A very common question I am asked is what supplements I take for olympic weightlifting and in addition to my diet. With the tremendous amount of supplements on the market that employ tricky marketing techniques, such as before and after pictures, "secret ingredients" to get you swole, and convincing testimonials from celebrities, it can be confusing to walk into a GNC and know where to start. My goal for this seven part blog series is to keep things simple for you: Explain what supplements I take & why I take them. I will also try to include some supplements I chose NOT to take and common tricks used by companies to get you to waste your money on their products.
In Case You Just Want A Quick Summary...
- Creatine Monohydrate
- Whey/Casein protein powder
- Fish Oil
- Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D3
- Chromium Picolinate
Part 1: Creatine Monohydrate
Here is a quick science lesson:
Phosphocreatine and ADP are catalyzed by the enzyme in our skeletal muscle called Creatine Kinase to make creatine and ATP, basically by transferring the phosphate molecule from phosphocreatine to ADP (D stands for Di-phosphate) to make ATP (TRI-phosphate), which is our cell's energy for muscular contractions. Suddenly science makes sense! So supplementing with creatine helps to increase the amount of total muscle phosphocreatine which equals greater ATP replacement and an increased power output, enabling you to train harder for longer. You have more short term energy (ATP) in your muscles to push out extra reps during training by increasing the amount of creatine phosphate available. More weight and reps = more lean muscle mass gains.
Studies also observed improvements in recovery time between intense periods of exercise. With higher phosphocreatine, a second set of squats can come close to mimicking the first, and this increase in the overload placed on the muscle can lead to greater gains in muscle mass.
Many are undecided about the validity in a "loading phase" with creatine and might think it is a scam for companies to make you take more product and run out quicker. I still did a "loading phase" back when I started taking creatine monohydrate where I took 20g/day over 4 doses for the first 4-5 days. Now I take about 3-5g per day for maintenance in my peri-workout drink (peri meaning before, during, and after my workout). You do not have to do a loading phase and can just start taking 5g of creatine a day, as you will still note the benefits of creatine. You just won't see acute increases in strength and body weight like those who load and saturate their muscles quicker. It is up to your preference. Also, just taking creatine once before a workout will not do anything, as it takes approx. a week to saturate your cells. The energy will come from the phosphocreatine already in your muscles, not the creatine you just drank.
Creatine would be most beneficial for those who do anaerobic exercise (high power movements that last only seconds to several minutes), such as weightlifters, crossfitters, bodybuilders, and sprinters, in addition to vegetarian athletes who are depleted in creatine due to their diet. I recommend that if you are going to take any supplement for your anaerobic sport, you take creatine.
Which Type Of Creatine Should You Take?
"Finally, there is an alternative to all the bloating, cramping, and other side effects associated with traditional creatine supplementation: Kre-Alkalyn"
- Taken from Kre-Alkaylyn.com
Source: Layne Norton, Ph.D.in nutritional science with a specialization in skeletal muscle protein metabolism.
So in conclusion, Creatine Monohydrate is the most well studied and inexpensive type of creatine on the market: BUY IT.
Stay tuned for my Supplement Series Post Part II about Protein Powder!
Stay Educated,
Leighann