Rapid Weight Loss Dangers

The Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss

Are you battling to lose weight? Are you trying to find a way to get rapid weight loss? Rapid weight loss, likewise generally referred to as fast weight loss or rapid fat loss, is when a person tries to lose weight in a very short period of time.

Every year, in the US, hundreds of Americans are interested in rapid weight loss. Lots of people want to drop weight prior to a crucial event, like an approaching holiday or a wedding celebration. While it is understandable why you may want to slim down rapidly, you have to be very careful doing so. No matter how fast or how much weight you want to lose, you need to know that there may be health dangers that may occur with doing so.

Rapid weight loss comes with many risks because of some of the extreme measures that some people take. For example, it is not uncommon to hear of some people that have actually chosen not to eat, while trying to attain a rapid fat burning. Going without food, for also a short time frame, can be harmful to your wellness. Starving yourself will only cause your body to store more in fear of going without food again. A better option is to cut back on the portion size of the meals that you do eat and to eat smaller more frequent healthy meals. By restricting your calories, you ought to have the ability to obtain a small weight-loss in the time that you were looking to. It is just critical that you do not skip on eating.

Another complication that is commonly connected with rapid weight loss is the taking of medicines or various other weight-loss supplements. Some of these products may work and some are safe, but what works for one may not work for another. You must be aware of certain conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes to name a few. If you are interested in taking a weight loss product, like a cleansing product or diet pill, to aid you in dropping weight, it is very important that you research it first. This research could involve reading product reviews or talking with your doctor.

Along with eating healthy, an additional element of fat burning is exercising. Unfortunately, lots of individuals do not realize that it doesn’t happen overnight to see the positive benefits from working out with being consistent a must. With that in mind, when you have a lot of weight to lose, the quicker it is that you could begin seeing the results. While physical exercise is a significant part of losing weight, it is important that you do not overdo it, particularly if you have not exercised in a long time. Trying to do too much when first starting out may end up setting you back.

The important thing to remember is that you need to be extremely careful when trying to achieve rapid weight loss. The majority of individuals have at least a couple of months really worth of notification prior to attending a big occasion, such as a wedding or a vacation. The sooner you start on your weight loss journey, the more your chances of getting results are possible. Relying on rapid weight loss can be dangerous and most likely will lead to disappointing results. Adding exercise and healthy eating to your lifestyle will make it easier to maintain your weight and will just make a healthier you.

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Top 10 Fibromyalgia Symptoms

10 Symptoms of Fibromyalgia You Should Be Aware of

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of chronic pain that is commonly and easily misdiagnosed because of the nature of its symptoms. It is a long-term medical condition in which pain is felt all over the body and it often comes with extreme tiredness. Because of these diverse symptoms, fibromyalgia is regarded more as a syndrome.

Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

1. Chronic Pain
The most severe among the symptoms of fibromyalgia is chronic pain. Patients often describe it as unrelenting all over pain. For some, it feels like to leg cramps while others compare the feeling of having been stabbed with a knife. This irritation can also get worse with activity, anxiety, stress, and exposure to cold or humid weather.

2. Fatigue
Sheer exhaustion is a common complaint among patients who exhibit signs of fibromyalgia. They do not receive adequate sleep even though some think they have. Patients have described their fatigue as anything from having a cold to working overtime, and never feel as they have received enough sleep.

3. Difficulty Sleeping
The body gets the rest it needs during deep sleep. Pain signals keep fibromyalgia sufferers in a light sleep resulting in not receiving the sleep needed to perform normal daily functions.

4. Inability to concentrate
Concentration becomes increasingly difficult as the level of pain increases for fibromyalgia patients. They become so focused on the pain they feel other tasks remain unfinished.

5. Stiffness upon waking
Signs of fibromyalgia can resemble the stiffness and suffering caused by various types of arthritis but does not share characteristics of swelling, damaged or deformed joints. Some patients claim this stiffness lasts throughout the day while others feel slightly less stringent as they go about their daily routines.

6. Depression
Depression, anxiety, and high levels of stress are common symptoms of fibromyalgia. Many fibromyalgia patients have had a long history of depression or anxiety.

7. Swelling of hands accompanied by a tingling or numb feeling
Limited to the extremities -arms, legs, feet, hands and fingers; these are common symptoms of fibromyalgia patients, often occur at different times.

