Sports enthusiasts, especially those who lift weights, already know that there are many supplements to support the process of building muscle and recovering after training. In the previous post I discussed about essential proteins, Whey protein, BCAAs, and Casein.
In this post, I will discuss one very well-known supplement for improving sports performance, increasing muscle mass, and increasing strength for athletes, this supplement is classified as safe and is not included in doping or steroids. The supplement I will discuss is Creatine.
Creatine is a substance contained in muscle, brain, liver, and kidney cells in the human body, but this Creatine is even more widely known as a supplement for sports and bodybuilding athletes like IFFB because many manufacturers name their products Creatine, even though this substance is produced from the amino acids glycine and arginine which are essential amino acids. Amino acids are produced by the body but in small quantities so they need to be taken from food or supplements to meet their needs. This substance is used by bodybuilders to increase phosphocreatine in the body so that it can produce more Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP to support weightlifting and high-intensity training.
In addition to increasing sports progress, creatine can also help maintain the health of the human brain like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's, and also can improve memory and brain function in adults. From several claims written by Creatine supplement manufacturers, it is explained that using this supplement can help lower blood sugar levels, improve brain function, and help treat liver disease. This supplements that are widely sold online are monohydrate and hydrochloride types. I am more familiar with Creatine Monohydrate because there are many positive testimonials from users, and in Indonesia, many sell this type instead of Creatine Hydrochloride.
In my opinion, this supplement is relatively cheap compared to other supplements like BCAA or Casein. Creatine is also suitable for use by all sports enthusiasts, whether pro or just starting, but remember to do research or ask medical experts and doctors before using a particular substance or supplement.
Supplements are only used as nutritional supplements, try to keep up with all the nutrients from healthy foods that are minimally processed because they are more natural and safe if you only rely on supplements without meeting your needs from food, the results will not be optimal.
