Creatine Info- Q&A

Q. Is there a difference between types of creatines that are currently available?

A. As some people are aware, you can now find creatine on the market in three forms: phosphate, citrate, and monohydrate. My feeling is that the phosphate variety is not easily absorbed by the body and for this reason will not yield effective and substantial results. The citrate variety seemed to be catching on for a time, but again the research is sketchy here. In fact, nearly all the positive clinical studies that have been done on creatine have utilized the monohydrate form, and this is the only form that I currently recommend.

Q. Is all creatine monohydrate alike, or are the name brands really better?

A. There’s a ton of cheap, generic creatine monohydrate on the market (especially on the web), but I’m convinced that most of it is of significantly lower quality than the reputable brand name versions. Supplement companies and distributors in the U.S. currently get their raw creatine from two primary sources: China and Germany. The creatine that comes in from China is almost always less expensive, but it’s also much more likely to be impure. Typically, it’ll be cut with the complex carb maltodextrin. This is the dirt cheap “creatine” that many wholesalers offer. No wonder some people don’t see any results. Reputable creatine suppliers prefer the German version, which is a bit more expensive but tests out at a significantly higher level of quality. With creatine you really do get what you pay for.

Q. Is micronized creatine just hype or is it really better?

A. Micronized creatine is very interesting. Basically, it’s produced through a process that finely grinds or “micronizes” the creatine particles themselves into particles that are 10, 15, even 20 times smaller than regular creatine particles. There’s no doubt that micronized creatine dissolves better in liquid—this just makes sense. It’s also theorized that the smaller particle size leads to easier and faster digestion and uptake into the blood. Individuals who report stomach upset with regular creatine intake almost always find the problem alleviated by switching to the micronized version. Many of the top creatine monohydrate products on the market—including AST’s Creatine HSC—have already switched to using micronized particles. This trend is likely to continue and accelerate in the near future.

Protein Intake

You see it everywhere.

It’s poking around in the back yard, it’s treading through your local lake, it’s floating around the sky above.

It swims, it walks, it crawls, if flies, it does all of the above.

It’s your protein source.

This is hardly a secret to bodybuilding fanatics. While most of what you eat is generally from sources of carbohydrates, approximately one-fourth of the calories in your daily intake should consist of protein.
Otherwise, your workout hour will consist of anything but power.

Too often, dieters indulge in low-fat diets that deprive their bodies of much-needed protein. Thus, the body begins to devour its muscle tissue like a hungry vulture.

In order to nourish your body with the proper amount of protein, it is first necessary to determine what your body fat percentage is and then weigh your lean body mass up against your level of physical activity.

For example, if you are somebody who exercises on the average of an hour per week, then you’ll need to nourish your system with .7 grams of protein for every pound of lean body mass. So, if you have 140 pounds of lean body mass, you’ll need to take in 98 grams of protein per day.

If you are a more hard-core trainer who works out on the average of five hours per week, you’ll need to upgrade your protein intake to .9 grams per pound of lean body mass, which for the same person, would equate to 126 grams of protein per day.

Even couch potatoes need their protein, at least .6 grams for every pound of lean mass. Otherwise, serious health problems could result.

Protein Intake Calculator (coming soon)

To engineer you protein diet, here are a few sources to guide you.

CHICKEN BREAST: This doesn’t necessarily come before the egg, but chicken breasts are among the most common of protein sources. Low in fat, remember to tear the skin off first while avoiding any fattening seasonings. Honey mustard is usually a great way to add some taste. The average chicken breast consists of 35 grams of protein.

EGGS: For a hard-boiled body, egg whites are tremendous in delivering the proteins that you need. Be sure to remove the yoke first (it’s loaded with cholesterol) before letting ‘em down the hatch. There are approximately 4 grams of protein in each egg white so you can load up on them throughout the day. Also, egg whites are fat free!

TUNA: Sparkle up your protein diet with Sparky himself. As long as you’re not mixing it with that fattening mayonnaise, tuna is an excellent dietary food that will provide you with the protein you need. There’s approximately 25 grams of protein in a can of low-fat tuna.
 
Of course, you don’t need necessarily need to swim or fly to get your protein fix for the day. You can always stroll up to the juice bar and order a delicious protein drink, made from your favorite protein powdered supplement.

