Bodybuilding or muscle-building is not an easy process but with the right knowledge and tools, this goal becomes attainable. Creatine is one such tool among the others. There are a lot of myths and wrong information about creatine supplements amongst the beginner. But should you use Creatine supplements or Not?

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a substance found naturally in muscle cells. It helps in the growth of muscles by providing them energy and stamina while lifting weights and exercising.

Since creatine is found naturally in our bodies one might question Why take these supplements and Are they even safe for consumption?
Even though Creatine is found naturally in our bodies, the normal diet (that contains 1-2 g/day of Creatine) will only fulfil 60-80% of muscle creatine storage. While taking creatine supplement can increase this by 20-40%; in result improving muscle growth i.e. strength and size.
Creatine supplement is available in many forms in the market. But the one which is usually talked about or inferred when mentioned is CREATINE MONOHYDRATE. You would be surprised to know that Creatine Monohydrate is the most well-researched supplement with over 500 scientific backings around its safety and health benefits on its usage. Moreover, it is easily available and not very expensive.

You might want to stay away from other forms such as Creatine HCL, Creatine Ethyl Ester etc.

Side-Effects of Creatine Monohydrate

As such Creatine Monohydrate has no such major side effects when taken adequately in the doses. But some may experience: 

• BLOATING
• WEIGHT GAIN
• MUSCLE CRAMPS AND PULLS
• STOMACH UPSET
• DIARRHEA
• DIZZINESS
• HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
• LIVER DYSFUNCTION
• KIDNEY DAMAGE

Although most of these symptoms may be the cause of the purity depending on the quality of the brand and hence may stop when you change the brand.

How much Creatine is needed for Muscle-building?

3-5 g/day of creatine monohydrate is recommended for proper muscle growth. There is a myth about cycling creatine consumption on and of like taking it for 6 weeks and then taking 1 week break from creatine. There is no such necessity for this on-and-off cycle and on contrary the week off will deplete the muscle creatine storage.

Creatine Monohydrate can be consumed any time of the day. But do make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day while having creatine as it will give you the best result overall.

After reading all this you might still not
want to take the supplement and have the desire to know:

What is the Alternative?

To be honest, there is no efficient and effective alternative to Creatine Monohydrate right now, to fulfil your muscle-building needs. For example, Creatine is best found in raw meat but even if you eat a lot of meat, it would not provide enough creatine as cooking the meat will denature the creatine in it and hence decrease the amount of creatine that was present before.

Now other sources like salmon, tuna, dairy products, berries, etc have a very low content of creatine which might help in your day-to-day life but to give your muscle-building needs a boost, they are just not enough.

This way you can use Creatine Monohydrate to your advantage and help yourself in your muscle-building journey. After taking Creatine you will surely see the difference in size and strength. But do not rely on this completely. It is one of the tools, there are other things that you require for proper body-building. And even if you are unable to use this supplement, do not get discouraged in your body-building journey you will achieve your goals with time and effort.