by Jacob Wilson

I can’t help but shake my head whenever I hear gym morons discuss creatine. It has become the ultimate ” tall tail ” in bodybuilding today. And the myths and stories concerning this supplement, become more and more preposterous as the years go by. The plain fact of the matter is that most people who take creatine, do not even know what it is, or exactly how our bodies use it. I find this puzzling, because I do not believe in ever taking supplements that I do not fully understand. After you finish reading this article, the myths and tall tales concerning creatine will be completely dissolved and like myself, you will shake your head when rookies in the gym, cluelessly discuss the effects of this supplement.
Questions and Answers: I receive at least a handful of letters a day concerning creatine. I will post the most frequently asked of those below.

Q: Is Creatine a Steroid?
A: I would like to dispel this myth by giving you the definition of what an anabolic steroid is. These are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. Creatine, as you will see below is not. Basically anyone who says this should immediately be labeled a gymbecile.

Q: What is Creatine?
A: First, let me emphasize that our bodies already produce creatine naturally. Did you ever watch the transformers when you were a kid? Well if not, there were groups of robots called ” combiners. ” They would join together and form an even larger and more massive robot, crushing everything in their paths! Our liver does the same thing with the three amino acids, Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. It combines them to form creatine, much like the constructicons combined to form devastator! Ok so that was a lame example, but it explains the process quite nicely.

That being said, it is also important to understand that over 95 percent of this substance is found in our muscles. With the remainder being stored in our brain, heart and other parts of our bodies.

Q: The clerk at my local sporting goods store, explained to me, that when your body runs out of food at night, your muscles can take the creatine in them and use it to fuel their growth.
A: I don’t believe I will even waste my time dispelling his explanation. How moronic can you get? My real question is, where do these people get there information from? I actually have a theory on this very matter. I believe, that there is a moronic website that is the complete opposite of abcbodybuilding. I’ve tried to crack the code, but gymmorons.com just didn’t work. Perhaps they are trying to hide their identity? But regardless of my theory, the guy is dead wrong!

Q: What exactly does creatine do?
A: I will break down the uses of this supplement into 4 sections.
1. Creatine works mainly to increase our Creatine Phosphate System
This is a very difficult concept to understand. And what I am going to do, here is place an excerpt from my article on energy systems in here. It will explain how our body’s use energy, and how creatine fits into this!

The Three Energy Systems
What we will now discuss is how our muscles are fueled to contract in virtually every situation possible. You see, a different energy system is used for a heavy set of 4 repetitions then compared to a set of 12 repetitions. Each of these is linked with a particular muscle fiber type. If you can manipulate the energy system, then you can drastically increase muscle mass.
Firstly I need to emphasize that our muscle fibers store ATP. The problem is that we only have enough to fuel contractions for about 3 seconds, and even in the most well trained bodybuilder that supply can only last about 5-6 seconds. So what is the point of having such a low amount of stored energy? It’s essentially designed to give you a quick burst. You name the sport( barring chess ) and every athlete will tell you the benefits of being able to call on a quick burst of energy! What becomes painfully obvious at this point is that 3 seconds will not power 90-99 percent of traditional bodybuilding sets. Therefore our body must have a way of producing more energy to sustain contractions! This is where the 3 fueling systems come into play!
note: again, all three energy system’s function is to produce ATP. These processes dominantly take place in the mitochondria( about 95 percent of the ATP in your muscle stores to be exact ! ) that lie inside of the sarcoplasm of the muscle fiber. For now I will explain the energy systems, further on I will explain how to increase their proficiency!

Phosphagen System
To replenish the ATP levels quickly after the initial energy boost is used up, muscle cells contain a high-energy phosphate compound called creatine phosphate(PC). To state the obvious, this compound contains a phosphate. Your muscle cell releases enzymes that break the phosphate off of the PC molecule, then this phosphate is transferred back to the ADP to reform the high energy molecule ATP.

To recap, when your body uses ATP, it breaks one phosphate off of it which produces energy. This burst fuels contractions. What is left after a phosphate is broken off of ATP is the molecule called ADP.

Our muscle fibers contain 5 times as much creatine phosphate then it does ATP. Your cell sends out enzymes that break off the phosphate from the creatine. The Energy released from this sever and the phosphate molecule are recombined with the ADP to again form ATP. The PC system provides an additional 10 to 20 seconds of energy to allow us, as bodybuilders to continue an intense set!

