Creatine : Still the best Workout Supplement for strength, power, size and recovery

In the past decade, the sports and fitness world has seen many performance enhancing supplements arrive on the scene as the quest for maximum possible performance from the human body continues. Since I became a personal trainer 17 years ago I have personally seen and used dozens of different supplements, as much out of curiosity as to "what's new" as a desire to improve my performance and physique. From energy drinks to prohormones to protein supplements to nighttime recovery, I have experimented with many, and found a lot that I have chosen to keep using. Above all of them, however, the one constant that has ALWAYS been present since the very first time that I used it is creatine. It has proven to be one of the effective and safe supplements available when used properly. I always feel stronger and recover quicker using creatine when I participate in any kind of training that requires strength or quick bursts of anaerobic power. Any workout I do in the weight room or when rock climbing feels incredibly enhanced when I supplement with creatine, and I have no problem as an online personal trainer recommending this product to healthy individuals who can safely take the recommended dosages supplied by the manufacturers. I always say to people, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are a healthy individual who is cleared medically to participate in the high intensity training made possible by safe and proper creatine supplementation.

I remember the first time I took creatine back in 1995, and I did a leg press exercise as my first set of the workout. I easily lifted 10% more weight that I had been lifting before that day, and found I could do over 20% more repetitions per set with weights that I had been using. WOW! It was a very strange feeling to have that effect only minutes after taking the product. It was like a wonder pill, in some ways. As someone who loves lifting weights and being strong, it was a huge psychological boost to feel that different so quickly. Creatine has literally been a part of my training regimen ever since that day.

What was going on was that the main ingredient in the creatine supplement, creatine monohydrate, was enhancing my muscles' ability to produce effort before fatiguing. The monohydrate component of creatine monohydrate combines with the most immediate metabolic byproducts of intense muscular effort during exercise, which turns a large percentage of the byproducts right back into usable muscular energy. The muscle is able to lift more weight and fatigues later than without the supplement being present. My experienced increase in performance of 10-20% was right in line with what is the usual benefit.

The initial advantage to being able to lift more weight and do more repetitions is obvious: the body gets a better workout and a better stimulation to improve its performance levels. In addition to this first benefit, creatine also serves to pull more body water volume into the muscle cells, creating a fuller feeling of firmness in the muscle belly, which looks and feels good to the person using it. Muscle recovery is enhanced as well, so not only are the workouts better, the recovery from these workouts is quicker. Performance and cosmetic results are greatly enhanced.

Creatine supplements are always evolving coming onto the market in forms that manufacturers claim improve their results. They are now frequently combined with other performance enhancing ingredients in a single supplement to create amazing feelings of "pump" during a workout. And these latest versions of creatine supplementation are very effective and I have tried most of them. In the end, the actual way the creatine itself is acting upon the body and its effectiveness are largely unchanged from when I used it for the first time. It is a very effective and safe supplement when the manufacturer guidelines for use are followed or it is used in conjunction with a certified personal trainer.

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The Differences Between Synthetic and Natural Nutritional Supplements

As online dieticians, we always establish the first things first: whole foods. The majority of your nutrition should come from sources of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, followed by lean protein and healthy fats. Then, to compensate for the deficiencies in our diet, or damage caused by toxins and free radicals in our body, we need to add multivitamins and anti-oxidants. Some supplements may help ensure that you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients or help promote optimal health and performance if you do not consume a variety of foods in proper amounts. Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure disease. In some cases, dietary supplements may even have unwanted effects. Then there is this question: Which are better, "synthetic" or food-based "natural" dietary supplements? The proper nutritional program is essential to an effective online diet plan.

As with most research, both sides are supported and rebutted. Currently, the definition of "natural" in foods and dietary supplements has not been established by the government. Therefore, the interpretation can vary greatly. There is a common misconception that "natural" vitamins and minerals are extracted from plants in their pure form and as such are superior to "synthetic" vitamins and minerals, which are made in a laboratory. This can be misleading because it is not possible to extract pure vitamins from plants without considerable amounts of chemical processing. Also, the biological activity of a compound has nothing to do with its source, but is determined by its chemical structure. So really, whether the chemical originates from a leafy plant or a test tube, it is the same compound.

Some vitamin and antioxidant compounds can be efficiently synthesized in factories to produce products that are identical in chemical form to those found in nature and that are pure and fully safe. Some synthetic vitamins are preferentially absorbed over food sources and vice versa.

Folic Acid, for example, is preferentially absorbed and utilized over natural food folates that must go through several conversion processes to be utilized as folic acid.

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity, which is the measure of potency or functional use in the body. Alpha-tocopherol is the name of the most active from of vitamin E in humans. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant. Vitamin E in supplements is usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form that protects its ability to function as an antioxidant, and is sometimes derived from soy. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural from is labeled "D." The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form.

There are no known differences in the biological activity of natural and synthetic L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C). As reported by the Linus Pauling Institute, a study in 68 male nonsmokers found that ascorbic acid consumed as cooked broccoli, orange juice, orange slices, and synthetic ascorbic acid tablets are equally bioavailable, as measured by plasma ascorbic acid.

Most important: since the FDA doesn't regulate nutritional supplements, look for ones that offer purity, safety, effectiveness, bioavailability, and whether natural or synthetic, ones that are best absorbed and utilized by the body. Such standards may be upheld when a product has a GMP (good manufacturing practice) seal on it, is potency guaranteed and may also be reviewed by the following organizations:

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