Creatine Powder from Optimum Nutrition: how to take, reviews, effect of taking it

How does monohydrate differ from other forms of creatine? Its advantages and effect on the body. How to make a cocktail and when is the best time to drink it. It is no secret for professional athletes that the use of high-quality sports supplements, as well as a balanced and nutritious diet, is the key to health. In this case, an important role is given to such an additive as creatine monohydrate. Manufacturers of sports nutrition also did not stand aside, actively producing this product in capsules, tablets, powder and other forms.

What to choose?

At the present stage, the product from Optimum Nutrition has proven itself well. Creatine monohydrate produced under this brand is distinguished by its purity, affordable price and effectiveness. This is only confirmed by constantly increasing sales volumes. By paying a small amount, the athlete has at his disposal a powerful tool for gaining mass, increasing strength, accelerating recovery processes, and so on.

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate comes in powder form. Its advantages are ease of preparation, safety for health, excellent digestibility and, of course, ensuring the desired result.

A little theory

Creatine monohydrate is a special substance that is a carboxylic acid with a high percentage of nitrogen. Together, these elements play one of the main functions in the energy metabolism of our nerve endings and muscles. At the same time, “monohydrate” is one of the many forms of creatine, but it is the one that is most widespread today.

The issue of creatine and its effectiveness was first raised more than thirty years ago, back in the 80s of the 20th century. Scientists have found that if you take twenty grams of healthy creatine every day (for five days), the total amount of supplement in the muscles increases by twenty percent. With this discovery, the popularity of creatine monohydrate began.

Of course, the research didn't stop there. Over time, it was possible to prove that taking the supplement helps increase strength and increase body weight. All this increases the overall effectiveness of training. A few years later another group of experiments was carried out. With their help, it was possible to establish that taking the supplement allows you to add “lean” muscle, and not ordinary water with fat. Once again the effect on overall strength gain was confirmed.

Why creatine?

Creatine occurs naturally in human muscle tissue. It takes part in energy metabolism and affects ATP levels. The body can synthesize this substance on its own in minute quantities. The more intensely a person trains, the greater his need for creatine. This implies the need for additional intake.

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Regular intake of creatine monohydrate in a reasonable dosage guarantees an increase in the level of adenosine triphosphoric acid in the muscles. Due to this, they contract better, become stronger, and fill with fluid. As a result, a person can work out in the gym more intensely and for a longer time, and his muscles grow faster.

It has been proven that in one month of taking creatine you can gain from two to five kilograms of muscle mass. But for this you need to train and eat a balanced diet. The main thing is that Optimum Nutrition creatine does not harm health and does not have a negative effect on internal organs. It is difficult to find another such effective and safe sports supplement.

Why does the body need a supplement?

The benefits and effectiveness of creatine from Optimum Nutrition are difficult to overestimate. This is an irreplaceable and useful substance that is found in the body of all “living creatures” on the planet (not only people, but also “our little brothers”). The general task of creatine monohydrate is to ensure complete energy metabolism and guarantee the normal performance of all motor functions.

The normal amount of creatine in our body is about 120-140 grams. In this case, the latter is used as a powerful source of energy. To cover the daily requirement (in the case of an ordinary person), about two grams are needed.

Many people underestimate the importance of creatine monohydrate, but in vain. In terms of its properties, it is not much inferior to the well-known “trinity” - carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The main feature is only that the body can at least partially cover its needs by synthesizing the element on its own. Elements such as methionine, arginine and glycine are used as starting materials for “production”.

The production of such a useful substance is carried out in the kidneys, liver and pancreas. At the same time, the entire volume of creatine is immediately spent on various needs. Increasing load literally “washes” creatine out of the body. In such a situation, it is worth taking an external supplement. This is where a product from Optimum Nutrition comes in handy.

Questions about Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder (1200 g)

What is the effect of the supplement on the body?

When buying sports nutrition and shelling out the nth amount of money, you want to know what effect you can get in return for your expenses. Here it is worth highlighting the following advantages of the supplement from Optimum Nutrition:

1. Increased strength. It has already been proven that active exercise increases the muscle need for ATP, which increases tens or even hundreds of times. Creatine reserves must be replenished regularly. If you do not provide a constant supply of the substance, then there will be an energy deficiency in the muscles. As a result, you cannot count on the expected result. Taking a supplement from Optimum Nutrition helps eliminate muscle fatigue, intensify the training process, and increase strength levels. During active training, the presence of creatine is simply necessary.
2. Increasing the rate of muscle growth. The company’s specialists assure that in just a few months you can achieve a weight gain of 3-5 kilograms. But this is only possible subject to strict adherence to the sports regime. Scientists did not stand aside either. They were able to prove that after just 5-7 days of taking creatine, the working weight on a horizontal bench with a barbell increases by 8-10 kilograms. In this case, a chain reaction is observed. Increasing strength activates anabolic processes. The result is faster muscle growth.
3. Optimization of muscle relief. Taking creatine allows you not only to increase strength and mass, but also to “sharpen” the existing muscle relief. This is due to the active pumping of fluid into the muscles. In this case, a simple pattern can be traced - the more creatine in the muscle fibers, the greater the percentage of water that is bound and the better the relief. It was also possible to prove that muscles filled with water grow much faster. The reason is the more active production of glycogen and protein in them.
4. Increase in the volume of anabolic hormones. Taking a supplement from Optimum Nutrition is an opportunity to speed up the process of somatotropin and testosterone production. Moreover, the “manufacturing” process does not begin immediately, but about 2-3 hours after the supplement enters the body. This is evidence that the supply of the hormones mentioned above depends to a greater extent on the activity of the training process, and not just on the volume of creatine.

