It is difficult to imagine modern sports without the use of special nutritional supplements, the action of which is aimed at replenishing the necessary vitamins and microelements in the body. During periods of intense training, it is almost impossible to get enough energy even from a balanced diet; help is required. Creatine is one of the most popular means of increasing endurance among professional and amateur athletes.
What is creatine?
The human body constantly produces amino acids, but in small quantities. Creatine is a natural compound of arginine, glycine and methionine, which are produced in the pancreas, adrenal glands and liver. These amino acids are considered vital and help maintain the athlete’s body in good shape.
Effect of creatine on the body:
- improves and accelerates tissue regeneration;
- improves spermatogenesis in men;
- is directly involved in the formation of bone tissue;
- promotes the production of growth hormone;
- blocks catabolic processes after intense exercise.
Creatine is used as a dietary supplement, which is considered optimal for stimulating protein metabolism in the body. The important question remains: is creatine suitable for cutting? Does it help maintain the athlete’s body during this difficult period? The main aspects will be discussed below.
Types of Creatine
There are several most popular types of creatine:
- Monohydrate. Perhaps this variety is the most popular. It is characterized by rapid absorption, but can cause side effects in the form of diarrhea, as it is taken on an empty stomach. From the intestinal walls, the drug enters the blood, gradually passing into the muscles.
- Creatine phosphate. It is generally accepted that this variety is of higher quality, and the course of its administration is simpler and easier to tolerate. Unlike monohydrate, this product does not cause water retention in the athlete’s body.
On the modern market you can find many more types of creatine, which will differ in price and composition. But, most likely, this is more of a publicity stunt than an improved formula for a dietary supplement. The composition of creatine can be supplemented with various acids of organic origin.
The nutritional supplement is available in powder and capsule form. The powder must be dissolved in liquid and consumed in the form of a cocktail, following the recommended dosage. Capsules are more convenient to use, but the price is much higher, which may be a reason to choose not in their favor.
Pros and cons of the supplement
- abuse of the drug leads to weakening of bone tissue;
- Exceeding the dosage can lead to impaired kidney function;
- water retention in the body (after stopping the course of treatment, water is excreted quite quickly);
- Sometimes there is an increase in the number of acne, as well as disruptions in the normal digestion process.
However, as practice shows, the listed factors do not manifest themselves in everyone and are rather the exception to the rule.
Pros of creatine:
- The nutritional supplement is suitable for use when gaining weight; it is also acceptable to take creatine while cutting.
- Increases the endurance of the athlete's muscular frame before heavy loads.
- There is a faster build-up of muscle fibers.
- Helps reduce muscle recovery time after intense exercise.
To obtain the desired result, it is important to follow the recommended dosage; this rule is true for creatine when losing weight and cutting. Choosing the right course will help you choose a personal trainer, as well as the training scheme itself. Water retention in the muscles plays a role if a person is preparing for a competition and a clear muscle definition is needed. In other cases, this aspect is insignificant.
Features of taking creatine while cutting
If an athlete’s goal is to get rid of accumulated fat, then creatine will be indispensable in this matter. Among novice athletes, doubts often arise whether it is worth taking creatine during cutting and whether such an approach will be effective.
The fluid that accumulates in the muscles under the influence of the nutritional supplement prevents you from seeing the desired relief, but it is removed from the body when the course of taking creatine is completed.
Among the reasons why creatine is acceptable for cutting are the following:
- Increased endurance: allows you to train harder and burn more calories.
- It makes it possible to increase the duration of the workout, as it helps the body recover faster.
- Allows the body to accumulate muscle mass without additional fat.
An equally important advantage of this sports supplement is that it can be taken simultaneously with protein, fat burners or other amino acid complexes. Sports nutrition experts recommend eliminating caffeine from your diet, which may not be combined with creatine.
Studies have shown that taking creatine before training is ineffective, since during intense physical activity the body does not absorb amino acids and removes excess fluid from the body. It is considered optimal to take the supplement after training in combination with the consumption of fast carbohydrates, which will promote better absorption.
Correctly selected dosage will allow you to achieve optimal results, without side effects and complications. A personal trainer who knows all the characteristics of the body and the training plan will tell you how to take creatine while cutting.
If relief is important to an athlete, then it is recommended to stop taking creatine during cutting two weeks before the end. This will allow the fluid to leave the body and show the result achieved.
