8 proven benefits of creatine supplements

If you're a fitness enthusiast, you've probably heard of creatine; a naturally occurring compound that plays a crucial role in energy production within your body. Creatine is found in foods such as meat and fish, and it can also be synthesised by your body. But the amount found in your food and body are usually not enough to provide the benefits associated with supplementation. In this article, we discuss the main benefits of creatine supplements and help you understand why it can be a great addition to your workouts and in general, your day.

The benefits of creatine supplements

Creatine is the talk of the gym. Shown to improve muscle mass, increase strength, and enhance exercise performance (especially during high-intensity activities like weightlifting or sprinting), it’s something many athletes have become interested in over the years.

Also known to reduce fatigue and aid in the recovery process following intense exercise, there’s no wonder why it’s making its way into our kitchen cupboards. In this article, we discuss ten proven benefits of creatine supplements, helping you take your fitness journey to the next level.

1. Increased Muscle Mass

Studies have shown that creatine can increase muscle fibre size and muscle mass, especially when combined with resistance training. Specifically, it causes a substantial rise in both muscle fibre dimensions and overall muscle bulk.

One key explanation for this, involves the compounds ability to produce ATP; the energy source used by your muscles during exercise. As a result of this increased energy production, individuals are able to lift heavier weights, perform more reps, and ultimately build more muscle.

Of course, this does mean that creatine alone cannot solely promote muscle growth. It needs to be combined with exercises that create resistance, such as weightlifting. However, those who do supplement with creatine and participate in regular resistance training, are likely to see an increase in muscle size and overall mass.

2. Improved Strength

But more than just increasing muscle mass, creatine supplementation has also been shown to improve strength.

Creatine helps to increase the amount of force your muscles can generate, which leads to improved strength gains. In fact, a study conducted on male college athletes showed that creatine supplementation led to a 20% increase in bench press strength compared to a placebo.

3. Enhanced Endurance

Endurance athletes will also be pleased to know that, muscle size and strength aside, creatine supplementation has been found to boost endurance. This happens as a result of increased availability of ATP - the primary energy source for muscle contraction. This means improved performance during high-intensity exercises or endurance activities like running or cycling.

And the studies certainly back this up. In fact, creatine supplements can lead to increased muscle endurance, allowing individuals to perform more reps or complete longer periods of exercise before exhaustion. It has also been found to improve recovery time and reduce muscle fatigue, enabling individuals to train harder and longer (which as an endurance runner is exactly what you’re after!). In other words, power up with creatine and you’ll be cruising through the finish line.

4. Faster Recovery

Forget your workout for just a minute, creatine supplements have been found to accelerate the recovery process post-exercise. By increasing ATP production the compound aids quicker replenishment of energy stores in muscles, leading to reduced soreness and enhanced performance during subsequent workouts.

Of course whilst the extent of benefits may vary depending on individual factors such as exercise intensity, duration, and training status, research has shown that creatine can increase muscle creatine stores by up to whopping 40%!

5. Improved Brain Function

Not only a powerful compound for the body, creatine has also demonstrated an ability to enhance brain function thanks to its increase of ATP production (which just happens to be the primary source of energy for the brain).

As per research studies, creatine supplementation has been found to enhance cognitive performance, including improvements in memory and processing speed. By increasing energy availability in the brain, neural signalling is improved and there is a potential for better cognitive function. Students might be interested to know that one study found creatine to help young adults perform better on intelligence tests assessing reasoning and problem-solving abilities.

Brains need love too! Boost your brainpower and enjoy levelling up your cognitive abilities as well as your body’s, with creatine supplements.

6. Reduced Fatigue

Alleviating fatigue is just another super interesting benefit of creatine supplements. The primary reason behind this is that creatine promotes the production of ATP, which is responsible for energy transfer in cells.

By increasing ATP production, creatine can effectively delay the onset of fatigue, allowing you to work out at a higher intensity for longer. Of course this has been particularly useful for athletes who need to perform at their peak during short bursts of intense activity, such as weightlifters, sprinters, and swimmers.

Please note that while creatine can help reduce fatigue, it should not be considered a replacement for proper rest and recovery between workouts.

7. Improved Bone Healing

Creatine supplementation has also been found to have a positive impact on bone healing. What is meant by this, is that various studies have witnessed creatine’s part in increasing bone density and aiding in the healing process of fractures.

Without getting too ‘sciencey’, the mechanism behind this effect is attributed to the increased levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) caused by creatine supplementation. IGF-1 promotes the growth and development of bone tissue and stimulates the formation of new bone cells. Plus, we also know that creatine increases muscle mass and strength, which in turn further supports bone health.

Whilst this might be a great benefit of creatine supplements, it’s absolutely not advisable to rely solely on creatine as a treatment for bone fractures. Please always speak to a doctor first!

8. Reduced Risk of Injury

Thanks to all of its strength increasing abilities, creatine has also been shown to reduce the risk of injury. Directly linked to its potential to increase muscle strength and endurance, the compound can prevent injuries from occurring.

Plus, creatine has also been shown to reduce muscle damage and inflammation, which can help to speed up recovery time after an injury.

Why CreGAAtine is even better

Creatine supplements offer a safe and effective way to increase muscle mass, strength, endurance, and reduce fatigue. Whilst it’s not a quick fix solution, and its effectiveness depends on maintaining consistent exercise and healthy eating habits, creatine undoubtedly has some great benefits.

But there’s something even better available today. Whilst regular creatine products increase creatine levels in the muscles by around 2%, CreGAAtine leads to a 16.9% increase, which is 8.5x more than the average Creatine Monohydrate products alone.

CreGAAtine is a unique Creatine proprietary blend that contains the Creatine precursor, GAA – Guanidinoacetic acid. All the creatine benefits without the side effects.

To find out more about the incredible benefits of CreGAAtine, click here.