If you have been researching bodybuilding and muscle growth, you might have come across creatine, a supplement you can find from brands like Pure Encapsulations at Supplement First. This supplement is popularly used for muscle growth as it helps increase strength, body composition, power, and muscle mass. While you can find it naturally in foods like milk, meat, and seafood, many people also choose to take it in supplement form to build even more muscle in the long run. Read on as we share more about the benefits of creatine in terms of health and athletic performance.
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Produce Energy
Creatine supplements from brands like Designs for Health can help increase the muscles’ phosphocreatine stores, which are what help in forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is a key molecule used by cells for energy and basic life functions, and it is broken down to produce energy.
As such, creatine allows you to produce more ATP energy, fueling your muscles when performing high-intensity workouts. It’s one of the major reasons why you see gymgoers take creatine before or during workouts.
Besides energy, did you know that getting an adequate amount of ATP can also assist in good brain health and function? It may also help protect against neurological diseases.
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Support Muscle Function
Besides its ability to improve energy levels, creatine is popular for adding muscle mass. This is because it alters various cellular pathways that result in new muscle growth. For instance, it can boost protein formation, which creates new muscle fibers. Moreover, it raises levels of insulin-like growth factor, which can promote muscle mass increase.
Other than that, taking creating supplements may increase the water content in muscles, which also contributes to an increase in muscle size.
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Improves HIIT Performance
Thanks to creatine’s role in ATP production, it can help improve one’s performance when performing high-intensity exercises. Creatine can also improve various factors that contribute to exercise, such as strength, muscle endurance, muscle mass, ballistic power, sprint ability, resistance to fatigue, brain performance, and recovery.
Regardless of your fitness level, creatine can benefit you and your athletic performance.
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Speeds Muscle Growth
Creatine is one of the most effective supplements when it comes to adding muscle mass. Taking it for a few weeks has been known to increase lean body weight and muscle size because of the increase in water content of the muscles. As you continue taking enough creatine, it will help with muscle fiber growth by boosting gym performance and signaling key biological pathways.
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Can Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Research suggests that taking creatine supplements can lower blood sugar levels as it increases the function of glucose transporter type 4. This is a molecule bringing blood sugar into muscles. That said, more human research is required to verify the long-term effects of creatine when it comes to diabetes and blood sugar control.
Wrapping It Up
Even with the benefits mentioned above, make sure that you speak with your doctor before taking creatine supplements.
