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Answers to Frequently Asked 100% Pure Creatine Questions

Q1: What is creatine, how does creatine work, and what is creatine used for?

A1: Creatine is arguably the most popular nutritional supplement of the last decade because it delivers real and undisputed scientifically proven results time and time again. Creatine's immense popularity even rivals protein. Creatine is an extremely effective product from both a performance and cost perspective.

First, creatine is not a steroid, hormone, vitamin, or mineral. It is produced in the body from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, 95% of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle. Small amounts of creatine are found naturally occuring in foods such as beef and fish, with only trace amounts occuring in vegetables. The creatine powder that you purchase at the health store, however, is produced by a controlled synthesis process. Most creatine appears very similar, although different brands could be of entirely different quality in terms or purity. Incomplete reactions during the synthesis of creatine can cause impurities such as creatinine, dicyandiamide, and dihydrotriazine derivatives in the product. One of the only types of 100% pure creatine powder that yields 100% impurity free creatine is Creapure® which is made from a patented process.

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Q2:  How does creatine work, and what is creatine used for?

A2: Creatine helps the body produce fuel, namely ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is the body's energy molecule that supplies fuel for cellular functions. During anaeroic exercise (weight training, sprinting, etc) ATP stores are depleted rapidly. However, there is a limit to the amount of ATP that can be stored by a call at any one time. The amount of ATP contained by a muscle and its ability to produce it directly determines how long the muscle can perform. Supplemental creatine doesn't increase the amount of stored ATP, but rather accelerates the rate at which ATP is replaced or re-synthesized by thePCr (phosphocreatine) system of the cell. Creatine does make the body "retain water", but the key here is "where". The very large percentage of water is stored inside the muscle cell (intracellular), as opposed to under the skin (subcutaneous). It is subcutaneous water retention that makes people appear soft or puffy. However, intracellular water retention ("cell-hydration" or "volumizing" as it's often referred to) is actually a beneficial "side effect" but not the direct effect of creatine supplementation. Super hydrated cells have higher rates of protein synthesis and therefore repair themselves quicker. Supplemental creatine can help you push through "one more rep", or get "one second faster", and recover quicker when participating in high intensity, muscle damaging sports.

After creatine is ingested, it is released into the bloodstream and then delivered to the muscles, where just about all of it is stored. Creatine is typically used by weight lifters as well as athletes who engage in high-intensity, short-burst activities, as it has been shown to:

• Allow faster muscle gains
• Improve performance of repeated, short-burst exercise, like sprinting
• Increase lean body mass
• Boost power
• Increase agility
• Improve strength

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Q3: What are the different types of creatine on the market?

A3: There are lots of different types of creatine on the market in Canada. So many, in fact, that telling the difference between them can be mystifying. Let's discuss some of the more popular types of creatine.

• Creatine monohydrate is the simplest and cheapest form of creatine on the market, and is also the most frequently studied. Essentially, creatine monohydrate is creatine that has been bound with water.
• Creatine phosphate is creatine that has been bound with a phosphate group. Creatine phosphate is more expensive than creatine monohydrate, but yields fewer grams of creatine than creatine monohydrate.
• Creatine citrate is water soluble and easy to mix, but contains fewer grams of creatine than other types. However, some experts believe that creatine citrate has a higher absorption rate than other types of creatine. Creatine citrate dissolves easily and is gentle on the stomach.
• Creatine malate is creatine bound to malic acid, which may allow for greater energy production. Creatine malate dissolves easily and is gentle on the stomach.
• Creatine tartrate is creatine bound to tartaric acid, which is helpful in manufacturing solid products like bars, tablets, capsules, and chewables.
• Magnesium creatine is creatine bound to magnesium, which aids in absorption.
• Ester creatine is one of the newest creatines on the market in Canada, and is essentially creatine bound to an acid and an alcohol. Proponents of ester creatine claim that it is absorbed and used better by the muscles than other types of creatine.
• Kre-alkalyn creatine is another new creatine that has gone through a patented technological process to ensure that creatine monohydrate is free of toxic conversion. Proponents of kre-alkalyn creatine claim you can take potent amounts of creatine needed to build muscle, strength, and endurance safely.

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Q4: What are the advantages and disadvantages of creatine?

A4: Like all sports supplements in Canada, creatine has its advantages and disadvantages. Whether or not creatine is right for you depends upon your personal goals and needs.

Advantages of creatine include:

• Creatine improves the performance of sprinters and other athletes who require short but intense bursts of energy.
• Creatine is one of the most effective sports supplements when it comes to building muscle quickly.
• Creatine occurs naturally in our bodies and in many animal foods, and is not an artificial compound.

 
Disadvantages of creatine include:

• Side effects such as stomach upset, aggressiveness, acne, and hair loss have been reported.
• Stomach acid can convert creatine into a toxic substance called creatinine.
• Creatine supplementation does not benefit everyone.

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Q5: How much creatine do I take, and should I "load" creatine?

A5: Muscles appear to have a limit regarding the amount of creatine they can store (~ 160 mmol per kg of dry muscle mass). What this tells us is there comes a point when taking more creatine doesn't improve results. The benefit that "loading" provides is the saturation point or limit is reached quicker. Muscles that are saturated with creatine can work harder, repair faster, pump up harder, and appear much fuller. Once reach saturation can be maintained using only about 5g per day.

The most common strategy used for creatine loading is four to five days taking 20g per day divided into four 5g servings. Once serving should be taken immediately post workout. Females can begin with 12g per day divided into 3g servings. Activity level, muscle mass, diest and many other factors can affect the amount of creatine you require for optimal performance.

