Creatine

Creatine works by increasing your muscles' ability to produce energy during high intensity exercise. It boosts phosphocreatine stores in muscle cells, which helps regenerate ATP; the body's primary energy source. This means more energy for activities like weightlifting, sprinting and jumping, allowing you to perform at your peak for longer.

The benefits? Creatine supplements improve strength, endurance and muscle growth, while speeding up recovery. It also helps reduce muscle injury risk, combats dehydration and may even support cognitive function.

To get the most out of creatine, consistency is key. You can take it pre-workout, post-workout or with meals. The most important factor is taking it every day to keep creatine levels elevated in your muscles. Taking it before your workout helps load your muscles with creatine phosphate, providing quick energy during intense exercises. After your workout, creatine helps replenish depleted stores, aiding in recovery and muscle growth. Some people prefer to take creatine with meals, as it can improve absorption, especially when paired with carbs.

Even on rest days, continue your daily dose to maintain muscle saturation and support recovery. For dosage, aim for 3 to 5 grams per day. If you want quicker results, you can go through a loading phase with 20 to 25 grams a day for 5 to 7 days, then switch to 3 to 5 grams for maintenance. Without the loading phase, you can expect to see results in around 2 to 4 weeks but, with the loading phase, benefits may begin within 5 to 7 days.

Creatine doesn’t raise testosterone levels. Studies show that while creatine can increase DHT (a form of testosterone) and growth hormone during exercise, it doesn’t affect resting testosterone levels.

Creatine supplements are not specifically intended for weight loss. While creatine can aid in muscle growth, which might improve body composition, it does not directly reduce fat mass. Creatine may lead to a temporary weight gain due to increased water retention in muscles. When you stop taking creatine, you might experience a loss of this extra weight as the water is released.