What is creatine and why is it so popular among fitness enthusiasts?

Find out what creatine is, whether it is safe, the roles it performs, and how should you use it in your fitness journey.

If you’ve been going to the gym for a while, you may have heard of creatine from some of the biggest lifters or even trainers. Hardcore gym lovers swear by it and creatine is one of the most popular forms of supplements out there in the market.

The advent of supplementation has been on the rise since COVID-19 pandemic as being healthy and fit has stopped becoming an option, and has become a necessity for many people. It is important to eat healthy and stay fit in order to build a strong immune system and also prevent any onset of life-threatening diseases.

But what is creatine and what role does it perform in someone’s bodybuilding journey? Is it safe to use and how should you use it? Let’s find out:

Creatine is an amino acid that is naturally produced inside the body’s muscles as well as in the brain. Creatine produces ATP which is the energy fuel that muscles use during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercises. Even though creatine is naturally found in some food sources such as meat, for most people, their creatine reserves are far below saturated levels.

This is why people ‘supplement’ their regular diet with extra creatine in order to fill those creatine stores and produce more ATP that helps them lift stronger and perform more intense exercises. Not only are bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts fond of creatine, but it has also been studied that nearly 50% of all professional athletes use creatine to perform better.

Creatine is one of the most tested supplements and is considered extremely safe with little to no side effects. Creatine has been found to lower blood sugar levels while recent research suggests that it also improves several brain functions such as short-term memory and logical reasoning.

It enables more total work or volume in a single training session, which is a key factor in long-term muscle growth. This leads to greater hypertrophy. Even a few additional reps to your usual training regime will result in better and faster long-term growth and the effect is pronounced in beginners.

Creatine also helps in muscle recovery as it can increase satellite cell signaling, which aids muscle repair and new muscle growth. Studies show that after taking creatine, a rise in hormones, such as IGF-1, is noticed.

Moreover, consuming creatine results in greater water content stored in your muscles which causes the muscles to look bigger and more voluminous. It can also increase total muscle mass by reducing muscle breakdown.