What Is Creatine and What Does Creatine Do

The simple way to rapidly enhance your muscle strength & growth potential!

We’ve all played the computer game where you have a ‘power-up’ bar that allows you to sprint fast and neutralise any enemy standing in your way. Hitting the gym is no video game – but your muscles contain an in-built mechanism that works in a similar way – ‘the creatine phosphate system’. By enhancing this system – you can kick-start gains in strength, power and muscle – fast!

The creatine phosphate system in action

• You un-rack a heavy barbell with the goal of 8-12 reps

• Creatine kicks in after a few seconds to power muscle contractions and neutralise metabolic toxins such as lactic acid and ammonia, which build-up as the reps increase.

• After 9 reps, creatine stores are depleted and you just manage to grind out the rep as you approach muscular failure and give-in to muscle burn!

• After the set, creatine is gradually restored (50% after 60 second’s rest) – allowing another set to be performed. Performance of the next set is often impaired – reducing intensity.

Creatine is awesome stuff – without it you’d never be able to hit the gym hard to stimulate growth. When your natural levels drop, your training intensity drops and your muscle building ability is hindered. Add a good quality creatine supplement and your training intensity is extended – resulting in quicker muscle gains.

Creatine is a muscle energy-storing compound naturally synthesised by the body (from the amino acids L-arginine, glycine and L-methionine). It’s found in high concentrations in body tissues – including skeletal muscle (i.e. quads and biceps), heart and brain cells. 

Creatine combines with phosphate molecules to create a substance called creatine phosphate (CP). During intensive muscle contractions, CP molecules are split and ‘donated’ to a compound called ADP (Adenosine diphosphate), creating ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). ATP is then split – triggering the production of energy to power muscle contractions.

Creatine Phosphate >>>>> ADP >>>>>> ATP >>>> ENERGY (muscle contraction)

Creatine is essential to maintain the production of ATP during high intensity exercise and to combat metabolic toxins such as ammonia and lactic acid, which rapidly cause fatigue. However, the body can only store a limited amount of creatine and that’s where using a creatine supplement changes the game, a good creatine supplement kicks in when your natural levels deplete allowing to to lift more, delay failure and grow bigger and stronger!

“Creatine is awesome stuff – without it you’d never be able to maximise your potential to stimulate growth……”

More creatine = More power, strength & muscle!

Creatine has been studied by sports scientists for decades. They hypothesised that if you can boost the amount of creatine stored in your muscles, then your capacity to sustain high intensity exercise might also significantly increase.

And… they were right!

 

 Hundreds of studies on creatine have proven that it can rapidly enhance strength, power and muscle growth in athletes and weight trainers, including:

 

• More maximum strength

• More reps and intensity

• Enhanced repeated performance (sets) 

• Lower lactate level

• Increased muscle growth

• Fast results starting in 5-7 days

 

Research with weight trainers and athletes has found impressive results – including increasing the average number of bench press reps at 70% of 1-rep-max, from 11 to15, with an average lean muscle gain of 3.5lbs after just 28 days [1].  What’s more, this study found that when experienced weight trainers took 20g of creatine for 30 days, they increased maximum strength (1-rep-max) by an average of 18lbs (6.5%). Other studies have reported that creatine neutralises lactic acid and ammonia by up to 40% during high intensity sprints – enhancing resistance to fatigue [2].

 

“Increasing muscle creatine levels can rapidly enhance strength, power and muscle growth in athletes and weight trainers……”

Creatine is naturally produced in the body and levels may be slightly increased by eating foods rich in the nutrient (such as steak) and performing regular high-intensity training. However, research proves that specifically supplementing with highly-concentrated, supplementary creatine is essential to increase creatine levels enough for physique-enhancing results [3].

Creatine will help virtually anyone who regularly hits the gym hard – by training harder you’ll be able to place more progressive stress on your muscles (famously called ‘Progressive Overload’ by iconic bodybuilding guru, Joe Weider). Progressive overload is the key for sustained growth and strength increases – but results can take time and it’s all too easy to hit a plateau that leave you stuck grinding-out the same weight for weeks and weeks. This is why creatine is one of the most effective and popular muscle building supplements among gym users, athletes and body builders – from beginners to world-class athletes and physique trainers. 

“Creatine works every time.”

 

In his ground-breaking book, ‘Creatine for Muscle and Strength’ [3], world-leading creatine researcher, Dr Michael Colgan, suggests that creatine is  guaranteed to work for weight trainers; “Creatine works every time, it grows muscle in every man, woman and great hairy beast we’ve put to the test.”

Creatine helps you rapidly enhance power, strength and muscle growth

 

Here’s a quick guide to our creatine containing products to help you choose the one that’s right for you:

A pure creatine powder which can be mixed with water, a protein shake or fruit juice and taken before and after training.

High potency creatine capsules, easy to take when in the move and also contains creatine boosting compounds for maximum results.

CREAPLEX HARDCORE™ 

Our all-encompassing creatine supplement that also contains a creatine transport system ensuring maximum absorption as well as a precision blend of amino acids for ultimate muscle growth. Designed for lean, ripped muscle gain.

An all-in-one muscle gain shake that contains creatine, protein, amino acids and a male support complex.

An all-in-one muscle gain shake that contains creatine plus 14 other research proven muscle gain compounds with a whopping 90g of protein per daily serving. Designed for all-out muscle mass gain.

Only use ultra-pure pharmaceutical grade creatine from a leading sports nutrition company like SCI-MX.

 

When creatine hit the gym and athletics world over a decade ago – it made such an impact that it rapidly became a supplement that everyone wanted! Unsurprisingly, while some supplements contained the ultra-pure ‘real deal’ creatine used in creatine research – many supplements contained cheap, degraded creatine. If you want genuine ergogenic effects and safety – always look for products from reputable brands that contain creatine that is laboratory tested to be pharmaceutical grade and free from contaminants (note: SCI-MX only uses premium grade tested creatine).

 

 

Creatine should rapidly increase training capacity and intensity, but to see genuine solid muscle gains, you need to hit the gym as hard and frequently (typically 3-5 times a week)! What’s more, be sure to use the recommended creatine dosage on reputable products and be sure to take it on a daily basis.

 

 

 

Ultimately, creatine can give natural weight trainers results that are literally at another level. The world’s leading sports nutrition scientist, Dr. Michael Colgan suggests;

 

“2.5-3.5lbs over one month is a good bet for real lean tissue growth, and is beyond anything a drug free athlete can achieve without creatine.”[3]

 

So whether you’re new to regular weight training and want to build your physique as fast as possible, or have trained for years and need to kick-start progress – diligent use of creatine remains one of the best ways to maximise the gains you get from intense training and a nutritious diet.

[1] Earnest C, et al. The effect of creatine monohydrate ingestion on anaerobic power indices, muscular strength and body composition. Acta Physiol Scand, 1995: 153:207-209.

[2] Balsom PD, et al. Skeletal muscle metabolism during short duration, high intensity exercise: influence of creatine supplementation. Acta Physiol Scand, 1995:154:303-310.

[3] Dr Michael Colgan. Creatine for Muscle and Strength. Progressive Health Series, Apple Publishing 1997.