Creatine helps you build muscles by increasing the phosphocreatine in your body. It also helps you perform better during short bursts (anaerobic exercise).

Creatine powder can help reduce cramping and dehydration by increasing the amount of water held in muscle cells. It can also help to heal micro-tears that occur in your muscles after exercise.

Benefits

Creatine helps boost muscle strength and exercise performance, especially during high-intensity training. This is done by increasing phosphocreatine in your muscles, which is then used to produce the high-energy molecule adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) when you are doing intense exercise. You can do more reps, distances or sets without feeling as tired. It also increases the body’s resynthesis ATP after exercising, which can help to recover faster.

You can get creatine from foods like red meat, animal milk and the pancreas, kidneys, and liver. You can buy it in powder, tablet and liquid drink form at nutrition/supplement shops, supermarkets, and drug stores. Look for products that contain creatine monohydrate. This is the type of creatine that’s been studied scientifically.

When taken as directed, creatine is safe for most adults. To prevent dehydration, you should drink lots of fluids while taking creatine. It’s not recommended for kids, teens or pregnant women.

Some studies have found that creatine can lower levels of a chemical in the blood called homocysteine, which is linked to heart disease. It may also help those with heart failure exercise more without feeling tired.

There is some evidence that creatine can help treat certain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), by reducing inflammation and enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight off infections. But more research in these areas is needed.

Most of the scientifically-proven benefits of creatine are linked to exercise. It improves the amount of reps, sets and/or distance you can do during a workout without tiring as quickly, says sports dietitian Jenna Stangland, RDN, a performance advisor at Momentous. It is easier to gradually increase your workouts, avoiding a fitness plateau. You will also see improvements in your strength and endurance.

Dosage

Creatine occurs naturally in the body and is also found in food such as poultry, red meat and fish. It can be purchased in powder form. Most forms of creatine are manufactured as salts or esters, which are compounds created by combining creatine with other substances to increase absorption and bioavailability. These include creatine anhydrous which is essentially pure creatine, creatine citrate, creatine malate, creatine pyruvate and creatine effervescent (creatine mixed with citric acid and bicarbonate to create an effervescent effect). It can also combine with magnesium in creatine molar Mass (CM), which is CM without the water, to produce creatine monohydrate.

Creatine improves performance during high intensity exercises, according to several studies. It works by increasing the body’s ability recycle adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This allows for greater repetitions in high intensity training, and builds muscle. It also improves cellular signaling, which helps repair muscles after intense training and supports muscle growth.

Many pre-workouts include 3-5 grams of creatine. However, it is important to take creatine on its own as well because consuming it with other supplements can impact its absorption and bioavailability. While taking creatine it is important to stay well hydrated as it can cause some bloating and weight increase.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of creatine, some users may choose to use it in a “loading phase” which requires a higher dosage of the supplement for 5-7 days. This helps to quickly soak the muscles in creatine. It can also help you see results sooner. However, loading may not be necessary for many people. It can cause unwanted side-effects such as bloating or water retention.

Mixability

Creatine occurs naturally in muscle cells. It can be obtained through diet by eating meats such as beef, pork, fish and chicken. Because food sources do not provide large amounts, many athletes supplement their diets with creatine-related products such as powders, pills, and gummies.

You can buy creatine as a pure powder or mix it with other ingredients, such as carbohydrates and electrolytes. It can also be mixed with sweeteners, amino acids, or electrolytes to create energy drinks or preworkout mixes. When selecting the type and amount of creatine you want to buy, take into consideration your fitness goals and dietary preferences.

Most creatine supplements are packaged in a plastic bottle with a scoop to measure the correct dosage. You can purchase creatine from nutrition stores and health food stores as well as online retailers. For safety, choose a creatine product that is tamper-evident.

The easiest way to blend creatine into your protein shakes or workout drinks is to use an unflavored variety. Jacked Factory offers a great unflavored creatine that’s ideal for those with dietary restrictions, and it can easily be added to protein powder, fruit juice, or other supplements. XWERKS lift is another unflavored powder that mixes well, and doesn’t clump up when added to hot or cold drinks.

If you want to enhance the flavor of your creatine shakes, try adding a few drops of food coloring or other flavoring to your mix. This will not affect your body weight or the effectiveness.

If you’re a professional athlete, you may prefer to buy a creatine product that has been third-party tested for purity. This is especially important if you compete in sports where the use of performance-enhancing substances could lead to disciplinary action. Some supplements are NSF-tested as well as third-party tested for safety and quality.

Taste

Creatine is a popular supplement for athletes and others who want to boost muscle strength, endurance, and cognitive performance. It is produced in the body naturally and also found in protein-rich foods. When taken as a powder, it can have an unpalatable taste for some people. This is due to the fact creatine powder contains a variety of substances. The taste of creatine powder varies depending on its source, the manufacturing process and the other ingredients mixed in.

It is not uncommon for a creatine-based product to have a bad taste, as it is made of chemically modified amino acids. These include glycine and arginine. It may also contain contaminants left over from the manufacturing process. These contaminants can include sarcosine and cyanamide, which have a very bad taste.

These contaminants will most likely be present in unflavoured or undiluted creatine monohydrate. It is possible to buy flavoured creatine, or mix it with other drinks to improve its taste.

Creatine can have a bitter or salty taste, which some people find unpleasant. This is a side effect of the natural or synthetic production processes used to produce creatine. It is also difficult to dissolve the molecule in water due to its hydrophilic nature. There are some products that are designed for greater bioavailability and are less hydrophilic, such a creatine ethyl ester.

While it is not necessary to avoid creatine because of its important roles in the body, it does have a bland or unpleasant taste that can be difficult for some people to tolerate. This problem can be overcome by mixing creatine with other liquids such as fruit juices, protein shakes, or nutrient-rich smoothies. This approach also allows people to experiment with the exact ingredients that they want to add to their creatine drink.