A process such as this can occur in the blink of an eye, which makes it very efficient! Again, for the conscious athlete( when I say conscious, I mean one who improves this system ) this will provide a good 15-20 seconds more energy for contractions, and perhaps a bit more. You see creatine phosphate stores run out about this time. In total ATP stores and the creatine phosphate system provide about 25-30 seconds of maximum muscular contraction. This system is the powerhouse for extremely high intensity activities. If it is weak then you will have a difficult time lifting heavy weights for any extended period of time. This will be extremely detrimental if your goal is to hit the denser fast twitch IIb fibers.
One way to increase your creatine stores is obvious. You can easily saturate your muscle cells with creatine by actually supplementing with it. Your body already produces it, but supplementation assists in the saturation process. You can see why this is a proven product. It literally speaks for itself in functionality, and has proven to be one of the safest substances on the shelves today!

Millions have used creatine for over a decade with absolutely no side effects whatsoever. And the amount of studies to back up its safety are second to none! This is a tried and true power house. You can learn more about it by reading my article, creatine myths and facts.

My recommendation is to load it for 5 days at 15-25 grams broken up into 5 grams servings per meal. This will saturate your muscles with creatine. Following this period simple maintain saturation with 5-10 grams a day. Then start the process over in about 8 weeks. On a side note, steak is also beneficial to refilling your PC stores. It to is rich in this substance!
What System is Beneficial For – It allows you to contract your muscles up to a total of 30 seconds of
intense exertion( with the ATP system )! The benefits are obvious. Anytime you lift heavy, you call on this system to back you up. If you play other explosive sports then it is also obvious. A play in football is relatively short and would rely heavily on the PC system. Hockey shifts are also relatively short, many elite teams only allow 30 seconds shifts of all out work per player. You name it: martial arts, soccer, rugby, all have the need for superior functionality of the PC system.
2. Increases The Pump!
Creatine has been shown to super hydrate your muscles( cell volumization; it literally draws water into the muscle cells). This increases pumps dramatically! Even while on low carbs, creatine can help and maintain your pump in the weight room.

3. Increases The Reparation Process of Bodybuilding.
Muscle growth occurs, via a process known as the dehydration synthesis. What does this mean? The dehydration synthesis is the process in which larger molecules are formed. In this case we are referring to muscle protein. And this is also referred to, as of course protein synthesis.
Consequently, many journals point, to creatine actually enhancing this.

Overview:
The main function of creatine is to provide our muscles with more energy. More energy means that our muscles can contract harder therefore our body must adapt to the greater amount of stress that we put our bodies through. It super hydrates our muscles and improves protein synthesis.

Q: How exactly does Creatine Apply to An Athlete?
A: Simple, it does so by enhancing your creatine phosphate energy system. This does a number of things:
1. Increases explosion – Most athletes notice more explosiveness after utilizing this supplement
2. Allows yourself to push yourself harder and longer.
Note: Interestingly enough, creatine in some studies has been shown to buffer lactic acid. If this be true, then one can see how it can enhance any sport that requires one to run.

Q: What are the side effects of Creatine, and in General how safe is it?
A: As stated above, creatine is not, and I repeat not a hormone. Therefore it does not have the side effects associated with any Prohormone or illegal steroid.
There have been hundreds of studies done on creatine that all show that it is a safe supplement.
To further prove its safety two an a half million kilograms of creatine were consumed in the United States alone in 1999! That statistic alone speaks volumes about the safety and efficiency of this supplement! Not only that, but creatine has been the number one supplement on the market for almost a decade and no one has reported any adverse side effects from it. ( aside from the ones I listed above. )

Q: I don’t workout, but do you think that creatine will build muscles and help me to lose fat?
A: No! If you don’t workout I cannot imagine what supplement would help you. Creatine provides your muscles with more short term energy – but that is wasted if you do not exercise them. If you take creatine you should push yourself even harder in the gym. The idea is with more energy you should be able to workout harder. A harder workout leads to increased muscle mass.

Q: Since Creatine makes you gain weight should I not take it on a cut?
A: Yes, creatine causes your body to hold water, but that is a good thing! The fact that your muscles are super hydrated even on a cut is fantastic. I see absolutely no correlation between taking creatine and our body storing fat. If anything, creatine will assist us in maintaining more lean mass while dieting. In my mind there is no point to discontinuing the use of creatine while trying to burn fat.

Q: Can I take Creatine and Protein at the same time?
A: Firstly, protein is a food product. If you couldn’t take creatine and protein at the same time, then you would have to be a strict vegetarian and still you would end out consuming around 40 grams a day just from normal foods. To top this off, creatine is not much use without a significant protein intake. What is the point of pushing your muscles further than they are used to, if you are not going to provide the amino acids necessary for their repair?