8. Headaches and migraines
Migraines are tension type headaches that occur two or more times a week, and are a result from tightening of the muscles located in the neck and base of the head. Migraines also show sensitivity to light and sound that can seem as painful as the headache itself.

9. Irritable bowels and frequent urination
Irritable bowel syndrome causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, sickness and also pain associated with gas. Some patients claim they frequently need to use the bathroom and sometimes pain occurs while urinating.

10. Restless leg syndrome
Pain in the lower part of the leg that is usually the worst at bed time. Patients feel the need to change positions often because they feel they cannot get comfortable.

Signs of fibromyalgia can range from mild to severe and is often debilitating. An appointment with a doctor can determine if symptoms are associated with fibromyalgia or point to an underlying condition. Treatment is available for fibromyalgia patients.

Written by Suzanne Chadwick, a well groomed healthcare professional who spends her spare time writing reviews of healthcare products on bodytreatmentreviews.com

Exercises for Fibromyalgia

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Free Weights or Exercise Machines?

What Is Better? Free Weights or Exercise Machines

The time has come to finally start working out. You walk into the gym and you are

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overwhelmed with all the equipment that is available to you. What do you use, exercise machines or free weights? What is going to give you the best results?.  Trying to figure out whether to use free weights or exercise machines can be confusing.  I will try to help give you a better understanding of both.

Exercise Machines or Free Weights? What’s The Difference?

Free Weights

Let me start with the basic apparatus which is free weights. You may have heard many stories about free weights. Women tend to shy away from free weights because of the fear of getting bulky. Many guys don’t use them with the fear of getting hurt. Whatever it may be, free weight exercises are a great way to achieve total body fitness.

When it comes to free weights, compound exercises can lead to great results. Learning to perform such compound exercises like Bench Press, Deadlifts and Squats, will allow you to use many muscle groups. Mastering the form on these exercises will allow you to strenghten and build your muscles.

Free weights give you the freedom to perform an exercise any way you want to, so you can create different twists and angles to make the exercise more difficult.  This also allows you to strengthen the stabalizer muscles which help assist the main muscles doing the exercise. Doing free weight exercises can benefit the entire body.

Exercise Machines

One of the main differences between exercise machines and free weights is while using exercise machines, you will follow the path of the machine. This is good for isolating the muscles. This allows you to work specific areas of the body. If you want to just work a certain muscle, it can easily done with a exercise machine.

Another difference is safety.  When using exercise machines the worry of stabalizing the weight is gone.  You also do not have to balance any weight which puts less stress on the joints and tendons. You can feel free to go a bit heavier without the weight crashing down on you. Many who workout alone will likely do more exercise machines because they have no spotter to help them with certain exercises.

Free Weights or Exercise Machines: Which Is Better?

This is a trick question when it comes to using free weights or exercise machines because it depends on your goals. If you want to build muscle then free weights are the answer. The use of free weights also allows the freedom of doing total body exercises which will burn more calories. Compound exercises will lead to greater overall strength.

Free weights can also allow you to strengthen the core muscles. Having to control the weights and balance them will often take strength from the core. You cannot achieve this with exercise machines because you are sitting at the machine without the need to stabalize and balance yourself.

I am not trying to say that machines are bad and you should avoid them. If your goal is to stay toned and safety then exercise machines may be for you.

There are many occassions where a muscle group is actually being worked too much by using both exercise machines and free weights. I see some who will do many bench press exercises and then go to the chest machine a perform more sets. They are using the same muscle group here and are just wasting muscle energy.

A good time to do an exercise machine is at the end of a workout.  You don’t have as much energy at this time, so using exercise machines  can isolate the muscle without worrying about balancing the weight. This can help prevent an injury. At the end of your workouts your muscles are not the only thing that is tired your tendons, ligaments and mind are all fatigued. With one wrong move you could seriously hurt yourself. There is less of a chance of hurting yourself if you don’t have to balance the weight.

This does not mean if you use an exercise machine you are safe from injury. By constantly using a machine, your body is in a fixed plane of motion. When using a machine, your stabilizer muscles are not being stimulated. This could cause an injury performing everyday activities, like lifting a heavy object. By using free weights, your stabilizer muscles are engaged, which will make you less prone to injury.