There are several schemes for taking creatine during drying:
- The daily norm is divided into three doses of 1.5 grams, which are timed to coincide with meals. The remaining 0.5 grams are drunk on an empty stomach, or before bedtime.
- Drink 5 grams of creatine immediately after an intense workout. On days when training is not planned, drink the supplement on an empty stomach.
It is believed that this approach allows the body to absorb the maximum amount of the substance.
Restrictions on use
Studies have shown that taking creatine is safe for humans. Its composition is completely natural, while the body independently produces the amino acids contained in the dietary supplement.
McRobert Stewart, the author of phenomenally useful manuals for bodybuilders and a famous athlete, wrote that for high-quality pumping, it is not at all necessary to surround yourself with a bunch of jars of sports nutrition, it is enough to have only a protein and a creatine supplement.
At the same time, his statement sounded equally valid for all training programs - for weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth. However, many athletes are skeptical about such a universal technique, doubting whether it is possible to take creatine while drying the body?
It would seem, indeed, what a relief, if the muscles seem to fill up, and no longer due to growth, but due to the influx of fluid - this is not a very valuable fact, either in competitions or when improving form.
So, let’s dispel all doubts and figure it out - creatine for drying the body: yes or no?
Functions of creatine
We are not the first to ask this question. In particular, Anthony Almada, in 1994, just conducted research that proved that the positive increase in “dry” mass due to creatine is significant, and the extra kilo of liquid is also blown away, just as it appears during a pause in cyclic intake. In addition, the scientist and his followers, in the course of further experiments, also discovered the potential effect of the drug on enhancing the productivity of training. In principle, this is a logical fact, given that, as a component of skeletal muscles, it affects energy exchange in muscles and nerve tissues.
What benefits does creatine monohydrate provide during cutting and other forms of this substance to athletes who use them?
- An increase in power, performance, and strength indicators occurs due to an increase in the concentration of ATP. Of course, only within reasonable limits, this does not mean that now you can start working suddenly with heavy weights, but the difference will still be obvious. By the way, this also helps to increase “dry” mass, because muscles can work in an enhanced mode, contracting to their peak capabilities.
- Improvement of the relief is a contradictory, but still a fact. Many athletes like the hydration effect of the supplement on muscle cells, which significantly increases their size. The muscles seem fuller, rounder, more pumped up. And although, at Mr. Olympia, the jury may not perceive this fact as a victory, your body will certainly become the object of envy and desire on the beach.
- By the way, again, it has been experimentally proven that muscle hydration enhances protein synthesis and inhibits its breakdown.
- Buffering of lactic acid is one of the most pleasant aspects that taking creatine provides during cutting for athletes practicing intense strength exercises.
- Stimulation of the production of anabolic hormones - somatotropin, testosterone, insulin, suppression of myostatin, in response to load training.
In addition, by taking creatine, you reduce:
- Cholesterol
- Level of inflammatory reactions
- Risk of developing neuromuscular disorders
- Consequences of cardiovascular diseases
And there can’t even be any doubt whether vegetarians need creatine when cutting. Of course, this option in the form of a supplement is the most optimal for them, since by refusing meat, they are actually deprived of one of the most valuable sources of this substance, and, accordingly, they lower their athletic capabilities several levels down at once, without using the body’s full potential.
Contraindications
Sports supplements are not medicine and their use cannot have a critical effect on health. Statements by imaginary “experts” that creatine is harmful and that you should not drink it are nothing more than a desire to stand out from the mass of “gray” scientists. This is the same nonsense as saying that after a reasonable consumption of meat, dairy, and fish containing it, you can end up in intensive care.
But still, you shouldn’t overuse it either, and if you take a sports drink that contains this substance as an additional ingredient, you should seek help from a good doctor. Find out from him your individual dosage, and also whether you can drink creatine while cutting if you have any rare disease of the muscular system or show signs of intolerance.
How to choose creatine for cutting
Creatine monohydrate is considered its most bioavailable form, so it is advisable to focus on this form of supplement when choosing. Buy products from quality-guaranteing brands and retailers, be sure to look at reviews of creatine during cutting for the product you choose.
Cutting is one of the most important stages of sports training for any bodybuilder who is interested in reducing body fat, body weight and defining muscles. This stage requires a decrease in the total calorie content of food, as well as longer endurance training. Nothing will give your muscles more endurance and strength than creatine. But is creatine necessary for cutting?