Q: Which supplement is Better Creatine or Protein?
A: ( I probably get asked this question at least once a day through email.) Amino acids are the building blocks of our muscles. If you do not get enough than there is no point to working out. Creatine is an outstanding supplement, but if you have to choose from getting at least 1 gram a day of protein or getting your creatine then opt for the protein. However I do want to stress that creatine is an excellent supplement. In fact for assistance in muscular gains I would rate it second only to whey.

Q: I just got myself some creatine. Now I only started with half the dosage, because creatine fires me up and I don’t want too much of a buzz in the weight room! So how should I up the dosage?
( Yes I know what you are thinking ( LOL ). I get these kinds of questions everyday though. I answer them because I was a rookie at one time too. )
A: Ummm, their are two things that come to my mind.
1. Your creatine has been spiked with caffeine or ephedrine
2. Your creatine has gone rotten and is causing you to have hallucinations ( LOL ). Or a ” Buzz ” before your workout.
Creatine is not and I repeat not a stimulant! It should not make you have these feelings. Read my article next month on the subject and you will see why. Until then, if your container of creatine really gives you a buzz, then. throw it away immediately!

Q: I am breaking out, is it because of the creatine?
A: ( Again ) Creatine does not effect hormone levels in any way. So the answer is no.

Q: I am a woman and I was thinking about taking creatine, but I don’t want to become huge and veiny like a man.
A: If that is the case, then I would suggest that you do not eat like the ” huge and veiny ” men that you do not want to look like. Creatine will assist you in your workout, but only calories will make you grow. Yes, creatine is an excellent supplement for mass, but only if you are eating for mass.

Q: Do you feel that creatine is cheating? I want to earn my muscles the hard way and don’t want to cheat to get them.
A: ( I can’t stand these types of questions!!! ) Yes, you would be cheating. You would be cheating yourself out of great gains by not supplementing with it!

Q: Is there anything I can take to make creatine a more effective supplement?
A: Excellent Question!
a. The first thing I would like to emphasize is that creatine will not work if you are not properly hydrated! It relies heavily on this, so you must drink tons of water, if you want optimal results from it. Super hydrating your body will also improve your weight room pumps tremendously!
B. Creatine is good stacked with high glycemic carbs, as well as sodium–they both facilitate creatine transport into muscle cells. This is recommended only for your post workout meal.

Q: What is the best method, dose wise, of taking creatine?
A: For creatine to produce optimal results, muscle stores must be topped off or saturated with it. To accomplish this you need to load the creatine for 5 days at 20-25 grams, spread out throughout the day into 4-5 servings. This is the quickest and in my opinion the ” best ” way to saturate your muscles with creatine. Following this phase, all you need is to take 5-10 grams a day to maintain your saturation levels. After this, any creatine you take will be excreted as creatinine.

Q: Do I need to take my creatine with carbohydrates to make it effective?
A: Whenever we digest carbohydrates our pancreas secretes the hormone known as insulin. The simpler the carb, the higher a burst of insulin our pancreas releases to deal with them. The good thing about insulin is that it actually drives nutrients into our muscles to assist them in recovery. If you take creatine with fast burning carbs, it will increase the absorption rate in your muscles. However, insulin is also responsible for fat storage. Therefore my suggestion to you would be to only use a sugar spike like this with your post workout meal. This is because this is the least likely times that your body will store fat. Insulin control, is a massive subject and you might consider reading 13 weeks to burning fat, to become better acquainted with it .

Q: Do I need to Cycle Creatine?
A: My recommendation is to load for 5 days, followed by a 5-10 gram maintenance dosage for 4-6 weeks. Following this, there are two particular strategies:
1. You can take one to two weeks off and then start the cycle over. Many athletes attest to receiving a better results this way.
2. However, several athletes will never come off of it. They will load it for 5 days, maintain for a few weeks and then reload again. This is increasingly becoming the more popular method of usage.

Conclusion
Creatine, like a classic novel has stood the test of time; and yet, so many people have picked it up without reading it. My intent in this article was to fill this void and if I answered just one of your questions than it was worth writing. If there was something that I did not cover, than feel free to ask about it in our forums. Until then, indulge yourself in perhaps the most revolutionary, natural supplement to ever hit the athletic market!
Jacob Wilson ( Trainer@abcbodybuilding.com )

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Dianabol Is The Most Popular Oral Steroid In The World! Whoever told you Wheaties was the breakfast of champions was lying. It reality, it was coined after the 7 time Mr.Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s steroid of choice for years. The thing about D Bol is it must be taken early in the morning as well as in the afternoon – thus where it got it’s name.

