Are you trying to get shredded, buffed up, or just stay fit? You might've heard about many 'miracle' supplements like creatine and wonder - does it really work for weight loss?
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Today we’ll be discussing a topic you may have heard me mention a ton lately – CREATINE!
In this post we'll explore the underlying question: can creatine help break through weight loss plateaus and give you a hand in reaching your physique goals? Let's dive right in -hopefully, by the end of this blog post, your doubts will become clear.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound that exists naturally in muscle cells and plays a role in the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which releases energy to fuel muscular contractions.
Produced both endogenously (internally) and through dietary sources such as red meat, creatine has been shown to have a variety of performance benefits when supplemented regularly.
This makes it a beneficial supplement for athletes and, as you've likely heard me say lately, for anyone looking to increase their overall health.
One fitness myth I have to dispel here is that creatine is NOT a steroid, as many people may think. It gained popularity in the gym world and has been inextricably linked with weight training.
However, as we start to learn more about the overall benefits, it's more important than ever to clarify this misconception.
Instead, it is just a naturally occurring compound, but due to the fact that most modern foods are poor in creatine content, supplements have become a viable option.
The Effects
Creatine is one of the most researched and widely used supplements today, especially among athletes looking to improve their performance.
This supplement is also known to be extremely safe for use, with no side effects for most users.
What exactly are the benefits in terms of performance?
Strength Gains
Creatine is widely considered by fitness experts to be one of the most powerful and effective supplements for increasing strength.
This supplement can help improve muscular strength, increasing the individual’s ability to sustain high loads.
Creatine also plays a role in replenishing ATP stores, which are the body's primary energy source during exercise and activities that require sudden bursts of energy.
Strength Endurance
Besides maximum strength, creatine seems to be effective in increasing strength endurance, making it an ideal choice for exercises that involve short bursts of energy, such as sprinting and powerlifting.
What makes creatine truly extraordinary is its ability to increase both strength and endurance at the same time -a hard-to-beat combination when it comes to achieving peak levels of physical performance.
Muscle Mass
Many of us are cutting for summer at the moment. Creatine can be a great supplement to include during a deficit period, as it has been clinically studied and proven to help increase or maintain muscle mass.
And well, during a period of weight loss, nurturing your muscle mass is vital.
What Do You Need To Lose Weight?
Losing weight is less of a 'to do' and more a long-term healthy lifestyle with positive habits. I know that answer sucks! LOL
Obviously, creatine isn't the magical supplement that will patch your weight loss efforts.
In order for people to reach their weight loss goal, it is essential to maintain an calorie deficit. It's just the basic science of it all. This means that you need to burn more calories than what you consume.
For instance, if your body needs 2500 calories to MAINTAIN its weight, consuming 2000 calories will result in weight loss.
How Can Creatine Help?
Simply shedding pounds is not enough! Muscle helps to boost your metabolism and effectively adds to your weight loss.
Conserving muscle mass and strength while losing weight is essential in order to support the body's overall health, structure, and efficiency.
Though creatine does not directly impact weight loss, its regular use can be beneficial in the context of maintaining muscle mass during a caloric deficit.
Regardless of how much weight an individual wishes to lose, this supplement can help to ensure that muscle mass and strength are efficiently maintained throughout the process and provide significant assistance for long-term health benefits.
Recommended Doses
Taking the proper creatine dose is a crucial step in getting the most out of your nutritional supplementation and weight loss efforts.
It is important to understand that recommended doses can vary depending on individual factors such as age, gender, weight, goals, and experience with supplemental creatine.
Additionally, there may be differences between brands or forms of creatine supplements being used.
Nevertheless, if you're using a creatine monohydrate supplement from an established brand, your ballpark recommended daily dose is about 5g/day.
Because creatine isn't a stimulant, you can take it at a time that you find fit.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to drop a few pounds and want to be sure that your hard-earned muscle mass doesn’t disappear in the process, creatine may be a supplement worth considering –especially when combined with sensible dieting and exercise habits.
If you're ready to give it a try, here's the Creatine I've been using for years
What’s your experience with creatine and weight loss? Comment below!