Conclusion

Whether you use free weights or exercise machines, the important thing is that you do not get stuck in the same routine for long periods of time. Remember, what works for one person may not work for another. So if you like using exercise machines and have been getting good results then keep using them. Continue to do what works best for you. Mixing in a cardio exercises and proper nutrition will lead to greater results.

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Losing Weight With Carbs

The Losing Weight With Carbs Discussion

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In your weight loss journey, you may have received all sorts of advice and recommendations to cut out carbs from your diet. However, what you may be unaware about is that all carbohydrates don’t affect the body in the same way. For example, foods that provide ‘white’ carbs can make your appetite increase again after a while such as white bread, cookies, cakes etc. However, good carbs ‘complex’ in nature require a lot of energy to break down. Read on to find out how losing weight with carbs is possible.

Good carbs also provide you with essential vitamins, but most importantly, they contain loads of fiber, which is pretty hard to get from eating non-carb foods. They also provide energy, and reducing their intake is a weight loss mistake as you’ll lose focus and concentration, and there’s a possibility of mood swings as well.

Other possible effects of not eating good carbs include depression and stress, but you can always prevent the condition from getting worse through effective solutions available at pharmacies in the U.S. You may also obtain Canadian pharmacy meds at a fraction of the cost with verified insurance.

Some examples of good carbs include whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice and buckwheat.When it comes to losing weight with carbs, the right type is crucial.

Carbs aren’t the problem, calories are

You can lose the same amount of weight whether you’re following a low-carb of high-carb diet, provided you’re burning more calories than your consumed calorie amount each day. The problem when eating carbs is that you can go overboard quite easily, but there’s a solution for that; keep the portion to the size of your palm, which is the idle serving of good carbs in a weight loss diet.

Do remember low-calorie carbs

There’s life beyond pasta, rice and bread. Even vegetables and foods contain this macro-nutrient. The benefit of getting carbs from vegetables and fruits is that they are quite low in calories. You should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day apart from the good carbs.

Eat most carbs in during the day

As mentioned above, it’s the overall number of calories that you’re taking in and burning that is responsible for how much weight you’ll lose. It also doesn’t matter if you eat the good carbs at lunch or dinner, as they have the same effect on the metabolism. However, you should still try to go light on carbs during dinner, because that generally becomes the largest meal of the day, and that’s where you can tend to go overboard.

Brown doesn’t mean it’s good

Most good carbs are light in color, naturally. Sometimes, manufacturers can add coloring and molasses to refined carbs to give them a natural look. Keep a check on foods that are brown in color and their ingredients say ‘made of multiple grains’ or ‘high in fiber’, because they’re not actually whole grain foods or good carbs. You can judge by the ingredient list and if it doesn’t contain the word ‘whole’, and you’re still falling for it, you’re becoming a slave of good marketing strategy.

Don’t like the taste of good carbs? Go easy

It’s possible that you may not like the taste of whole grain pasta, brown rice and other slow-burning carbs. You can go easy by mixing half refined carbs and half good carbs at the beginning, and switch more to good carbs as you develop taste. You can also search for recipes that make good carbs a lot more fun to eat.

Remember, carbs are an important food group and it’s unrealistic to cut them out for losing weight and keeping it off in the long term. Keep eating moderate portions of complex whole grain carbohydrates to avoid energy drainage and nutritional deficiencies. Losing weight with carbs can happen when done right.

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Turbulence Training Review

Reviewing Turbulence Training

With Craig Ballantyne’s cutting edge “Turbulence Training” fitness system, you can finally lose fat while putting on muscle at the same time with simply 3 short, (but intense) workouts a week. Bid farewell to long, slow-moving boring cardio and begin shredding fat in minimum time with killer workout programs you can do right in the privacy of your own house in 45 minutes or much less.



If you are looking to lose fat as promptly as possible right in your own home, making use of straightforward exercise programs that you could do first thing in the early morning or after the kids go to bed, without doing hours of cardio, fancy machines or expensive supplements, then  Turbulence Training just may be one of the most important things you have ever checked out.

How Turbulence Training Started

Turbulence Training is the consolidated results of over 6 years of University research (consisting of a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology), 16 years of hands-on, sweating gym experience, over 5,318 individual one on one training sessions, and mindful scrutiny of well over 723 health research papers written.

