Building muscle is the goal of most bodybuilders. To achieve their goal, they don't hesitate to consume protein powder and resort to other dietary supplements. Creatine is one of these products claimed to be beneficial for mass gain.
But is it really and directly? Unfortunately, scientific research suggests not. Studies conducted over the past few years do not demonstrate that creatine monohydrate consumption stimulates muscle growth.
As an energy substrate, this substance improves muscular explosiveness and resistance to fatigue during exercise.
While creatine does not promote the synthesis of new muscle fibers, it can help athletes train more intensely. In this sense, consuming this supplement will be useful for increasing the difficulty of your workouts and possibly achieving muscular failure more quickly.
This physiological state promises more effective mass gain. Saturating creatine reserves will indirectly benefit bodybuilding. On the other hand, athletes need to focus their attention on their training program anddiet. With regard to the latter, it is strongly recommended to take protein powder, specifically whey, to replenish your protein intake.
What is creatine?
As creatine is a non-essential amino acid, you'd naturally think it would have a role to play in muscle growth. However, this is not the case. This substance acts as a fuel for muscles in the same way as glycogen.
This compound accelerates the renewal of adenosine triphosphate at cellular level. It enables rapid energy production when needed. The body mobilizes creatine during intense effort. However, our reserves are very limited, and are barely sufficient to last ten seconds or so.
This is where supplementation comes into its own, as it's the only way toincrease creatine levels. The product on the market has been developed precisely for this purpose. This dietary supplement in the form of a whitish powder usually corresponds to creatine monohydrate. The substance is generally well tolerated by the body.
Good to know: creatine monohydrate is derived from chemical synthesis. Despite this artificial origin, this supplement is now considered safe and can, a priori, be consumed with complete peace of mind as part of an adapted consumption pattern. Like proteins, however, it should not be taken in cases of kidney or liver disease.
Does creatine have an effect on weight gain?
It is an energy substrate. Taking creatine will have no direct effect on mass gain. The body does not use these amino acids to enhance the synthesis of new muscle fibres. Does this mean that creatine is useless for mass gain?
Well, no! Although creatine capsules are not directly involved in muscle growth, they will still be useful to bodybuilding enthusiasts. As a reminder, mass gain depends on three factors: training, diet and rest.
Creatine is highly effective in improving the quality of training. It is now scientifically recognized that creatine improves physical performance.
In the context of strength sports conducive to muscle gain, creatine intake provides the means toincrease training volume and load. The athlete will be able to increase the load lifted and/or the number of repetitions for the main exercises1. This form of supplementation enhances muscular explosiveness and is useful for increasing the difficulty of training.
Most bodybuilders turn to creatine when they reach a turning point and are no longer able to make effective progress. This supplement will be useful, for example, to boost mass gain after several weeks' training.
It's important to understand that muscle building is the result of physiological adaptation. The body adapts to physical effort by building muscle. This phenomenon comes to an end when the muscle mass obtained enables the exercises performed to be performed with ease. In this case, it's crucial to increase training intensity. Consuming creatine will help you achieve just that. But you still need to consume this product correctly.
Please note: some people will tell you that creatine has enabled them to put on muscle quickly. In fact, users put on weight (around 1 kg) within a few days of taking their first dose. The cause is water retention. Cells tend to fill up with water when creatine reserves are saturated. This is not linked to muscle gain, and is reversible when supplementation is stopped.
How do I take creatine?
Researchers are unanimous. The beneficial effects of this supplement can only be seen if it is consumed correctly. In this respect, creatine is very different from whey protein, which is simpler to consume. Athletes who use this compound must adhere to a strict "dosage".
With regard to the daily creatine dose, Professor Roger Harris's research suggests that this supplement should be consumed in two phases. For the first 5 days, you should consume 5 g of creatine 4 times a day to saturate your reserves as quickly as possible. After this loading phase, 0.03 g/kg of creatine should be taken once a day.
On the other hand, Professor Eric Hultman2 maintains that it is possible toignore the loading phase by taking 3 to 5 g of creatine per day. However, muscle creatine levels will not peak until later.
Of course, you can find other ways of taking creatine by doing a little research on the internet. However, it's best to follow the advice of these two researchers. The two methods of administration recommended by these scientists have demonstrated the beneficial effects of creatine.
Professional athletes, such as rugby players or field hockey players, who use creatine in phases, are generally on one or other of these intake recommendations.
