Wouldn’t we all like to look as if we were sculpted out of granite, and looked like a Greek God? Ok, so maybe that won’t be happening anytime soon, but there are definitely ways to get the ‘Gains’ you are looking for when doing all that gym work. You need to eat well, and supplementing can push your game to the next level. Here, we will look at what creatine supplements can do for you.
- Improved Strength and Power – Creatine supplements have actually been shown to improve both strength and power output during high-intensity exercises, such as sprinting and weightlifting. If you are looking to improve your sprint time or maximise your output in the gym on the weights, creatine can help with those explosive movements and help you improve your overall performance.
- Faster Recovery – When hitting the gym or doing any sort of physical exercise, recovery is key. You don’t want to push it, and workout when your body isn’t fully recovered as this can lead to injuries. There is some research available that suggests supplementing with creatine may help reduce inflammation and muscle damage after intense exercise, which can lead to more frequent workouts, with less of a risk of picking up an injury in the process.
- Increased Muscle Mass – Most of us want to see physical results from hitting the gym and putting in the effort, as well as feel all the benefits that come from staying in shape. You can look good, as well as feel good, as creatine supplementation draws water into muscle cells, causing them to swell up and helping to contribute to increased muscle volume and size with continued work and effort, too.
- Enhanced Athletic Performance – The muscles in your body need energy in order to work. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is in fact the primary source of muscle contractions. Creatine supplementation can increase the availability of this hugely important energy source, which could in turn lead to increased performance in high-intensity, short-duration activities. Sports such as sprinting, basketball, and football are good examples of sports that can really benefit from this additional availability of ATP.
- Cognitive Benefits – Most of us out there would think about creatine, and immediately associate it with sports and physical performance. While there are of course benefits there, little known is that there is now evidence suggesting that creatine supplementation may actually also increase cognitive performance. Some studies have already shown improvements in cognitive function, especially in the areas of short-term memory, and activities linked to that, and reasoning. All the more reason to suggest that creatine supplementation may not only be beneficial for the gym freaks out there.
Creatine supplementation can have a host of advantages, and it is important at the same time to be sure of finding the optimal amount that works for you, if you choose to use it.
