What's the best way to take creatine for maximum results? Will protein interfere with this? How to combine them. Creatine is one of the most useful and important amino acids that is synthesized by the body. But with active sports, its deficiency may occur. As a result, metabolic processes slow down, an acute lack of energy appears, and the process of muscle mass growth is inhibited. To exclude these phenomena, additional intake of creatine is desirable. However, more and more experts recommend taking creatine along with protein or other supplements. How justified is this?
Increasing the effectiveness of the additive
The big disadvantage of creatine is its insufficient solubility in water. As a result, the mixture lingers in the stomach for a long time and can cause upset. Moreover, due to insufficient solubility, most of the beneficial substances do not reach the muscles, but are simply excreted from the body.
In this situation, scientists were forced to begin developing powders with better solubility. And they succeeded. Today, other, higher quality types of creatine have appeared (titrate, malate, and others). They dissolve better in water, but are too expensive. So most athletes have to take the classic version - monohydrate. At the same time, the disadvantage of this form can be completely eliminated - just dilute the powder in warm water. By the way, to increase efficiency, you can drink creatine with protein (but more on that later).
Another important point is the delivery of creatine. To ensure maximum effectiveness, it is advisable to take the complex together with carbohydrates. In this way you can increase the level of insulin in the blood. Of course, we are not talking about eating buns and or white bread. It is enough to drink creatine with a sweet drink, for example, juice. The most preferred fruits for preparing the drink are orange, grapes or grapefruit. Apples and pears are less effective.
What can be concluded? It is best to take creatine at the same time as sweet juice (from the fruits we listed above). It is advisable that the drink be slightly warmed up.
When is the best time to take protein?
Protein supplements are some of the most popular supplements on the planet.
People use them for a variety of reasons, including building muscle, losing weight, or simply improving their overall health and well-being.
However, many people wonder when is the best time to take them.
This article explains the best time to take protein, depending on your health goals.
When it comes to essential nutrients, protein tops the list.
It is a jack of all trades with many roles in the body. Protein is a source of energy, can help repair damaged tissue, is essential for growth, and plays a role in preventing infection and disease (1, 2).
Protein is found naturally in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, grains, seeds and legumes. It is also available as a dietary supplement, commonly known as protein powder.
Here are some of the best known protein powders you can buy.
- Whey Protein: Milk protein. It contains all the essential amino acids and is quickly absorbed (3).
- Casein protein: Milk protein. It contains all the essential amino acids and is absorbed slowly, so people often take it before bed (4).
- Soy Protein: A plant protein containing all the essential amino acids. It has also been linked to some impressive health benefits (5).
- Pea protein: Plant protein. It has low levels of the non-essential amino acids cysteine and methionine (6).
- Rice protein: Plant protein low in the essential amino acid lysine (7).
- Hemp Protein: Plant-based protein from hemp seeds, high in fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 essential fats. Hemp protein is low in the amino acid lysine (8).
Protein powders are a useful way to increase your protein intake if you're constantly on the go. They are convenient, portable and come in a variety of flavors.
To take protein powder, simply mix it with water or another liquid of your choice. Many popular supplement brands also sell ready-to-drink protein shakes.
Summary Protein is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in the body. It is found naturally in foods and is also available as a dietary supplement called protein powder.
People often wonder when is the best time to take protein powder.
It depends on your health and fitness goals. You can consume it at certain times of the day, depending on whether you want to lose weight, gain or maintain muscle.
Here's the best time to take protein based on your specific goals.
Weight loss
Protein is one of the most important nutrients for weight loss.
A high-protein diet can help boost metabolism and reduce appetite (9).
Protein helps curb appetite by reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin while increasing levels of appetite-suppressing hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and cholecystokinin (CCK) (10, 11).
This means that eating a protein-rich snack between meals may result in you eating fewer calories throughout the day (12, 13).
One study found that people who ate a high-protein yogurt snack in the afternoon ate 100 fewer calories at dinner than those who ate crackers or chocolate as an afternoon snack. Yogurt, crackers and chocolate contain the same number of calories (13).
To maximize weight loss, try to eat plenty of protein-rich foods throughout the day.
Summary Eating protein-rich snacks between meals is ideal for weight loss. This can help curb hunger, which can lead to you eating fewer calories later in the day.
Building muscles
Protein is important for building muscle mass.
To build muscle mass and strength, you need to consume more protein than your body naturally breaks down during strength training or weight lifting (14, 15).
The best time to consume protein for optimal muscle growth is a controversial topic.
