Creatine: What Is It and What Is It Used For?

If you play sport regularly, especially strength-based exercise, or practise high-intensity sport, this article is for you. We explain how to get the most out of your training by using creatine as support.

Creatine: what is it and what does it do?

Creatine is a protein made up of three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine, which is produced by our body in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. Although we can also obtain it through certain foods such as red meat or fish.

Creatine is stored in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, and this is where the key to its success in training lies, as it allows the body to produce energy quickly during intense, short-duration exercise.

What is creatine used for?

Because of everything we have just discussed, if we take it as a food supplement in sports supplementation, we can obtain multiple creatine benefits:

• Improving sports performance in high-intensity exercise: by providing energy quickly, it allows repeated explosive efforts.
• Helping muscle recovery: this improves the feeling of muscle fatigue. It can also help maintain muscle mass in older people.
• Increasing muscle mass, power and strength: in the short term, the muscle may look fuller. In the long term, it supports natural muscle building.

How to take creatine: before or after training?

At Farmaciasdirect, we would like to share some advice and recommendations about taking creatine so that you can get the most from its benefits:

• It has been shown that it is better to take creatine after training.
• One way to improve muscle absorption is to combine it with foods rich in carbohydrates and protein.
• It should be taken ona continuous basis over time.

And although anyone may take it on medical advice, creatine can offer health benefits for people who:

• Do weights, lifting or strength exercises.
• Practise power sports, such as crossfit or football, for example.
• Are looking for greater muscle volume.
• Want to improve capacity and endurance, supporting muscle recovery.

The best supplements with creatine

NDL Pro-Health Creatine

This powdered supplement based on Creapure® creatine monohydrate is a high-purity, high-quality form of creatine designed to improve physical performance in high-intensity, short-duration exercise.

NDL Pro-Health Creatine is gluten-free and lactose-free, dissolves easily in water or another drink and is aimed at adults who undertake demanding sports training.

Bonusan Creatine Monohydrate

Bonusan Creatine Monohydrate is made up of 100% pure creatine monohydrate, which makes it easy to dissolve in water or other liquids, and supports physical performance in high-intensity activities.

In addition, this Bonusan supplement helps increase strength and muscular work capacity. It is suitable for both athletes and active people looking to optimise performance, and its simple formula means it can be combined with other products if desired.

Does creatine have side effects?

Creatine, like any other food supplement, can produce side effects. In its case, the most common are fluid retention, muscle cramps or digestive complaints. If you experience any symptom you associate with taking creatine, you should consult your doctor.