It began in 1999, when Craig was a grad student who was struggling at McMaster University located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He had actually just completed one of his graduate studies and  was spending approximately 16 hrs a day in the laboratory assessing his research information. As a former athlete, he understood that he needed to locate a method to remain lean and maintain muscle and stay away from the fat gain that originates from functioning long hrs in a lab and at a desk as a researcher.

The tip that gave birth to Turbulence Training pertained to him when he noticed how the power sport athletes at the college had such strong, streamlined, lean figures. The thing about these athletes, both males and females, were that they did not train doing slow long distance cardio for hours on end. Did you ever before notice the difference in lean muscle mass between sprinters and long distance runners?

So Craig came up with some training protocols based upon power sports training. He adapted it for the average person and then he began testing them. The initial real life outcomes seemed to be just to good to be true, however as an academic kind of person, he needed to have concrete scientific evidence to back up his findings. So after all his tests kept getting the same remarkable results, Turbulence Training was born.

Turbulence Training Review Summary

If you enjoy learning about the Turbulence Training workout system then you should get a copy before it’s gone. Why waste any more time with boring ineffective workouts while you could get a hold of this incredible workout system and begin strengthening and losing weight today!

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Unwritten Gym Etiquette Rules

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For whatever reason, gyms seem to be a place where common courtesy is pushed aside or forgotten. Although there are often no written courtesy rules in gyms, there are plenty of unwritten rules to follow to ensure you treat everyone else in the gym the same way that you would want to be treated. Here are a few of the most important unwritten rules that you should keep in mind for the next time that you go to your gym.

Clean Up After Yourself

After every time you move from one piece of equipment to another, you leave behind some sweat. No one wants to pick up a weight or sit down in a chair that’s covered in someone else’s sweat. Most good gyms will have cleaning supplies available for you to use. Grab a towel or a wipe at the beginning of your workout and carry it with you. Cleaning up after yourself will help prevent the spread of diseases, such as MRSA.

Put your Weights Away

This is something all of us should have learned long ago in preschool. If you take something out to use, you need to return it once you are done to its proper location. When one person doesn’t put their weights back in their proper location, a snowball effect occurs. Weights get placed in the wrong places, it becomes impossible to find the right weight that you need, and weights begun to get left in odd places all over the gym. Not only is this inconvenient for all gym users, it quickly becomes a hazard when weights are left sitting out in walkways and people are carrying heavy objects around.

Everything is Meant to be Shared

Things can get a bit crazy in gyms during the peak hours of 7-8 in the morning and 5-7 after work. If you find that someone is waiting behind you to use a machine, offer to switch out with them while you take your break between sets. At the same time, try not to hog one popular machine for too long. Keep your breaks between sets at a minimum and rotate onto the next machine quickly.

Once You Leave a Spot You’re Done

Far too often, gym users will get up from their workout bench to grab some water or go to the bathroom and are shocked to find that someone has come back and taken over their spot they were using just a couple of minutes ago. At the same time, don’t be the jerk who rotates through three different machines a minute. Stick to one spot at a time, and when you get up to leave the area, you’re implying that anyone else is free to use the equipment you just used (and cleaned).

Keep it Down

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to music and noise while working out. If you’re going to listen to music, bring some headphones and never play music using speakers. Also try and keep the grunting and groaning to a quieter level, and don’t drop your weights when you are done. Not only is it distracting to others, it can damage the weights and becomes a hazard in a crowded gym.

Don’t Give Out Unwanted Advice

People go to the gym to work out for different reasons, and often have their own goals in mind while working out. Unless you’re a personal trainer, don’t give out advice or go around correcting other people’s form unless they ask. Everyone’s bodies act differently, and you never want to responsible for an injury.

Charles Janick a fitness and health blogger, and loves to find new and creative ways to be healthy while having fun. For more information about health and fitness, visit the JGA Network

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Benefits of Fish Oil

The Possible Health Benefits of Fish Oil

I am sure by now you have probably heard of fish oil but are you aware of the possible health benefits of fish oil? Supplementing with fish oil may be a great addition to your quest for healthy living.


What Is Omega 3 Fish Oil

Today, many people refuse to eat fish because people fear what may be in their fish. The levels of mercury that are present in just about all fresh fish nowadays can be really harmful to your health and wellness. However, manufacturers have actually produced mercury free fish oil by refining the oils that usually are in the fish. Omega 3 fish oils are a found in the body of fish. Omega 3 is a kind of fat that is important for the health of humans. Omega 3 consists of 2 fatty acids that aid the human body substantially, which are referred to as DHA and EPA.

