Creatine is one of the most widely used nutritional supplements available on the market today and is regularly used people who participate in strength training, high-intensity sports, anaerobic athletic competitions or by those people just looking to maximize their gains from working out.

Unlike other nutritional supplement fads creatine continues to prove time and again and in study after study that it does exactly what you want it to do make your muscles bigger, faster, and stronger.

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid in the human body and produced in small amounts by your liver and kidneys when your diet includes meat and fish. If you are looking to pack on muscle bulk fast then these natural sources are not enough.

Creatine is basically a facilitator in the complex muscle contraction process. Adenosine Triphosphate, abbreviated as ATP, is a key fuel for muscle contraction when performing repetition based exercises such as weightlifting. Normal levels of ATP allow for only a few seconds of high-intensity energy which limits your ability to push your muscles to complete failure while lifting weights.

Research has shown that creatine buffers the lactic acid build-up which occurs in the muscles during exercise. This leads to the burning sensation you get after training to the point of muscle failure. Scientifically it is a complicated process but basically the creatine bonds with a Hydrogen ion which helps delay the build up of lactic acid. There is data which indicates that creatine may help put the body into a more anabolic state aiding with protein synthesis which leads to greater muscle gains.

There are several creatine supplement formulations available today but don not let them confuse you. They all feed your body with creatine, in varying percentages.

Creatine supplement formulations or types of creatine include, but are not limited to:

Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine Ester Ethyl
Creatine Citrate
Ester Creatine, or Creatine Ester Ethyl Hydrochloride

Creatine supplements will not miraculously produce muscle gain but they will make available the extra muscle-building energy you will need to get a more effective workout. You can maximize the positive effects of creatine by dosing an hour or so prior to a high intensity workout.

Creatine supplements have been found safe for use and are in fact one of the most widely used and studied supplement available today. There are always risks of side effects with any nutritional supplement ingested so if you have any pre-existing kidney or gastro intestinal problems talk to your doctor before consuming a creatine supplement. If you develop any discomfort or other physical problems during your creatine cycling then immediately consult a doctor.