Caffeine
Creatine
WHYDOINEEDIT?
We all know the stimulating
effects of caffeine to help us
getoutofbedinthemorning
andstayawakeatwork.
Caffeine can also stimulate
the release of the hormones
adrenaline and dopamine.
But the main benefit when you
wanttoaddmuscleisthatit
significantly increases
muscular power output.
THE SUPPLEMENT SOLUTION
Before you go and put another
potofcoffeeonthehob,you
need to know that frequent
caffeine consumption severely
limits your body’s ability to
exertmorepower.Thatmeans
the key to using it as an
effective muscle-building
supplement is to limit your
dailyuseandsaveitforthose
really hard sessions.HOWTOTAKEIT
Caffeineismosteffectiveas
a supplement when used by
people who are rarely exposed
toit.Ifyougetexcitableafter
a single cup of coffee, you’ll
probablybenefitfromhavinga
cup before the gym. If you don’t
like coffee, then take a caffeine
supplement containing
400-600mg30minutesbefore
aworkout.Dosotwiceaweek
at most, and save caffeine
supplementation for your
hardest workouts of the week.
If you already have a highcaffeine tolerance, or develop
one, reduce your intake of
coffee and other caffeinated
drinks. It may be necessary
to stop all caffeine use for at
least a month to regain
caffeine sensitivity.Body BookSupps
WHYDOINEEDIT?
A naturally occurring organic
compound,creatineisasource
ofATP,themainformofenergy
yourbodyuses.It’sfoundin
certain foods, such as red meat,
andstoredinyourmuscles,so
unlessyouarevegetarianor
veganyoushouldhave
adequatelevels.However,alot
of strong research indicates
increasing your creatine levels
via supplementation produces
significant increases in
muscular size,strength and
power output.THE SUPPLEMENT SOLUTION
According to independent
nutritionresearchbody
Examine.com, the evidence
shows that supplementing
with creatine is safe and
improves muscular
performance, especially power
output.Italsoincreases
anaerobic endurance by acting
as fuel for your cells, because
muscle cells will use creatine
for energy before they use
glucose, enabling your muscles
to lift for longer. Creatine will
causeaslightwaterweight
gain in the first few weeks of
supplementation, but its ability
toaidperformancetobuild
newmusclewillcanceloutthe
temporary disadvantages. It
can cause nausea, cramping
and diarrhoea in some people.HOWTOTAKEIT
Examine.com says the most
effective form is creatine
monohydrate, and a daily
dose of 5g is enough to
improve power output. People
with more muscle mass may
benefit from as much as 10g,
although this is not fully
supportedbytheevidence.
If you want to take 10g, split it
intotwodaily5gdoses.Always
take it with water, and with
amealifyouexperience
stomachproblems.Youmay
have heard of “creatine
loading”, which means taking
ahighdoseforashorttime
then lowering to a smaller
maintenance dose, taken
indefinitely. It’s not necessary,
butyou’llseeperformance
benefits sooner — although
they will normalise after
a few weeks.“AFTER TRAINING,
WHEY IS PERFECT...
AS A FAST-DIGESTING
PROTEIN, IT GETS
TO YOUR MUSCLES
QUICKLY.”Pushingharder.
Creatine helps build
strength to tackle
bigger weights.124 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017