Our guide to creatine will give you a solid understanding of how creatine works and its benefits. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements, but I’m a strong believer in the power of personal stories. So I decided to scout out women who share their experiences with creatine.
Meet Sarah Morsia, husband of fitness influencer Matt Morcia (aka Gladiator, Legend, or @mattdoesfitness). Matt documented Sarah’s experience of taking 5g of creatine monohydrate daily for 30 days on her YouTube. The results were truly amazing.
“Sears has been training on and off for the last few years and has very good genes for building muscle, but he’s never really used supplements in his life,” Matt introduces Sarah I will explain as I go.
The video has since been viewed 339,000 times and is so convincing that I’m now strongly considering introducing creatine into my daily life. Here, we’ll show you everything Sarah learned, as well as concrete results, including her 1RM (One Rep Max) for squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, as well as before and after weights.
1. Creatine supplementation requires consistency
Sarah took 5g of creatine monohydrate daily for 30 days
Regarding Sarah’s struggle to get into the habit of taking creatine supplements, Matt says, “One of the biggest challenges in filming this video is that Sayers is probably one of the most forgetful people I’ve ever met.” It means that they have a high level of sexuality,” he said. But after a week of caution, she developed a routine of taking it every day and the results started to follow. ”
Almost all existing studies on creatine supplementation have confirmed that participants take creatine daily, so it’s hard to say what would happen if they didn’t. What we can say, however, is that a large body of research supports the idea that creatine aids muscle recovery, suggesting that it is wise to take creatine on both rest days and training days. It means that there is.
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For example, a meta-analysis of journals nutrients We demonstrated that increased intramuscular levels of creatine phosphate secondary to creatine supplementation increases the supply of potent, energetic substrates available for ATP resynthesis. In this capacity, creatine supplementation helps increase and maintain the supply of ATP to working muscles, allowing for increased ability to perform work. ” ATP is essentially a type of energy that helps your muscles work during training and recover afterwards.
The study further states, “In addition, creatine supplementation may also reduce the post-exercise inflammatory response, thereby reducing markers of muscle damage and pain in the hours to days following an episode of exercise-induced muscle damage.” It is possible,” he continues.
Sarah tested her deadlift, squat, and bench press 1RM before and after 30 days
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the best time to take creatine. To optimize muscle strength and performance, some studies suggest greater benefits when taken before a workout, while others show no difference between taking creatine before and after sweating. There is also. Sarah took her daily intake when she remembered. Her results prove that she doesn’t need to stick to a specific time frame.
2. Creatine is best mixed with water
Sarah took creatine with a dry scoop
At the beginning of the video, Sarah is seen scooping dry creatine. Naturally, she’s not a fan. “She’s amazed she’s made it this far,” she says. “Why does it take like sand?” Surely there is a better way. Matt claims I interpret it this way. ”
Dry scoop stuns aren’t just for mats. In January 2023, a study was published showing that nearly 17% of adolescents surveyed reported dry scoop supplements. why? The theory is that scooping dry (i.e., not mixing the soup with liquid) allows for faster absorption into the bloodstream, but so far there is no existing evidence to support such claims. There is no research.
In fact, other experts believe that taking creatine in dry form can prevent it from dissolving properly in the stomach, causing digestive problems as the body has a harder time processing the undiluted, concentrated powder. It advises that it can cause pleasure. Always he adds H20.
3. You may gain weight, but it’s probably due to water weight.
Matt reflects at the halfway point. “Sears”‘s weight had increased by more than 1 kg, which is quite normal for someone taking creatine for the first time. Her physique didn’t seem to have changed much, but she was beginning to see significant strength gains. ”
Note: Creatine has been shown to promote muscle growth and cause weight gain. However, you may also be experiencing an increase in water weight.
Sarah’s physique did not change for 30 days.
“Weight gain can coincide with an increase in muscle tissue, which is one of the biggest reasons to take creatine,” says strength and conditioning coach Andy Vincent. When creatine increases levels of a hormone called IGF-1 to promote muscle growth, it can also cause water retention because it draws water into the muscles.
“But all of this water retention is intracellular, meaning it happens inside the cells and you don’t notice it visibly.” So while Sarah gained weight, her physique remained the same. .
Vincent agrees that water weight gain is often a temporary side effect as the body adapts to increased creatine stores, and that research does not support long-term weight gain in women supplementing with creatine. He added that he is doing so.
Use sites like exam.com and labdoor.com to find out if the creatine supplement you’re considering taking has been tested and is approved for consumption.
4. Muscle strength gains are significant.
Sarah’s squat PB increased by 17.5kg in 30 days
“We are nearing the final stage of the challenge and Sayers is absolutely on fire,” says Matt. “Almost every day she hits her personal best in the gym. Her last 1RM test day is coming up so I’m going to give her a few shots so that we can accurately reflect her strength gains.” I decided to give him a day off.”
And then came the day of the exam. “Today is a day of reckoning,” Matt quips.
On the first day, Matt measured three metrics.
- Measurement
- Body shape check-in
- strength test
For the latter, we tested Sarah’s 1RM with the following three exercises.
- squat 1rm:62.5kg
- bench press 1rm:40kg
- deadlift 1rm:80kg
By day 30, Sarah was able to lift 57.5kg (all lifts combined).
- Squat 1rm: 80kg
- bench press 1rm:50kg
- deadlift 1rm:110kg
Believe it or not, if you watch the video you’ll see that everything is in black and white. Matt was just as surprised as we were. Regarding the results of Sarah’s squats, he says: “This is uncharted territory.” 17.5 kg PB in 30 days. For that he takes three years to train. ”
Meanwhile, Sarah’s weight increased from 56.6kg to 58.1kg, but Matt asserts: “There was no obvious change in her physique, so I think this was mainly water weight.”
Research shows that this type of ergogenic effect (i.e., increased performance) can be attributed to increased intramuscular stores of a molecule known as phosphocreatine (PCr). PCr is what your body needs to replenish your ATP (energy) levels, so the more you take in by supplementing with creatine, the more intense you can train and improve your recovery between workouts. To do.
Things to keep in mind: Sarah was training hard with the help of her PT-turned-husband, Matt. Research has shown that this type of high training stimulus further promotes physiological adaptations such as strength and hypertrophy (aka muscle growth).
If you want results like Sarah’s, you need to increase the amount of strength training you do. But don’t overdo it. If you have never taken creatine before, try taking it once and then wait a few days to see how your body reacts. If all goes well, reap the benefits.