| By :
Mark Etinger
As most people know the majority of a person's body is water. In fact, your body is about 60% water. We need to drink lots of water every day to keep our bodies healthy. When people work out in the gym, we sweat a lot of the water we have been drinking up to that point and that is why we also need to drink as we work out. Also, our muscles need water to properly perform the functions necessary to increase mass and strength when working out and recovering. This is where the sports supplement creatine comes in. Creatine is a natural occurring, amino acid primarily produced in the kidney and liver. Our blood transfers this amino acid to our muscles. Besides our natural ability to produce creatine, we can get it from the foods that we eat, mainly meat products. Another way we can gain more creatine into our bodies is by ingesting it like any of the other muscle building supplements. Athletes and bodybuilders ingest it in a powdered, micronized form either in that form or mixed in with a post workout drink. Why would people take a creatine supplement? The answer is it allows blood and necessary nutrients to be transported to your muscles via the bloodstream. This helps in muscle recovery and growth. The main reason for this effect is that creatine helps in retaining fluids in your muscles. This allows for greater recovery speeds and increased strength from your workout. While working out, creatine also decreases muscle fatigue which will allow you to work out longer and lift heavier weights. When taking any sports supplement you cannot just load up as much as you want and expect to become bigger and stronger overnight. You have to properly assess how much creatine to take and how often to use it. Using too little will not give you the desired effect of increased strength and recovery. Along the same vein, using too much is wasteful and you will only excrete the extra creatine through your urine or sweat without making any use of it. Balancing creatine use and your training regimen is the only way to get the results you want. Creatine is not meant to be a wonder drug that will suddenly make you big and strong in the same way spinach is supposed to work for Popeye. It works best in short duration, high-intensity workouts. For proper usage, do research and consult with a trained professional on its use.
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