“Oh my God! Are you saying the governor of California did steroids!” That’s exactly what I’m saying, and anyone who tells you otherwise is very, very naive.  The truth is, most athletes (bodybuilders especially) take some type of performance enhancing drug. Arnold was no exception. Whether it’s a horse jockey taking Clenbuterol to keep under 110 pounds, or if it’s Arnold taking 80mg of Dianabol a day to stay 280 pounds.

What exactly is D Bol?

You’re looking at. Chemical name Dianabol (1 7-alpha-methyl-1 7beta- hydroxil-androsta-1.4dien-3-on) is an orally applicable steroid with a great effect on the protein metabolism.

The effect of Dianabol promotes the protein synthesis, thus it supports the buildup of protein. This effect mani-ests itself in a positive nitrogen balance and an improved well-being.

Dozens of manufactures are floating around, but as a general statement, the pink tabs are the ones you should be looking for. They are favored amongst others. Of course always make sure your get is legit by checking first on a message board or the likes first.

How is it typically used and how popular is it?

Very, very popular. A athlete can expect to gain weight very quickly when taking D Bol, usually 2-4 pounds a week for a steady 3 to 4 weeks. Also, because it is not an injectable steroid it has quite a following. Steroid novices love it because they don’t have to stick themselves with a needle to get huge.

Like all oral compounds, it’s half life is very short and thus to keep the increased performance enhancing levels somewhat steady, it’s typically taken two to three types a day. A dose of 15-40mg is most common. Abusers have been known to pack down as much as 150mg a day however. This dose is dangerous and shouldn’t even be considered by a novice unless you want your heart to explode sometime soon.

What are the main advantages of D Bol?

D Bol is a mass steroid. If you’re looking to put on mass, then D Bol has great advantages for you. Putting on muscle mass aside, D Bol also:

• Creates a sense of well being
• Vastly increases strength
• Gives muscles a constant ‘pumped’ look
• Can be used to ‘jumpstart’ a cycle with injectables
• Is relatively cheap
• Low to medium side effects at proper doses

D Bol has been around for many years and every serious athlete has heard the name thrown around a time or two. If pot is a gateway drug into drugs, than this is the gateway steroid. Most start here and move their way up to injectables.

As the name suggests, muscle milk is a supplement that is rich in the proteins necessary for ultimate muscle growth and fitness. Essentially having its beginnings in the composition of human mother’s milk after much research muscle milk emerges as a much-improved version.
There are many protein sources available besides muscle milk. Extensive research concerning muscle milk protein, however, indicates that the ingredients in muscle milk have vastly superior advantages for athletes. Muscle milk is capable of increasing muscle growth faster due to increased muscle synthesis.

Because of this muscle milk gained importance among the body building fraternity as muscle milk protein aids with tissue growth and repair. An intake of muscle milk protein ensures that the body receives the building blocks it requires for producing amino acids. These acids from muscle milk are necessary for strong muscle tissue and enhanced natural body healing.

This valuable effect of muscle milk protein means a decrease in the time spent recovering from muscle injuries and strains. The anti-inflammatory effects of muscle milk allows for longer training periods with shorter recovery time, while taking muscle milk.

The precursory effects achieved through muscle milk intake replenish protein levels, which are quickly lost during a workout. Muscle milk protein balances blood sugar levels thus minimising the urge to overeat. Energy obtained through food intake is properly utilized by muscle milk and blood sugar fluctuations are minimised by muscle milk protein.

While muscle milk is relatively low in lactose and fats, muscle milk contains calories with engineered lipids, which promote leanness while quickly building and strengthening muscle. These calories in muscle milk provide athletes with the increased energy necessary for a workout. Importantly, muscle milk achieves this while leaving the minimum of fatty deposits within the body. The muscle milk formula can boost the immune system because muscle milk protein contains ingredients in all the correct quantities for optimal system performance.

The muscle milk protein in muscle milk plays an antioxidant role while enhancing hormonal and cellular responses. The side effects of muscle milk are minimal as long as the proper dosage instructions of muscle milk protein intake are followed. Muscle milk allows for more energy to be retained in the body, freeing up the protein and amino acids for utilization at higher levels of muscle growth and function. The mineral retention necessary for muscular contraction is further enhanced by muscle milk protein, increasing flexibility of motion.

Muscle milk contains a complex combination of proteins, peptides and certain amino acids. When muscle milk is taken at least 30 minutes before a strenuous workout muscle milk floods the system with muscle milk protein, growth nutrients and acid buffering agents. The natural production of creatine is enhanced by muscle milk, resulting in efficient energy production and strength when taking muscle milk.

