Creatine

Creatine (also creatine monohydrate) is the most popular nutritional supplement used to increase performance amongst bodybuilders.
Creatine supplies the muscle cells with energy short-term. Therefore, it is used ideally for relatively short periods of high intensity such as sprinting or weight lifting. The body can produce 50% of the creatine needed itself, the other have has to be supplied by food (e.g. meat products).
It is also sensible to provide the body with extra creatine at high intensities. The intake of creatine not only increases strength when exercising regularly but also the cross-sectional area of the muscle. This is down to the muscle cells beeing flooded with water due to osmotic processes. As a result, one's weight can increase significantly during the first weeks of taking creatine. However, the muscles will lose this water again after one has stopped taking creatine. This effect is desired by bodybuilders in particular. The increase in strength and the gained muscle mass remain.
Taking creatine is not as simple as one would expect. A large percentage of creatine monohydrate is destroyed by stomach acid as soon as the creatine reaches the stomach.

Creatine (also creatine monohydrate) is the most popular nutritional supplement used to increase performance amongst bodybuilders.
Creatine supplies the muscle cells with energy short-term. Therefore, it is used ideally for relatively short periods of high intensity such as sprinting or weight lifting. The body can produce 50% of the creatine needed itself, the other have has to be supplied by food (e.g. meat products).
It is also sensible to provide the body with extra creatine at high intensities. The intake of creatine not only increases strength when exercising regularly but also the cross-sectional area of the muscle. This is down to the muscle cells beeing flooded with water due to osmotic processes. As a result, one's weight can increase significantly during the first weeks of taking creatine. However, the muscles will lose this water again after one has stopped taking creatine. This effect is desired by bodybuilders in particular. The increase in strength and the gained muscle mass remain.
Taking creatine is not as simple as one would expect. A large percentage of creatine monohydrate is destroyed by stomach acid as soon as the creatine reaches the stomach. For this reason, it is recommended to dissolve the creatine in fruit juice and then drink it. The fructose contained increases the blood sugar level and helps transport the creatine monohydrate into the muscle cells.
New, advanced creatine products have been put on the market in order to save time and effort. Kre-Alkalyn and Krea-Genic were developed in addition to creatine monohydrate. Kre-Alkalyn contains an extra buffer which is meant to reduce the degredation in the stomach. Krea-Genic is a further development of Kre-Alkalyn and protects the monohydrate with a double buffer. This buffer allows more creatine to reach the muscles without causing the blood sugar level to increase.
The body should be supplied with plenty of fluid (at least 5 litres a day) when taking a course of creatine as the body needs significantly more water due to water retention in the muscles.