Life, Love & the Little Things Inbetween

Creatine...The Wonder Supplement

Since I got back into weight training six months ago, I have steadily become stronger. And because I incorporate cardio by way of cycling every day, my fitness levels have also elevated dramatically over that time.

Science and research tell us that most supplements sold on the market are not worth the cost, especially if we already have a healthy diet. However, there are a few additions that can help speed up gains in strength and lean muscle mass (and help reduce overall body fat) that have been proven through multiple studies to be extremely effective when combined with moderate to heavy resistance exercise. And the number one product on the market today that works as well as advertised and has little to no side effects, is creatine monohydrate.

My daily supplement regime consists of a good quality whey protein isolate powder that I sprinkle on my breakfast cereal, along with five grams of creatine monohydrate mixed with juice...taken half an hour before I train (along with 200mg of caffeine). The only other thing I take is a daily multivitamin. This might sound like a lot, or not a lot, depending on what your regime is. Creatine alone is fairly cheap, and when you add a small amount of protein, caffeine and one multivitamin together, the overall daily cost is very low...and the benefits are significant.

The results speak for themselves. In the eight days since I began supplementing with creatine, I would estimate my strength is up 10-15% and I have energy to burn. When you consider the fact that I have trained consistently for six months, to suddenly achieve those numbers is quite remarkable. And the bonus is I have yet to achieve peak gains, which won't be seen until about a month after I began supplementing.

Creatine is not just a male thing either and can provide benefits for both sexes. Almost all female professional tennis players use creatine because it is not a banned substance under international rules, it helps reduce overall body fat AND it has zero side effects other than if you follow a loading phase, when over the first week it can cause stomach upset. This loading phase is not required, however, and if five grams are taken from the beginning, shouldn't upset your belly.