So it's best to stick to the doses recommended by these specialists. Otherwise, this dietary supplement will not be as effective as desired, and could even be counter-productive. Muscle strength gains will leave much to be desired, as will your endurance during exercise.
Studies also show that this substance has a particular interaction with insulin. The latter enhances its assimilation. To take advantage of this interesting property, creatine is best consumed with a source of carbohydrates. When taking creatine, each dose should be accompanied by at least twenty grams of carbohydrates.
Continuous creatine consumption is not recommended. The supplement should be taken for a maximum of 2 months, with a one- to two-week break between each course. This will also help avoid continuous water retention.
When to take creatine during the day?
Finally, there is the question of whether to take creatine before or after sport.
The ideal time to consume creatine is a matter of debate, but several studies suggest that taking creatine post-workout may be slightly more effective. This is the famous anabolic window you may be familiar with for whey protein.
This method is supported by the theory that, after training, muscles are more receptive to nutrients, including creatine. Thus, consuming it after exercise could potentially improve absorption and efficiency.
How to optimize your weight gain?
When it comes to building mass, meeting your protein needs will be just as important, if not more so, than boosting your physical performance through training. The body needs to assimilate sufficient amino acids and calories to build muscle.
As a reminder, a person wishing to build muscle will need to absorb between 1.6 and 2 g/kg/d of protein. Given that Europeans consume an average of 1.2 g/kg/d of protein, they still need to make up the missing 0.6 g/kg/d. If you're interested in supplementation and sports nutrition, it's best to top up your protein intake first, before considering creatine.
In this sense, protein powders remain the most interesting dietary supplements for mass gain. Together with diet and training, they represent the basic strategy. But the choice is vast, and it's not always easy to identify the best protein powder on the market.
Specialists usually recommend gainers to bodybuilders and athletes looking to build muscle. Contrary to popular belief, these products are not always high in protein. They contain varying concentrations of protein and carbohydrates. When properly dosed, these supplements will not only supplement your protein intake, they are also high in calories.
When it comes to building mass, calories are just as important as protein. If calories are in short supply, the body will burn protein and the athlete's efforts will be ruined.
Nevertheless, whey isolate remains a commonly used supplement for mass gain. This is due to the high nutritional value of this supplement, and also to its versatility. It naturally contains essential amino acids and BCAAs in very high proportions. What's more, it can be accompanied by a small amount of carbohydrates to approximate the composition of a gainer.
Preparing your own homemade gainer is much simpler than you might think. As a general rule, all you need to do is mix whey with a carbohydrate source. Oat powder is an excellent alternative.
Adding carbohydrates of this type also slows down the absorption of whey, which is a rapidly assimilated protein. Slower absorption may also be more conducive to mass gain when consumed before bedtime. That's why some people may also recommend casein, but this will be less interesting than a system like this.
When it comes to gainers, as with creatine, the origin and quality of the product are crucial for the athlete, whether in terms of health, feel, results on mass gain or sporting performance. As such, all our made-in-France mass gainers are formulated without sweeteners or additives, and have been designed by a team of pharmacists to maximize user performance.
Good to know: While a gainer will be most useful during mass gain, whey will also be useful during a lean period. When it comes to fat loss, choosing whey rather than a gainer means preserving lean mass (muscle) while losing body fat.
However, nutrition is not the only factor to consider. The athlete must also follow a suitable training program. The exercises chosen must be sufficiently intense to stimulate muscle growth. Sessions must also be spaced sufficiently far apart to allow for rest. Recovery is just as important as exercise for successful mass gain.
In conclusion
Creatine's reputation is well deserved. These capsules or powder have the ability toimprove physical performance. Creatine provides the means to deliver maximum effort during exercise. Technically, from a nutritional point of view, this product has no real value in terms of mass gain. Nevertheless, it will help athletes train more effectively. By improving muscular explosivity, the interested party will be able to increase his or her training volume, whether in terms of loads lifted or repetitions.
However, the basis of supplementation for mass gain remains protein powder rather than creatine. Gainers and whey are useful and essential for meeting protein needs. Whey has the advantage of versatility and can also be used in dry training. It is also possible tocombine whey and creatine. This combination is particularly recommended if you're stagnating in bodybuilding. As you can see, creatine is a plus which, used sparingly and after you've reached a certain level, could boost your progress and mass gain.