Take good notes the first few times you use creatine because there will undoubtedly be an optimal serving size for your body, and some trial and error will be necessary to find out what that is. Most people still find loading is the quickest way to begin seeing real results from Creatine.

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Q6: Is creatine safe to take, and are there any side effects of creatine?

A6: Creatine has received blame for several things including muscle cramps, dehydration, and kidney failure. After all the ugly name calling that creatine has suffered, none of these claims have been proven. In fact, most hav ebeen proven to be false. Perhaps in an industry that sees the introduction of new products and ingredients daily, one of the best things about creatine is the amount of actual research that has been done regarding safetly and effectiveness exceeds that of any supplement. This combined with millions of "case studies" who are pumping iron in gyms around the world, allowsfor a degree of confi dence greater than many of themost common drugstore products. Creatine is noton the list of IOC (International Olympic Committee)banned substances and is legal for use in Olympiccompetition. Considering the zero-tolerance stanceof the IOC regarding doping and risk to an athlete’shealth (even caffeine is controlled by the IOC), the fact that creatine is not on its banned list should alsoprovide some reassurance as to the safety of creatineuse. With the exception of protein powders, no othersupplement delivers amazing results with the samedegree of documented safety as creatine. For those looking to maximize strength and explosive power, creatine is still the undefeated champ!

However, like all sports supplements, it’s very important to carefully follow the manufacturers instructions regarding usage and dosage for creatine safety. Improper use of creatine may cause:

• Digestive problems
• Aggressiveness
• Acne
• Anxiety
• Formation of male breasts
• Reduced penis size
• Hair growth in women
• Hair growth in men

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Q7: I want to build muscle and boost strength. Is creatine a good choice?

A7: Creatine is an excellent choice. When it comes to supplying energy to the muscles and their nerve cells, creatine is one of the best sports supplements on the market in Canada. Creatine has been shown to help muscle re-growth, and can help a bodybuilder gain up to four pounds of lean muscle mass in just one week!

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Q8: How and when should creatine be taken for optimal results?

A8: Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions, as taking additional amounts of creatine won’t create additional benefits, and could cause harm. If you are taking creatine monohydrate, most manufacturers suggest taking a dose of 5 grams four times per day during a week-long loading phase, and then tapering down to a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams per day.

Some of the newer, pre-mixed forms of creatine absorb significantly better than creatine monohydrate, and won’t require a loading phase. Many of these can be taken once or twice per day, around workouts. Again, always be sure to follow the specific manufacturer’s directions for best results.

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Q9: What is the difference between taking 100% pure creatine, compared to pre-mixed creatine formulas?

A9: When it comes to pure creatine vs. pre-mixed creatine formulas, pre-mixed creatine formulas win hands down. There are two essential reasons why pre-mixed creatine formulas deliver superior results:
Pre-mixed creatine formulas have a delivery system that facilitates and improves absorption, and enhances results.
Pre-mixed creatine formulas contain additional ingredients that provide benefits such as increased energy, boosted endurance, and faster muscle gains.

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Q10: What is the difference between taking creating powder and taking creatine pills?

A10: There are pros and cons to both creatine powder and creatine pills, and in general it’s really just a matter of personal preference. While creatine powders absorb better than creatine pills, they are not as convenient. However, you’ll pay a lot for the convenience of pills, as creatine pills are significantly more expensive per dose than creatine powder. Some people choose to use a combination of both—powder the majority of the time, and pills when convenience is important.

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Q11: I tried creatine before and it just made me bloated. Why is that and how can I avoid it?

A11: Creatine is not 100% soluble. Often, gastic intestinal (GI) distress is due to unabsorbed Creatine in the gut. Cheaply produced brands containing impurities or having large particle sizes will also add to the problem. Creapure® use in premium 100% Pure Creatine Powders is super micronized for maximum solubility in water of 0.0085% at 4°C and 1.4% at 25°C - pH 7.5. Although it may not be the most palatable, as you may see from those numbers mixing Creatine in warm water will greatly increase solubility. Creatine is reasonably stable for about 8hr after mixing, but to avoid any degradation problems you should consume it as soon as possible once mixed.

If bloating has been a problem in the past, reducing the amount to 2.5g per day will also help. The incredibly high carb content of some of the mega creatine pre-mixes can also cause GI distress in some people. Large amounts of simple carbs ingested quickly can cause large volumes of water to be drawn into the gut, creating GI distress. Using pure Creatine powder with little or no carbs relieves this problem for most people.

Bloating problems are usually eliminated by using high quality Creatine products and one of these absorption strategies.

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Q12: What form of Creatine is best?

A12: Of all the Creatines available, Creatine Monohydrate offers the most bang for the buck. There are several other Creatine compounds that are deservingly gaining popularity, but for the money Creatine Monohydrate is still on top. Be very skeptical of liquid Creatine; Creatine in liquid has been proven unstable and there are pending law suits against the largest manufacturer of these products for misleading claims and comparisons to Creatine Monohydrate powder.

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Q13: Should I cycle creatine?

A13: There's really no evidence that suggests that cycling creatine is necessary, but most people do. Two to three months on, followed by one month off works quite well. Like dosages, this timeline may not be optimal for you or your sport schedule and some trail and error will be required to find the perfect cycle. Athletes should keep using creatine until the effect becomes less noticeable than when you began. Many people become accustomed to their new level or performance and mistake it for the creatine "not working anymore".

After a short break most people are quickly reminded of just how powerful a supplement creatine really is.

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