Fitness enthusiasts often recommend taking protein supplements 15 to 60 minutes after a workout. This time window is known as the “anabolic window” and is considered the ideal time to get the most out of nutrients like protein (16).
However, recent research has shown that this window is much larger than previously thought.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming protein any time up to two hours after exercise is ideal for building muscle mass (17).
For the average person, resistance exercise and consuming enough protein are more important than timing of protein intake (18).
However, people who exercise on an empty stomach, such as before breakfast, may benefit from taking protein shortly after exercise since they have not consumed protein for some time (19).
Summary To build muscle, try to consume protein within two hours of your workout. People who exercise on an empty stomach, such as before breakfast, should ideally take protein immediately after their workout.
Preventing muscle loss
Maintaining muscle mass is especially important as you get older.
Research shows that people over 30 lose approximately 3-8% of their muscle mass every ten years. Unfortunately, muscle loss is associated with a higher risk of fractures and a shorter life expectancy (20, 21).
Scientists recommend spreading your protein intake evenly throughout the day to prevent muscle loss as you age. This means consuming approximately 25–30 grams of protein per meal (22).
Most Americans eat three times as much protein at lunch as they do at breakfast, making eating more protein at breakfast an ideal way to spread out your protein intake (23).
Summary To prevent muscle loss, aim to eat 25–30 grams of protein per meal. Taking a protein supplement with meals during which you consume less protein, such as breakfast, can help spread your intake throughout the day.
Exercise and recovery
Athletes often wonder when they should take protein to improve performance and recovery.
For endurance training, combining protein with a carbohydrate source during and after exercise can improve performance and recovery, as well as reduce soreness (24).
For example, a study of 11 cyclists found that drinking protein and carbohydrate drinks during exercise improved recovery and reduced muscle soreness compared to placebo (25).
When training with resistance, protein can help improve both performance and recovery, whether taken with carbohydrates or not (24, 26).
For most people, eating enough protein is more important than timing your protein intake. However, athletes participating in resistance training may benefit from taking protein immediately before or after exercise (24).
Summary Endurance athletes may see improved performance and recovery by consuming protein with a carbohydrate source during and after exercise. Athletes who train with weights may benefit from taking protein immediately before or after exercise.
Older adults and people looking to build muscle, increase strength, and improve physical performance and recovery may benefit from taking protein before bed (24).
In a review of studies, scientists concluded that taking protein before bed is an effective strategy for building muscle and helping it adapt to exercise (27).
This is because protein consumed before bed is efficiently digested and absorbed, increasing protein availability for muscles to repair throughout the night.
The scientists in this study recommended consuming 40 grams of protein before bed to maximize muscle growth and adaptation throughout the night (27).
In another study of 16 healthy older men, half of the participants consumed casein protein before bed and the other half consumed a placebo. A study found that consuming casein protein before bed promoted muscle growth even in less active older adults (28).
If you want to take protein before bed, you may want to consider taking casein protein. Casein digests slowly, meaning it can provide the body with a stable source of protein overnight (29).
You can also get the benefits of casein protein from real foods rather than supplements. Dairy products such as cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are rich in casein.
Summary Taking protein before bed can be an effective strategy for building muscle mass, increasing strength, and improving exercise performance and recovery. Older adults who want to maintain muscle mass may also benefit from taking protein before bed.
There is a common myth that consuming too much protein is unhealthy.
Some believe that consuming too much protein can damage the kidneys and liver and cause osteoporosis, a condition in which people develop hollow, porous bones (24).
However, these fears are largely exaggerated and not supported by evidence.
In fact, much more research shows that you can safely eat a lot of protein without the risk of harmful side effects (2, 24, 30).
For example, a detailed review of more than 74 studies concluded that healthy adults don't need to worry about how much protein they eat (31).
Most adults can benefit from consuming 0.6–0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.4–2.0 grams/kg) of body weight (24).
People who want to prevent muscle loss can stay on the lower end of the scale, while those who want to lose weight or build muscle can eat on the higher end.
Summary The myth that protein is bad for you is greatly exaggerated. There is ample evidence that healthy adults can consume large amounts of protein without any harmful side effects.
Protein is an incredibly versatile nutrient.
Adequate protein intake can help burn fat, build and maintain muscle, and improve physical performance and recovery.
Moreover, taking it on time can further help you achieve your goals.
For example, consuming protein between meals can help curb hunger and reduce calorie intake throughout the day.
Following some of the strategies above can help you better utilize protein in your daily life, which will help you achieve and maintain your health and fitness goals.
