities created in the creatine synthesis process by companies trying to cut corners and manufacturing costs (a good reason to stay away from budget-priced creatine products).

Creatine supplementation may have positive benefits as well -- recent studies indicate creatine may have a positive influence on heart health and the lowering of blood lipid profiles.
How Do I take Creatine?

Most manufacturers recommend you start your creatine supplementation with a 5-day loading phase, designed to saturate the muscles with creatine as quickly as possible. This is followed by a long period of maintenance dosing. From my own experience, I'd say loading isn't necessary to obtain great results -- especially if you plan on taking the product for 6 weeks or so. I usually go straight onto a maintenance plan. Nonetheless, there are some strong believers in creatine loading, so feel free to do so if you can afford it. According to Dr. A. Franco-Obregón's "Creatine: A Practical Guide," the criteria for loading is as follows...

Loading dose: 0.3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (to convert pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg), divide by 2.2. For example, suppose you weigh 200 lbs...

200/2.2 = 90.9 kg

90.9 X 0.3 = 27.27

Loading dose is 27 grams (divided into 5-6 equal doses) daily for 5 days.

Maintenance dose: .03 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. Using the same 200 lbs. individual as an example...

200/2.2 - 90.9

90.9 X 0.03 = 2.72

Maintenance dose is just under 3 grams daily.
Which Creatine Product
Is Right for Me?

Basically, creatine products come in three formats...

1) Creatine powder: no added bells or whistles -- just straight creatine which you can mix with water or juice. Affordable, and if you buy a quality product from a reputable company, a good choice as a supplement, especially if you want to keep costs down.

2) Creatine delivery systems (like MuscleTech's Cell-Tech): these combine creatine with dextrose and alpha lipoic acid in order to elicit an insulin response -- resulting in more creatine being shuttled to the muscle cells. Although I have used these products, I tend to avoid them -- they are very expensive for what is little more than creatine mixed with dextrose (a simple sugar which you can pick up at your local bulk store for almost nothing). Agreed, they do lead to a better pump, and are ideal as a post workout supplement, but they also lead to fat storage (elevated insulin levels put the body in fat storing mode), which makes them less then ideal for regular usage.

3) 2nd generation creatine delivery systems: these are creatine products that attempt to mimic the effectiveness of products like first generation delivery products (like MuscleTech's Cell-Tech) without the use of large amounts of sugar. I currently use a second generation creatine product -- Isatori's Meta-Cel. It works very well and I highly recommend it. It's the best creatine product I've used to date. It contains a mere 5 grams of maltose per serving.

Isatori's Meta-Cel is available in our online store! (I recommend the orange flavor over the lemon).

Which product should you use? Well, if you want to be safe, stick with a plain creatine monohydrate powder from a reputable company (this is also your cheapest option). A first generation delivery system is a good choice for your post workout creatine dosage, but they tend to be expensive for what they are. Newer products, like Isatori's Meta-Cel, are slightly more expensive then the first generation creatine products, but are much more effective alternative at driving creatine to muscle cells.

OK... so there you have it -- a quick introduction to the wonders of creatine supplementation. For those of you who are interested in learning more about creatine before you attempt supplementation, have a look at Dr. A. Franco-Obregón's "Creatine: A Practical Guide." It's a well-written, well documented 67 PDF ebook that sells for just under $20. I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about creatine and how it can help you attain your full potential.