In last week’s column, I touched on one of the tools that you should consider: pre-workout supplements and their benefits.
This week, I will discuss a little bit about one of my favourite supplements, creatine, which comes in capsule and in powder form, and is one of the most highly researched and used supplements in the world.
Some of its known benefits include:
• Increased strength and power output
• Increased muscle mass
• Improved anaerobic running capacity
• Reduced fatigue
• Increased testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone levels
• Improved memory
• Improved cognitive performance
• Protect against oxidative stress
First, I would like to note that in order to maximise your creatine energy stores, you do not actually need to supplement with creatine. Creatine is found naturally in some of the foods we eat, particularly meat. Beef contains about 2 grammes of creatine per pound and chicken contains about 1.5 grammes per pound. Herring is actually the animal with the most dense creatine stores and contains about 3.5 to 4 grammes per pound.
Our body naturally produces creatine, primarily in our liver and in lesser amounts in our kidneys and pancreas. The majority of people do not naturally produce enough creatine to maximise their cells’ creatine energy stores, which is where creatine supplements come into play.
A person needs 1 to 3 grammes of creatine a day, half of which comes from diet (red meat and fish) and the rest is synthesised by the body. However, a more active person/athlete may need to consume between 5 and 10 grammes of creatine per day to maintain their stores.
Creatine powder or capsules is a convenient way to increase intake.
There are so many supplements and products out there. It’s hard to know what to use. I personally use products that are backed by lots of research, like protein powder, creatine, pre-workout supplements and caffeine.
Note that supplements are designed to supplement a healthy diet and regular exercise. They are an addition you can implement to assist in your journey, but do not provide magic results.
You must put in the work consistently with your training and nutrition.