In addition to those listed above, creatine from Optimum Nutrition provides a number of other effects:

• reduces the level of harmful cholesterol;
• relieves inflammation in joints and eliminates pain in case of increased stress;
• protects the nervous system during oxygen starvation and ischemia;
• has an anti-cancer effect;
• reduces arrhythmia (if any) by 70-75%.

Main benefits of the supplement

There are many companies producing creatine. What are the advantages of this particular manufacturer’s product? There are several of them:

• each serving provides the body with five grams of a high-quality supplement with a maximum purification level (almost 100%);
• the powder does not have a repulsive odor or unpleasant taste, which cannot be said about the products of a number of other competitors. This feature allows you to dissolve creatine in any convenient liquid - the color and shape of the base will still not change;
• the additive is well crushed, and the structure itself is microcrystalline. That is why the product dissolves well in liquid and is quickly absorbed;
• If desired, the powder can be dissolved in plain water or juice with a guarantee of the absence of unpleasant lumps. In addition, after some time there is no sediment left at the bottom of the vessel, which is also a big plus.

Features of preparation and reception

The process of preparing the product from Optimum Nutrition is very simple. It is necessary to measure out five grams of powder (one teaspoon) and pour into a prepared container. Then add your favorite drink - water or juice. The optimal volume of liquid is from 250 ml. Now mix the resulting mixture well and take four servings throughout the day.

The best time when the product is most needed by the body is after the morning meal (breakfast), immediately before the lunch meal, during dinner and before going to bed.

This course of treatment should continue for several days (usually 4-5). This is enough to load the muscles with creatine as much as possible, and subsequently only replenish the existing reserves. Then take two servings of the supplement throughout the day to maintain the desired level. Please note that one of the two doses should be taken after exercise.

There is an opinion that it is better to take creatine directly during exercise. This is wrong. Studies have shown that during training, the presence of the supplement in the stomach only complicates the training process. This is due to the dehydration processes that result from taking such a useful element.

You can take the supplement constantly, but it is better to take a periodic break to avoid the body and muscles themselves becoming accustomed to the effects of creatine. The ideal option is to take a one-month break after taking the supplement for several months.

How to take creatine "Optimum Nutrition"

According to studies, the human body can absorb no more than 5 grams of creatine at a time. This is exactly how much is contained in each portion of the drug, so there is no point in increasing the dosage.

You need to drink two servings of the sports supplement per day. If you are planning a workout, then you should consume the creatine mixture shortly before it and half an hour after it ends. On weekends, it is recommended to drink creatine in the morning and mid-day.

The powder should be dissolved in a shaker. After taking it, you can eat fast carbohydrates. Then insulin production will increase. This means that the delivery of creatine to muscle tissue will accelerate.

There is no need to drink creatine monohydrate "Optimum Nutrition" constantly. It is important to adhere to the cyclical rule: drink the composition for one or two months, and then stop for the same period of time.

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Creatine Powder Optimum Nutrition cannot be combined with gainers and amino acids. On the contrary, such sports ligaments increase the effectiveness of training and accelerate the achievement of the desired sports results.

What is the best way to take creatine?

We have already mentioned that the powder can be prepared with any liquid. The only question is which option will give the greatest effect. And here it’s time to remember the features of creatine itself. The most difficult thing for this element in the body is delivery to its destination, namely delivery to muscle cells. It is at this stage that a lot of creatine is consumed uselessly and is “lost” in the body.

Many experiments confirm that certain substances help the powder to be absorbed faster (for example, insulin). This hormone has an anabolic effect and also helps muscles quickly absorb nutrients (including creatine itself).

To speed up the absorption process of the supplement and increase its effectiveness, you can use the following tricks:

• take fast carbohydrates in a volume of 15-20 grams. For example, the powder can be stirred in juice or a small amount of sugar can be added to the composition;
• take fast protein in a volume of 25-30 grams, which improves the absorption of nutrients by the body.

Please note that to achieve the effect, a sufficient volume of liquid (at least 250 ml) must be ingested along with creatine. Otherwise, the percentage of absorbed substance will be lower.

Also, the speed and quality of creatine absorption are largely influenced by anabolic steroids, thyroxine, growth hormone and other types of hormones.

What are the features of capsules, differences from powder and tablets

Creatine brands come in a variety of forms: powder, compressed tablets, or capsules. Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics of use:

1. Conditions of admission. Creatine in tablets and capsule form is more convenient to drink than powder forms. The latter require preliminary dissolution, which is difficult to organize at work or on the road. Capsules and tablets are convenient to take to the gym or drink on the go.
2. Digestion speed. The powder version of the supplement has a key advantage - it is most quickly absorbed in the body. Capsules require additional time for gastric juices to dissolve their shell. The tablet form has average digestion speed.
3. Quality of assimilation. Carboxylic acid powder and tablets are not fully absorbed by the human body. This result is due to the loss of creatine during its delivery to the stomach and partial excretion. Capsulated options are absorbed to a greater extent due to the existing shell, which preserves the integral structure of the substance before entering the stomach cavity. This feature explains the increased effectiveness of capsules.
4. Degree of purity. It does not depend on the chosen form. It is influenced by the reputation and production technology of a particular brand.
5. Price. Capsulated versions of creatine significantly increase the final cost of the product. To create the shell, additional components are spent and special equipment is required. A similar situation is presented in the production of tablets. Creatine powder has an easier production process, which explains its affordable price.

100 servings:

Optimum Nutrition, Creatine 2500, Capsules, 2.5 g, 200 Capsules

Price – ₽2,013.05

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114 servings:

Optimum Nutrition, Creatine Fine Powder, Unflavored, 1.32 lbs (600 g)

Price – RUB 1,655.74

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Important! Creatine, regardless of form, has the same pure formula. However, auxiliary components can be added to the encapsulated version, which will be used as a transport system for better absorption of the substance.