Creatine Monohydrate penetrating muscle cells?!
Question: I take Creatine Monohydrate. I need to know what is good to aid the creatine in penetrating the muscle cells, so it is being effective. I appreciate any detailed answers. Thank you.
Answers: I take Creatine Monohydrate. I need to know what is good to aid the creatine in penetrating the muscle cells, so it is being effective. I appreciate any detailed answers. Thank you.
Conventional wisdom used to recommend consuming the creatine with a fast digesting, non-acidic simple carb like dextrose, maltodextrin or grape juice. The theory was that the insulin spike would drive greater creatine uptake into tissue.
Here's the problem though: To be effective, you need to consume upwards of 100 grams of carbohydrates per 5 GRAMS of creatine -- which is a LOT of carbs -- to boost uptake.
I've seen some recent research, however, that suggests that creatine is still effective, even when consumed without high-glycemic carbs. So the jury is really out on this one.
The main thing is to consume the creatine with whey protein as soon as possible after training. Consuming whey and creatine together was shown to be more effective at building lean body tissue and strength than when consuming whey or creatine on it's own.
As always, consult with your doctor before beginning creatine supplementation.
Best of luck!