Creatine Monohydrate Formulas

The high-quality creatine monohydrate saturation formulas have quickly become “must-have” supplements for any serious bodybuilder.

These formulas have really taken the guess-work out of making solid, consistent, and CONTINUAL gains with creatine.

By combining pure creatine monohydrate, the high glycemic, insulin-releasing carbohydrate dextrose, and sodium from sodium phosphate (a critical nutrient for proper creatine transport), along with a few other enhancers, these products have made creatine supplementation easy, exact, and inexpensive. Those grape juice bills can really mount up.

Phosphagen HP from EAS was one of the first creatine monohydrate drinks, and it’s still a good supplement.

Creatine HSC from AST Research is a personal favorite; it mixes up easy and tastes great. I hear from a lot of people who say they never really made big gains on creatine until they started using this product. And now AST Sports Science uses only Micronized Creatine in all their Creatine HSC products. It’s definitely top notch.

MuscleTech’s Cell-Tech is an extremely potent creatine formula, with twice the usual amount of creatine per serving (a full 10 grams). Cell-Tech has a very loyal following. Combining Cell-Tech with MuscleTech’s other top products Anotesten and Nortesten (New, improved formula) makes for one hell of a Super Stack.

HDT’s creatine drink called CLF-5000 is made without the use of Aspartame and is an excellent choice for those seeking to avoid artificial sweeteners.

Any of these supplements will help you maximize creatine uptake, and more creatine in the muscles generally means more cell volume and more explosive power.

CLA: Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) has only been used by bodybuilders and fitness athletes for a couple of years now. The initial results and the early University Studies are very promising.

CLA is actually a form of fat; that’s right, fat. It’s one of the so-called “good” fats and it’s found naturally in dairy products, lamb, and red meat. The problem, of course, is that these foods not only contain the “good” and beneficial CLA, they also often contain large amounts of “bad” or saturated fats.

Supplementing with CLA, on the other hand, should provide all the health and fitness benefits without the drawbacks of the saturated fats found in the foods themselves.

Although it’s still not fully understood, CLA likely works by helping to regulate protein and fat metabolism in the body. This in turn can result in a reduction of overall body fat and an increase in lean muscle mass. Sounds good to me!

In animal studies, CLA has also been shown to protect against many different types of common cancers and to help prevent heart disease. CLA may also play a role in supporting immune function. I know in my own case I seem to get far fewer colds when supplementing with CLA.

Bottom Line: I find CLA to be an excellent support supplement for individuals interested in promoting lean muscle mass, fat reduction, and overall health.

Vitamin K

It’s green, it’s valuable, and it can vastly improve your quality of living.

One more hint: It’s not money.

No, this stuff actually does grow on trees.

It’s called Vitamin K and although you don’t hear about it as often as the standard A-through-E vitamins, researchers are discovering more and more of its invaluable functions.

Vitamin K will provide you with health rather than wealth, but there’s no mistaking that it’s loaded with benefits. Aside from its many already proven functions, researchers now believe that Vitamin K prevents osteoporosis, the disease that weakens the bones, a function that until now seemed primarily in calcium’s hands.

The fat-soluble vitamin is essential for many suffering health problems, particularly those experiencing birth complications or bleeding disorders. Vitamin K has been linked to growth and development of the new-born and has also aided those with intestinal malfunctions and those who suffer frequent nosebleeds and excessive bleeding.

Everybody needs Vitamin K in his or her system. Deficiency in this vitamin will effect the development process of infants, leading to problems like Hemorrhagic disease, which is characterized by abnormal bleeding through the intestines or umbilical cord.

In adults, these deficiencies lead to severe blood clotting, particularly in the stomach, and can lead to considerable intestinal complications.

Vitamin K is most commonly found in green leaf-like sources like spinach, green tea, cabbage, turnip greens, and brussels sprouts. Others like alfalfa, soybeans, cheddar cheese, oats, and cauliflower are also rich on the vitamin. So if you’re a big salad eater, chances are that you’re getting a very healthy dose of Vitamin K.

But overdoses in Vitamin K, which are extremely rare, have been linked to brain damage in infants and liver malfunctions in adults.

Aside from the aforementioned natural sources, Vitamin K is also available in tablets and should be taken with meals or an hour after completion of a meal.