How does creatine work?
So, in order to understand whether it is possible to drink creatine while cutting, you first need to determine its work and primary functions.
The main task that creatine performs for an athlete is energy exchange between muscle cells. That is why it is one of the indispensable supplements for weight gain. Muscle tissue expands its actual and energy volumes, which gives a great advantage in energy reserves. This process is very important for an athlete, since after it he is ready to do double his best in training (this applies to both endurance and strength).
The main mechanism of action of this supplement is the expansion of cell volume due to the attraction of water and nutrients into them. Drying is the opposite process, because it involves getting rid of excess fluid in the body, so the question remains controversial: how can creatine act during drying?
Is creatine necessary for cutting?
Not all athletes are aware of the body’s need for creatine during cutting. For some athletes, the consequences of taking this dietary supplement are completely frightening. For example, during the course the muscles become slightly filled with water, which is extremely undesirable when drying.
Yes it's true. Creatine expands muscle cells. Do not forget that after the end of the intake, this water comes out naturally. And the carefully honed relief will not go anywhere.
The conclusion suggests itself: creatine should be taken with great caution while cutting. Only in this case will it give the same effectiveness during the drying period that it gives during mass gain.
The remaining functions and benefits of creatine are as follows:
- increasing overall endurance for more intense workouts (important during cutting);
- maintaining strength characteristics (the weight on the bar does not decrease - more calories are burned);
- accelerating the reduction of body fat;
- high-quality drawing of muscles;
- accelerating the muscle recovery process after grueling workouts;
- improving the quality of muscle tissue.
Over the course of several years, about twenty biological experiments were carried out, which showed that to all the positive properties of the supplement, one can safely add one more - accelerating fat loss. This explains the high effectiveness of creatine during the drying period of the body.
And now we are ready to answer the main question: “Can I drink creatine on dry land?” Yes, you can, but you need to do it correctly and carefully. To maintain speed and strength indicators during the drying process, we recommend that you take this supplement, but stop taking it no earlier than 2 weeks before the final stage of drying (if you are a performing athlete). Amateur athletes who are not so interested in achieving peak form can take creatine while cutting without interruption, adhering to the general rules.
Drying is the process of maximum degradation of fat deposits from the muscle mass of athletes, leading to an improvement in muscle definition and growth. This is a very delicate program, so athletes are interested in -
Is it possible to take creatine while drying the body, given that it is also taken while gaining weight?
Creatine and cutting
Let's start with the fact that during the degradation of fat deposits during normal fat burning, a significant amount of energy is released, so the body, in principle, does not suffer, but drying implies a small amount of fat in ready-made muscles and a low-carbohydrate diet. Apart from proteins, it turns out that ATP is not replenished from anywhere. So, when deciding whether creatine is a yes or no for cutting, think about how you want to train intensely if you don't properly supply your muscles with energy.
This substance is its main source in the muscles. Thanks to him, all possible contractile movements are performed. So, don’t wonder if you can drink creatine while cutting, but rather choose and order it into your sports nutrition diet.
Why creatine for cutting?
Work on relief, as already mentioned, implies a deficiency in the body’s intake of nutrients due to diet. Including creatine. As a result, the athlete experiences muscle fatigue and his athletic performance decreases.
Proper intake of creatine when cutting from supplements creates the opposite effect. It not only acts as an energy producer and resuscitator of ATP molecules, but also:
- Stimulates the production of anabolic hormones
- Increases strength capabilities
- Helps in tissue regeneration
- Buffers lactic acid
- Accelerates protein synthesis
- Improves stamina
In addition, creatine monohydrate, when drying, reduces the load on the heart, eliminating the risk of developing arrhythmia and tachycardia, common side effects of this training program.
By influencing the nervous system, it significantly alleviates such a stressful period and the hypoxic state of athletes if it occurs due to an excessive load stage.
It should be noted that reviews of creatine during cutting indicate its direct effectiveness in increasing almost all indicators, including those promoting fat burning.
Creatine and mass
At the same time, this substance seems to increase body weight, so is creatine needed when cutting or not?
The fact is that the increase occurs due to 2 factors:
- Muscle growth
- Water retention
The first is just good during drying, and the consequences of the second, during creatinopause, completely disappear after 1-2 weeks.
So, feel free to purchase the supplement and use it correctly.