The main benefits and effects of taking monohydrate from Optimum Nutrition

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.

Compound

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.

Who is creatine suitable for?

Bioavailable and safe creatine is suitable for beginners or experienced athletes who rely on increased strength and muscle development. Creatine provides the body with a supply of energy, which has a beneficial effect on the duration and quality of workouts.

Beginners will also appreciate the natural , organic supplement. When a body that is physically fragile and unprepared for increased stress begins training, internal reserves are quickly depleted , muscle growth slows down, strength indicators decrease, and the recovery period increases.

Who is creatine suitable for?

For the greatest effect, creatine must be combined with the consumption of protein foods (fish, meat, seafood, legumes, etc.). A very important dietary supplement for vegetarians, whose diet contains virtually no monohydrate.

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.

Composition and packaging of creatine ON Creatine Powder

Let's start with the first impression during the “dating”. The packaging is excellent, I took 300 grams to try and liked that the can was very compact. This is good, because I bought creatine from “certain brands”, the jar contained only a third of the powder, which was a little discouraging. Visually, everything is in the ON corporate style, to which I have long been accustomed.

There is also no point in analyzing the composition, because there will only be one item on the jar of Creatine Powder. However, if you think that the usual monohydrate from all manufacturers is the same and is no different (except for the price), then a surprise and a lot of interesting things await you, although we’ll talk about this later.

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%.

General information

Creatine is an amino acid found in red meat and fish. At one time, he made a breakthrough in the field of sports nutrition - he expanded the ability of natural bodybuilders to gain lean muscle mass. Today it is widely used in all strength sports.

What is creatine monohydrate made from? It is produced by extracting protein from fish. Extraction increases the bioavailability of the product by an order of magnitude. Compared to other forms, monohydrate has an optimal balance between price, product consumption and availability.

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.

Reviews

The Optimum Nutrition product is one of the most popular sports nutrition products on the market and has earned a lot of positive reviews from satisfied customers.

Critical comments on the forums are mainly ordered by the manufacturer’s competitors, of which there are many. Some athletes cannot afford high-quality and expensive sports nutrition, so they raise controversy about the high price .

Creatine composition

Micronized Creatine Powder is offered on the sports nutrition market in the following price range depending on packaging :

• 2 kg – about 380 servings (from 3300 to 3600 rubles)
• 1.2 kg – about 230 servings (from 2400 to 2700 rubles)
• 0.6 kg – about 115 servings (from 1400 to 1600 rubles)
• 0.3 kg – 60 servings (from 750 to 950 rub.)
• 0.15 kg – about 30 servings (from 500 to 700 rubles)

The dietary supplement has repeatedly proven that it justifies its cost with high efficiency and the absence of side effects. Pure creatine is safe for health, easily absorbed and does not overload the gastrointestinal tract. The main thing is not to exceed the indicated dosage and follow other manufacturer’s recommendations.

Reviews about creatine

Athletes also positively evaluate the powder form of creatine, which is so convenient to use. Athletes praise Micronized Creatine Powder from the Optimum Nutrition brand for its fine grinding, fast and complete solubility, as well as good gastronomic properties. Thus, creatine does not have a pronounced taste , which allows it to be consumed calmly even on an empty stomach , when all receptors are acute. You can dissolve it in plain water or juice.

It must be borne in mind that creatine is not a panacea for achieving all planned sports results. So, for a good effect, you need to train , eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle. It is highly advisable to take other sports supplements that work to increase muscle mass and endurance. Moreover, we advise you to pay attention to pre-workout complexes from the same company, Optimum Nutrition.

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 use?

1 teaspoon contains 5 g (serving) of pure creatine monohydrate. This amount was chosen taking into account the results of studies, during which it was revealed that the body is not able to absorb more than 5 g at one time. That is why exceeding the dosage is impractical and uneconomical.

Manufacturers recommend taking 1 serving daily. Moreover, on training days you need to drink it 30 minutes after their end, and on rest days in the morning on an empty stomach.

To prepare the suspension, dissolve the dry mass in liquid (water, juice) until smooth and drink immediately. Immediately after consumption, it is advisable to consume simple carbohydrates, which will immediately trigger the production of insulin . The latter will ensure rapid transport of creatine to muscle fibers.

How to take creatine?

The manufacturer also advises taking the supplement in courses. So, after continuous use for 1-2 months, you should take a break for approximately the same period.

Many athletes combine creatine intake with other sports nutrition, which allows them to enhance the effect of its action.

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.