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Combination possibilities
As we have already mentioned, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the supplement by simply combining protein and creatine. What are the advantages of such “cooperation”? We know that protein is a high-quality protein mixture that provides muscles with the necessary portion of amino acids. Essentially, it is a “building” material for muscles. The main functions of protein are the formation of new muscle cells, maintaining anabolic processes and producing high levels of energy.
Taking creatine and protein in one sitting, as they say, can significantly improve the overall effectiveness of your workouts. Creatine provides the body with the necessary amount of energy and triggers anabolic processes, and protein provides a large portion of the necessary building material for the growth and restoration of muscle fibers. But here it is very important to develop your own system that will be effective for your body. If you take supplements together, you need to do it wisely. For example, creatine - before the start of classes, and protein - after.
It is important to note that creatine is a safe drug that has almost no contraindications. At the same time, the body is not afraid of an overdose, because the excess substance will simply leave the body. This gives you room to maneuver - you can change the dosage and take the supplement along with the protein. In turn, exceeding the serving of protein is also not dangerous. The main thing is to follow the basic rules.
Briefly about protein
Protein, also known as protein, is a macronutrient that must be supplied to the body daily with food. And in fairly large quantities.
Almost all metabolic processes within a person occur with the participation of the structural elements of protein - amino acids. From the production of immune bodies to the synthesis of one’s own anabolic hormones.
From a bodybuilding point of view, protein is very valuable for muscle growth. For a person not engaged in daily physical labor, the norm of its consumption is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight.
With regular strength training, the protein requirement increases to 2 grams.
If it is impossible to reach the daily requirement using only natural products in strength sports, taking special protein concentrates is practiced.
Dosage regimens
Before you accept the “heroes” of our article together, you should take into account the recommendations for their reception.
In particular, creatine can be taken in two stages. The first phase is the loading phase, when you need to drink 5 grams of the supplement four times a day. This period lasts 5-6 days. After this, the second stage begins - the support phase. Here the dosage is reduced to five grams per day. Time of administration: 50-60 minutes before the start of training. On days off from classes - until lunch. The duration of the course is 30 days.
It is advisable to take protein in a dosage of 25-30 grams per day (here, of course, a lot depends on weight). Reception time is 20-30 minutes before the start of classes and immediately after their completion. If a trip to the gym is not planned on a certain day, then protein should be taken in the morning, on an empty stomach. If the load increases, the portion of protein can be increased.
If you drink protein and creatine together, then the existing scheme may not be disrupted. The main thing is to take a short break between using each of the complexes. Although, they will not “interfere” with each other.
What is the best creatine?
The best creatine is the purest. The degree of its purity from impurities must be at least 99.5%. The purest creatine is produced by the company under the brand name CreaPure , and the most advanced sports nutrition manufacturers use this brand of raw materials for their products. Universal creatine and Weider creatine, Multipower creatine and Inkospor creatine and many others are no exception.
Science does not stand still and offers new solutions to traditional problems when taking conventional monohydrate (such as the need to load, low digestibility). As a result, products with different transport matrices and special protective buffers appear. Which creatine is best? Many manufacturers are speculating on this issue. Some transport systems for creatine work, some don't. Some know-how products come and stay, many disappear forever. Creatine monohydrate is probably not the most effective product in this family, but it was, is and, most likely, always will be. This is a classic product that has stood the test of time. Therefore, it can be safely described as good creatine , provided that it is pure, of course.
Properties of milk
Creatine and milk are recommended to be taken together most often out of ignorance. Milk is a protein, it contains lactose and casein. Only useful elements that at first glance will enhance the effect of the supplement, but this is only at first glance. If you look more closely, you will notice that lactose is not an easily digestible element. Some people are lactose intolerant and do not drink milk at all. Protein is great, but it is better suited to be consumed simultaneously with mass gainers or proteins. Casein is a slow protein that does not combine in any way with creatine, which requires rapid absorption.
Recommendations from professionals
Daria Lobanova, sports nutrition consultant, coach
Protein is a traditional protein that has been isolated in the laboratory from natural raw materials. The whey version is the most purified form, contains many amino acids (including BCAA) and is quickly absorbed in the body. This is what you should choose as a quick snack and to restore your supply of nutrients after a strength workout. The supplement can be combined with creatine to actively replenish energy.
Such products are in addition to regular food and cannot be used as a replacement for it. Supplements can be taken on the go to supplement your regular diet and increase its nutritional value. Taking protein after training not only promotes weight gain, but also increases muscle definition.
