Hey, what's up? This is Sean Nalewanyj, of EliteImpactLabs.com. And today, I'm basically
going to be covering the five main questions surrounding proper creatine supplementation.
Which is the best form of creatine? How much should you take? When should you take it?
What should you mix it with? And what other ingredients should you combine it with for
the best results. Now, there's no doubt about it, creatine is the single most effective
muscle building supplement on the market, period. No other natural muscle building ingredient
out there is backed by more research and more real-world evidence than this one. Creatine
increases strength and performance, it volumizes the muscle cells, and it helps you transform
your body at a faster rate. So, if you want the straight ahead truth on optimum creatine
supplementation, make sure to watch this entire video. So let's get started. So, question
number one is which form of creatine should you take? There's an endless number of different
creatine forms that supplement companies are adding into their formulas these days. You've
got creatine ethyl ester, creatine hydrochloride, creatine citrate, creatine serum; the list
just goes on and on. The reality is that there hasn't ever been a single study conducted
that has ever shown any of these so called, "Advanced" forms of creatine to be superior
to the original creatine monohydrate. So, don't be fooled by the marketing hype. Monohydrate
is still king, and it's also the most cost effective. The only thing to make sure of
is that you choose a product that contains micronized creatine monohydrate. This form
of creatine has been broken down into finer particles that have more surface area. And
as a result, they dissolve easier, they absorb better and they're less likely to cause stomach
discomfort. The second question is how much creatine should you take? Don't be fooled
into thinking that you need 10grams of creatine or more per day to get results. Again, this
is just another marketing tactic to sell you more product that you don't need. In addition,
don't fall for the false idea that you have to implement a creatine loading phase to get
maximum benefits. The creatine loading phase, which is the four to five day method where
you generally will consume about 15grams to 20grams of creatine per day, split over about
three to four doses, it's just another trick to sell you more creatine. For most people,
3grams per day is sufficient to fully saturate the muscles with creatine; 1 teaspoon is equal
to 5grams, so taking a bit less than 1 teaspoon per day will be enough. Stick to this dosage
consistently. And you'll achieve full creating saturation in around three weeks. It requires
a tad more of patience than doing a loading phase. But it will save you cash in the long
run. The third question is when is the best time to take creatine? Now, there's two main
recommendations that you're going to hear on this one. The first is to take your creatine
before your workouts. And the second is to take your creatine immediately after your
workouts. The truth is that it actually makes no practical difference when you take it.
First of all, creatine has no immediate acute effects. Once your body has reached full creatine
saturation, that creatine is always readily available for your muscles to use any time
they need it. And so for that reason, there's no specific benefit to taking creatine pre-workout.
And secondly, no matter when you take your creatine, it's always going to be eventually
absorbed by the muscles. So, taking creatine post-workout, may allow for faster absorption,
but faster absorption doesn't necessarily provide any unique advantages. At the end
of the day, it's not going to make any difference. In the morning, with lunch, pre-workout, post-workout,
even before bed. Just take your 3grams of creatine each day whenever you feel like it.
The fourth question is what should you mix your creatine with? The standard practice
here has always been to mixed creatine with a high sugar drink like a grape juice, Gatorade
or dextrose powder. The idea here is to use the simple sugars to spike your insulin levels,
which will in turn increase the absorption of the creatine. This is another well-accepted
creatine method. It just doesn't hold much weight. The reality is that the body is incredibly
effective at the process of digestion and absorption. And regardless of what you mix
your creatine with, it will still eventually find its way to your muscle tissue. So, mixing
your creatine with simple sugars, may allow for faster absorption. But again, faster absorption
doesn't really give you any distinct advantage. In addition, mixing your creatine with say,
30grams of simple sugar every single day, that adds up to an extra 840 calories per
week. So, you know, if you're not careful in tracking your carbohydrate intake, those
calories can easily add up. Again, the bottom line here is to just mix your creatine with
whatever you want, juice, tea, crystal lite, water, it really doesn't matter. And the final
question is what other ingredients should you combine your creatine with for the best
results? Creatine on its own is great, but if you want even better results, I'd recommend
combining your 3grams of creating with 3grams of beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is an amino
acid that also boosts strength and performance, but through a different pathway than creatine
does. Beta alanine works by buffering hydrogen ion to the muscle cell, which are responsible
for that burning sensation you feel when you train. And this reduces fatigue and prolongs
the point of muscular failure. The research has shown that creatine and beta-alanine actually
have synergistic effects when you use them together, and deliver benefits notably higher
than when either one is used on its own. So, to recap this creatine guide, number one,
stick to micronized creatine monohydrate, number two, use 3grams per day which is a
bit less than a teaspoon. Number three; take your creatine at any time of the day you want.
Number four; mix your creatine with whatever liquid you want. And number five; combine
your creatine with 3grams of beta-alanine for even better results. So, as you can see
it's ultimately pretty straightforward. By following the methods outlined in this, you're
already way ahead of the crowd, and you've set yourself up for effective, efficient creatine
usage. So, thanks for watching this video. If you do want to check on a really high quality
product that includes a combination of creatine, beta-alanine along with L-Taurine and branched-chain
amino acids, make sure to check out Muscle Amp using the link in the description box.
Muscle Amp is a fruit-punch flavored drink mix that you can easily add into your muscle
building program. And it helps you out by increasing your strength in the gym, volumizing
muscle cells, improving your recovery, and reducing muscle breakdown. And that's available
over on the EliteImpactLabs.com website. So, thanks again for watching. Make sure to subscribe
if you haven't already. And make sure to join the Elite Impact Lab's Facebook page, where
we do free supplement giveaways every Sunday night. I'll talk to you again soon with more
free tips.