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Of the 2 fatty acids stated above, DHA offer the most health benefits. Most supplements nevertheless, have much more EPA compared to DHA, so when looking for a supplement, be sure to select one that contains as much DHA as possible.

Also, something you need to watch for when looking for Omega 3 supplements are toxins (PCB’s). Look for info concerning the levels of PCB’s and heavy metals in the product, additionally ask if they can provide you along with test information on the pureness of their product.

Health Benefits of Fish Oil 

There are possibly many health benefits of fish oil that are being studied. Thes fatty acids of fish oil have been associated with the aiding in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and lots of other conditions. DHA is additionally important in brain function. Low levels of DHA in the mind have been connected to schizophrenia, depression, memory loss, and an increased chance of being stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the health benefits of fish oil can considerably have a positive effect on the high quality of your life.

The American Heart Association suggests consuming fish oils to assist your hearts function by using a dosage under 3 grams every day. The recommended dosage is anywhere between 0.5 to 1.8 grams each day. Medical trials performed have actually revealed that the health benefits fish oil can minimize such things as strokes, heart attacks, and even death.

Additionally, studies has shown that fish oils can help lessen the risk of arrhythmias, reduce the development of atherosclerotic plaque, lower triglyceride levels, and may even helplower blood pressure.

Studies are also being done for the possible benefits for skin care, joint support, and the regulation of blood sugar levels.

Summary

With all the possible health benefits of fish oil, it just may be that the regular and consistent use from these supplements can be a possible great addition to your health and wellness. Consult your physician before taking any supplements to see if the possible health benefits of fish oil is for you.

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Weight Loss Mistakes To Avoid

Don’t Make These Weight Loss Mistakes

There are people everyday who are struggling with weight loss for one reason or another. I have put together some weight loss mistakes that may be holding you back from getting to your goal. Avoiding these weight loss mistakes may be the difference in your weight loss journey.


1. Skipping Breakfast

The majority of individuals trying to drop weight believe that skipping meals will help drop that fat. Breakfast is easy to skip as more attention can easily be given to the morning chaos of getting ready for work, getting the kids ready for school, or both. This is one of the biggest weight loss mistakes you can easily make when on a weight loss diet. If you leave the house in the early morning with your stomach empty, you’re likely to consume unnecessary calories later in the day. Never let yourself get hungry.

English: Hamburger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Bigger is Better

We live in a nation where bigger is better. Super sized meals and drinks, all you can eat buffets, and have you noticed that even the size of the grocery cart has grown over the years. How many times have we praised a restaurant because their meal was more than you could handle. Just watch the popular TV show “Man vs Food” and you will see excess all across the land. The days of three square meals are over. Smaller more frequent meals will not let you get hungry, which is usually when you overeat.

3. Thinking You Will Always Be Overweight

This is the frame of mind that you need to break if you wish to lose some weight. Accepting the fact of being overweight because you come from a family of overweight people is just a cop out. Yes, there may be a medical condition that is causing this but more often than not, this is a cycle that can be broken. The pattern of coming from an overweight family most likely from years of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise.

4. Turning Good Foods Bad

Consuming salad is an excellent way of eating healthy right? Yes, until it gets a high fat dressing on it. Using such condiments like mayo can quickly turn a healthy sandwich into an unhealthy one. Sauces and gravies can ruin a healthy dinner and no matter how tempting the skin may be on chicken, avoid it. There are many health benefits with eating fish but when it gets deep fried, all that healthiness of it is gone. Paying close attention how all your food is prepared can make a big difference in your weight loss success.

5. Waiting For Monday

Another weight loss mistake that many make is always waiting for Monday to start to eat healthy or start a diet. This will often lead to eating all weekend like you are never going to eat again. Getting yourself in this mindset will always lead to failure.

6. Not Exercising

Taking the plunge and signing up with a fitness center or starting an exercise routine may be one of the hardest things for many to do. Worrying that people in the fitness center would certainly be looking at you and talking about you, can be enough for many to avoid exercising. It is important to realize the importance of exercise to our overall health. Finding a class or activity you enjoy and stick with it to see the results.

