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ood day from Semper Fitness. Last time we talked about the diet supplements. Now it’s time to pack on some muscle. The Supplement of the day is the all-powerful super supplement, CREATINE MONOHYDRATE. We’ll discuss what it is and how it works. We’ll also give you a few products on the market that contain it. Let’s get busy.

What is Creatine monohydrate? Creatine is a compound that is made in our bodies naturally. It is used to supply energy to our muscles. It is manufactured in the liver and may be produced in the pancreas and kidneys. Normally, the average person metabolizes roughly two grams of creatine per day. Once the creatine is bound to a phosphate group, it is permanently stored in a cell as phosphocreatine until it is used to produce chemical energy called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The richest source of creatine in food is in animal muscle, such as meats and fish. In order for your performance to be increased, you must consume amounts of creatine that cannot be reasonably obtained from a whole food diet. For example, you would have to eat about 10-15 pounds of raw meat to load your body up on creatine. There have been countless studies that validate the power of creatine. Some of the more reassuring include studies done in the New England journal of Medicine, Clinical Science and the Scandinavian journal of Medicine, Science and Sports. Also, a lot of studies have been conducted by a very reputable company called EAS (Experimental and Applied Sciences).

The ultimate goal of the bodybuilder is to use resistance exercise to force the muscles to grow. This can be achieved in several ways: by increasing the force of contraction through increased resistance such as when lifting heavier weight; by increasing the duration of time that the muscle is under tension or contracted; and, by increasing the frequency of exercise. Creatine helps in all three ways: it helps build lean body mass, which allows greater force to be used; provides energy so duration of exercise or work can be lengthened; and, speeds recovery so exercise frequency can be increased.

Creatine appears to be very safe and non-toxic, even when taken in large doses. Further, it also seems that when combined with certain types of carbohydrates, creatine works even better. As a matter of fact, up to 30% better. A lot of health stores sell creatine monohydrate in different forms. EAS sells creatine monohydrate by the name Phosphagen. They also sell the creatine and carbohydrate combo in a product called Phosphagen HP. When using regular creatine the dosage should be 20-30 grams a day for five days and then cut back to a maintenance dose of 5-15 grams a day. This all depends on how much you weigh. If you’re a heavier person, let’s say 200 pounds or more you might want to go with the higher doses. For those who may not be that heavy, stick with the lower doses. The regular creatine monohydrate probably offers the best bang for your buck, since the maintenance dosage is only 5-15 grams per day. This amounts to 1-3 teaspoons of the stuff. One other benefit that I find extremely motivating about the regular product is that it has no taste or smell. You can mix it with water or juice.

Well, that’s the scoop on creatine monohydrate. This is a great product for any natural bodybuilder. Good luck on the use of it. Oh, if you experience a little diarrhea cut back on the dosage. That’s all for this week from Semper Fitness. Next time we’ll do a question and answers session. Stay pumped, stay motivated and OO-RAH!

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