The time to speak about one of the largest elephants in the room has come…CREATINE! Contrary to what many people believe, creatine is NOT an anabolic steroid. It is simply a compound composed of three combined amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine. So you can calm your families’ anxiety down, it’s not “the stuff”. Creatine is a molecule produced by our body, where many groups of phosphate are stored, which then lead to the creation of creatine phosphate containing high levels of energy. During stress periods, creatine phosphate releases energy to aid cellular function. That’s where strength increase come from after one uses creatine as a supplement. But, it also helps in other fields such as brain, bone, muscle and liver function. Creatine can be found in various foods, but mainly in eggs, meat and fish. It also provides several benefits in terms of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

RELATED: HOW TO WORK THE LATERAL PORTION OF THE DELT (SHOULDER)

There are many types of creatine, but creatine mono-hydrate is the cheapest and most effective form. Micronized creatine mono-hydrate is easily dissolved in water so it’ll be easier to take. Creatine can be taken using a loading phase, using 0,3g per kg of body weight for 5-7 days. It can then be followed by a maintenance phase of at least 0,03g per kg of body weight per day, for 6-8 weeks if cycled, or even for an undetermined period of time (without any more loading phases). For example, a person weighing 82kg would be taking 25g of creatine per day during the loading phase and 2,5g during the maintenance phase. Due to the low cost that this supplement has, many people take around 5g per day during this same phase, which reveals many benefits. For those who have a high activity level and more muscle mass, you can progressively increase your intake up to 10g per day (take note that there’s no point in rushing, this increase could take anywhere from 3 to 5 years, depending on muscle mass built).

RELATED: UNVEILING THE “TREND DIETS” – THE “BRO DIET” (PART 2/6)

Creatine doesn’t NEED to by cycled (some people just feel safer doing so), because studies reveal that it poses no risk to human health, contrary to what many people think (many assume that it negatively impacts kidney functioning). A study was conducted using only people who possessed only one kidney, taking 20g of creatine per day. They presented no negative kidney impacts. If you’re looking to increase your performance in the gym, creatine is a good solution, since many studies have shown that after the first time you introduce creatine as a supplement, performance can increase up to 20%. It’s a supplement to take into account.