Muscle growth is increased dramatically by muscle milk, as is fat metabolism and muscle synthesis. A supplement of muscle milk protein has distinct advantages for athletes wanting to build muscle quickly while increasing fitness levels. Muscle milk’s complete health enhancing abilities makes muscle milk protein an excellent choice for anyone.

When you are starting a program of weight training with the goal of a rapid increase in healthy muscle mass, the use of diet supplements is a given.  As long as the supplements you use are geared toward taking full advantage of your diet program and “supplementing” it, you will avoid unhealthy and unethical approaches to building weight.  Diet supplements are not substitute for the hard work and investment of time and effort into a well designed weight training program.  But good supplements to your diet and make the effects of your hard work so much more effective.

It sounds strange but some of the best supplements that will help you build muscle are not supplements designed for building muscle.  There are three kinds of supplements to include and all three are important.  Just as you must have a balanced diet to sustain good health while you work through your weight training in quest of your goal, you need a balanced approach to the use of diet supplements so you are using common sense in every aspect of your weight training program.

The first category of diet supplement for healthy muscle growth is a good protein drink or powder such as a whey protein supplement.  The core material that makes up muscle is protein and when you are an aggressive program to build muscle, you need sufficient protein in your diet to respond to the weight training you are putting yourself through.  It is highly unlikely you could eat enough protein to give yourself sufficient amounts for the muscle growth you can expect from a well design program of focused muscle growth.  So by using a protein supplement, whether it is in the form of a powder you add to juice, a protein shake or protein snack bars, you give your body the raw materials for rapid muscle growth.

The second category is not a muscle supplement but it is critical for a program that you can stick with.  By taking a multivitamin each day, you assure that you are taking care of your total body health so your digestion works well, your concentration stays at a high level and you rest well when the time comes.  You cannot overlook your overall health when weight training because poor general health can derail your weight training goals.

The third supplement is a mixture that will provide you with high energy during the duration of your work out.  A weight training session can be tremendously intense and draining on your energy levels.  You need a scientifically created supplement that will give you that “boost” when you are ready to exercise or when you are ready to compete so you are at your best mentally and physically when you need to be.  The combination of these three categories of diet supplements combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle will enable you to maintain a sustained program of weight training that will give you the results you are looking for.

August 2010: Bodybuilding Supplements

The extremes that athletes who are training at the top of a sport go to with their diets and nutrition are the stuff of legend.  We all read or hear about weigh lifters or marathon runners who consume huge amounts of carbohydrates and proteins to give their bodies what they need for the extreme demands of the sport.  You hear about that and notice that these athletes are lean and muscular so its natural to wonder if you should consider some new kind of diet or nutrition program with your new program to get in shape.

It’s a good thing to get serious about getting in shape and in doing so if you read through health and fitness magazines, you will be amazed at the amount of advertising going on for diet supplements that are targeted at athletes to help them give their bodies what it takes to build lots of muscle.  So if you are tempted to try out one of those miracle supplement programs but you have held off because the costs are high, you are using good common sense so you should be congratulated for thinking twice before falling for a slick marketing ad that will deliver a product that may be a scam or at least not a product that the average citizen who wants to get in better shape needs or wants.

If you belong to a gym where you meet people who have made bodybuilding a serious part of their program, you have a natural resource right there to ask them what kind of diet supplements they use and what they think about all those products that are advertised in health and fitness magazines.  You will almost certainly find a good share of skepticism and distrust for those companies.  You can tell from the ads in the magazines that they are aimed at the uninformed and at people who think that a pill is a quick path to that magnificent sculpted body of a weight lifter. 

In fact, these advertisements are an insult to a real bodybuilder who has devote himself to hours and hours of working out over weeks and months to achieve the muscle that he has.  That great looking shape is not the result of some supplement that bodybuilder may have swallowed.  Rather it is the result of hard work and determination which is what it takes to achieve great things in any discipline.  If you get a chance to interview the guys at the gym about it, you may find that they do supplement their diets for greater muscle growth but for the most part that is done with additional carbohydrates and protein in their diets.

If these real life bodybuilders do use a supplement, it may be a protein shake or an energy bar from time to time and those will be the products they recommend.  You can trust the advice of someone who is really having success building the body that you may want to have someday.  Not only will that advice guide you to the right path of nutrition and exercise where you are in your program right now, it will save you a lot of money not sending off for phony products you see being advertised in body building magazines.

The Truth about Building Muscle