7 Reasons to Use Creatine Powder
Creatine powder is a powerhouse supplement that should be in nearly everyone’s kitchen cabinet. These 7 reasons to use creatine make it almost magical as it helps:
- to boost performance
- improve body composition
- increase strength levels in both trained athletes and bodybuilding novices
- help build muscle and strength
- increase bone mineral density
- reduce oxidative stress, and
- improve brain performance
and there’s more!
Recent studies have shown that creatine is not only beneficial when lifting weights but also with interval training. Additional studies report it helps with cognitive function, and this could be beneficial for everyone, especially senior adults who experience age-related memory loss. Research supported by the Alzheimer’s Association, National Institutes of Health, and the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Dietetics and Nutrition has also shown promise for it to be a supplemental treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Bonus Possible Health Benefits
Creatine can also help treat diabetes, as evidenced in research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. They found that creatine can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.
It has been reported to help lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with heart disease. Other studies have shown it to have a positive impact on cognitive braing function and some clinicians are now incorporating creatine as part of an overall treatment for depression.
Creatine was also found to improve carbohydrate absorption, or in other words it helps deliver the carbs we consume into muscles to be used for fuel and tissue recovery instead of storing them.
Note that for you to receive these benefits you must be following a calorically-appropriate diet and performing regular, structured training sessions whether in personal training or classes.
Recently, two studies have been published, touting creatine’s benefits with arthritic disease. One, a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of women with knee osteoarthritis found that creatine supplementation (20 grams a day for 7 days followed by 5 grams a day for 11 weeks) led to improved physical function and lower-limb lean mass.
Another study of rheumatoid arthritis patients found that creatine supplementation improved muscle strength despite the absence of any training program.
