Phosphagen

Numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled university studies have show creatine monohydrate supplementation may boost muscle size and strength, increase lean body mass, delay fatigue, and speed muscle recovery after exercise.

Creatine may also "super-hydrate" or volumize your muscle cells to further stimulate protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown. Make no mistake, volumizing isn't about water retention, which happens outside the cell. Your muscles really are getting bigger, fuller, rounder-from the inside out. This could enhance muscularity and create an improved environment for muscle growth.

What's more, studies show that when weight-training athletes start supplementing with creatine, they gain lean body mass and strength fast - sometimes within a week! No wonder creatine is considered the "must-use" sports supplement by experts worldwide.

In a recent report presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Association's annual conference by Dr. Richard Kreider, an expert on creatine supplementation and sports medicine, creatine's safety was further demonstrated. In Dr. Kreider's report, post-study questionnaires were filled out by 164 athletes who participated in creatine studies. The data showed no reports of muscle cramping and no reports of muscle strains or pulls in subjects taking creatine-containing supplements. Further, a significantly greater increase of GI distress (stomach discomfort) was report d in subjects ingesting placebos compared to creatine-containing supplements. These findings indicate that creatine supplementation during various exercise training conditions does not increase the incidence of muscle cramping, muscle strains or pulls, or GI distress.

I heard that creatine and caffeine can be consumed at the same time. But an article I read claims caffeine inhibits the absorption of creatine into muscle tissue. Which is true?
There was a controversial research study published in 1996 in the Journal of Applied Physiology about creatine and caffeine; however, if you study that article closely, you'll find that caffeine had no effect on creatine uptake into muscle. A more recent study by Vanakoski, et al. in 1998 investigated the pharmacokinetics of caffeine and creatine, both alone and in combination. They reported when creatine was used alone or even in combination with caffeine that, "creatine was rapidly and efficiently absorbed, as reflected by plasma concentrations." Because researchers concluded that creatine was efficiently absorbed even when combined with caffeine, it does not appear from the results of this study that caffeine exerts a negative effect on the uptake of creatine into muscle tissue.

I have heard conflicting information about cycling creatine. Should I or shouldn't I?
Some studies support creatine cycling and others do not. There are a couple of different "cycling" strategies you can try: 1. Stay on creatine all the time, but reload once every six weeks; 2. Load for a week, stay in your maintenance phase for six weeks, then stop taking creatine completely for a couple of weeks. Repeat.

I mix creatine with my workout drink in the morning, but sometimes I don't actually finish it until several hours later. Is creatine stable in solution this long?
Creatine is not totally stable in solution, so it's definitely not a good idea to keep it mixed with liquid for days, but there shouldn't be a problem mixing it six to eight hours before it's consumed. Any longer than that and you may be pushing it.

Creatine supplementation seems to increase muscle strength. Would it make a person's heart stronger since it is a muscle too?
Research has shown that the cardiac tissue of laboratory animals does, indeed, take up creatine; not to the same magnitude as skeletal muscle but to some degree. There are reports of patients with chronic heart failure having low levels of myocardial creatine, and in that situation, administration of creatine is beneficial.

There's been a lot of press coverage in the past about creatine and muscle cramping. Are studies underway to investigate this?
Many scientific studies have been published and presented about creatine over the past years, and we have never seen any scientific evidence that creatine increases an athlete's chances of experiencing muscle cramps or "pulls." In fact, results from one recent study conducted at the University of Memphis (entitled "Effects of Creatine Supplementation During Training on the Incidence of Muscle Cramping, Injuries, and GI Distress") revealed no reports of muscle cramping in subjects taking creatine-containing supplements during various exercise training conditions. Among the test subjects were elite junior swimmers, college football players, and trained and untrained endurance athletes.

Is the loading phase with Phosphagen necessary to experience any benefits?
Necessary is a rather strong word. The loading phase is not required when using Phosphagen, but results of our university studies indicate that the loading phase helps you reach that magic muscle-creatine saturation point quicker than if you just started out with the maintenance dose. You can reach the same creatine saturation point by taking one serving of Phosphagen for 30 days as you would from loading for 5 days, but most people aren't interested in waiting a month for results they could see in a week or less.

What does Phosphagen do?
It may assist your body regenerate its energy reserves in muscle cells and research suggests it assists in cell volumization by drawing water into muscle cells, thereby creating an anabolic environment.

Has Phosphagen been tested in research studies?
Yes! Athletes using Phosphagen have consistently shown improvements in muscle performance even in the most rigorous scientific studies. Many experts are calling Phosphagen, or creatine monohydrate, the most revolutionary scientific development in sports nutrition in years. Several studies have demonstrated significant strength gains in addition to increases in bodyweight when comparing test groups with control groups. Some participants in these studies have gained up to three and a half pounds in as little as six days, and others have shown increases of up to nine pounds in less than three weeks. Results vary and you may not experience the same results, but the use of Phosphagen does lead to similar gains in most users. Additionally, recent research suggests that the type of weight gained with Phosphagen is lean body mass!

Are there any unfavorable effects with using Phosphagen?
Creatine occurs naturally in many foods, with an especially high concentration in red meats and fish. While using Phosphagen, you may notice increased urination, but this is simply due to the extra volume of liquid you'll be drinking when mixing your Phosphagen. If you do not wait three to four hours between doses, you may experience some stomach discomfort. This is easily resolved by spacing your Phosphagen dosages throughout the day or cutting dosages in half for one to two days.

When should I take Phosphagen?
You should take one serving of Phosphagen with juice within an hour following an intense workout. Otherwise, the best way to take Phosphagen is with juice or water, with or between meals. Be sure to take your Phosphagen doses at least three to four hours apart. Otherwise, some stomach discomfort may occur.

How does Phosphagen differ from other brands of creatine monohydrate?
There is no higher-quality form of creatine monohydrate than Phosphagen. This is the original brand of this supplement which was introduced by the founders of Experimental and Applied Sciences. The quality of some other versions can definitely be questioned. Some of them may not be pure creatine monohydrate supplements and lack the powerful effects of Phosphagen. Phosphagen brand creatine monohydrate is analyzed by an independent biochemical laboratory via high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). Each batch of Phosphagen is subjected to this ultra-sophisticated measure of purity for reproducible results with each bottle!

What is the advantage of taking creatine in a powder versus a capsule or tablet form?
Powder can be absorbed by the bloodstream more efficiently than a pill, which has a coating that must be digested first. Also, creatine is taken in gram amounts-which means, you'd need to take 20 1-gram capsules or 40 tablets per day to load. Needless to say, powder is much more efficient.

If I'm trying to lose fat, should I worry about the calories in Phosphagen?
No. Phosphagen has no caloric value.

Recommended Use:
As a dietary supplement, take 1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams), mixed into juice or water, 4 times daily for 5 days (loading phase). Thereafter, take 1 1/2 teaspoons 1 to 2 times daily (maintenance dose).

For individuals with bodyweights greater than 225 lbs., take 1 1/2 teaspoons 5 to 6 times daily for the loading dose and 2 times daily for the maintenance dose. Athletes who engage in intense, regular exercise should consume at least 120 oz of water per day. Drink an additional 16 oz of water for every pound lost during exercise.

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