7. Setting An Unrealistic Goal

One of the most popular weight loss mistakes is setting goals like 50 pounds in a month. This is just setting the stage for failure. You have to set smaller, a lot more obtainable goals that you will keep your motivation high. Losing a pound a week would still lead to 52 pounds in a year. The smaller goals will also lead to better success at keeping the weight loss.

Summary

When it comes to losing weight, it is important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. There are many factors involved to achieving your weight loss goal. Trying to avoid making these weight loss mistakes may get you on the track to weight loss success.

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The Problem With Pulldowns

The Pulldown Predicament

Pulldowns are a great exercise for working your back muscles, but are you getting the most out of them? It can be confusing when you hit the gym because there is such a variety of handles available to use when doing the exercise along with methods for doing the exercise. What is right and what is wrong? Let’s look into it and figure out what you should be doing along with what you shouldn’t be doing.

Pulldown Problems

Here are a couple important points to recognize and not do if you want to train in a safe manner and preserve your body.

• Rear Lat Pulldowns – These should not be done as an exercise. People do them still even though it has been proven to lead to neck and shoulder problems. The main issue is that the motion is unnatural. People say this exercise works the upper back and traps, which is sort of true, but there are better and much safer ways to do it.
• Improper Form – Usually this is a product of using too much weight and involves a lot of jerking and swinging of the body. The motion is smooth and uses the back. People that end up leaning back at a 45 degree angle, bouncing the weight stack, or those that yank the handle with their arms are just doing it wrong. Improper form just means you aren’t actively targeting the muscle.
• Wrong Handles – For pulldowns you should really only be using a wide-grip bar or a shoulder-width neutral grip bar. Ideally you want to keep your forearms as close to vertical as possible during the entire movement. This ensures that your form is close to optimum for engaging the lats and back muscles.
• Wrong Grip – When using the wide-grip bar you want to grab it with an underhanded grip at about shoulder-width apart. This will vary a little for some people, but it takes a little trial and error to find the sweet spot. You can use an overhand grip with a hand spacing that is two to three inches wider than your shoulders as well, if the underhand grip is not comfortable.

Proper Pulldowns

Ideally a pulldown should be just like a pull-up. The beauty of the pull-up is that it is an exercise you can’t really cheat at.  Pulldowns should be done in a similar manner. The focus should always be on the back and never the arms. If you find you are pulling with your arms too much then more than likely the weight is too heavy.

As you pull the focus should be on bringing the elbows down to press into the ribs. There is a slight arch in your back and your head should face forward with your eyes looking straight ahead. Some people look up and follow the path of the bar with their eyes. This can cause unnecessary strain on the neck and should be avoided.

The motion should be smooth enough that you can squeeze the back muscles at the contraction point. Then on the reverse motion it should be nice and slow to obtain a great stretch.

The bottom line is that when done properly,  pulldowns can build a heck of a lot of muscle on your back. When done incorrectly it can easily lead to neck strain or shoulder problems. Learning what to do and not to do means that you will get the most out of your workouts each time which equals more size and strength gains which is what we are all here for.

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Dustin Matteson is an author for Nutribomb Bodybulding Supplements. Dustin’s expertise is primarily on high intensity interval training techniques. You can find more posts about training techniques by Dustin and the Nutribomb Blog.

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Does Creatine Build Muscle?

Creatine and Muscle Building

If you are a member of a gym or have even the slightest interest in health and fitness, you most likely have heard a lot regarding creatine and the muscle miracles it is involved with. Is this really true, does creatine build muscle? Many people think that creatine builds muscle and it does in a certain way but probably not the way you are believing. The very best way to explain creatine is to say that it helps aid the muscles in the development of muscle. If that is unclear, continue reading  to answer will creatine build muscle or not.

How Creatine Works

creatina (Photo credit: Seu Mundo é Aqui)

Creatine does just what it is supposed to do and that is to preserve water in your muscles. This is the major factor of creatine and it actually is very effective at keeping water in the muscles. Now, what takes place is when your muscles are holding on to water they are at an optimum state for developing new muscle. This means you can push a little harder .

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is your main energy source for short bursts of energy. Creatine helps replace short term energy (ATP) when it is depleted, so you can squeeze out that extra rep or pushing that extra weight . Creatine causes cell volumizing which means the muscle cells are expanded with the added water. The saturated muscle cells may allow you to push up a little extra weight than you may have done before. One of the factors to build muscle is to use progressive overload, which is to push the muscles to use more weight than it has before. After maintaining creatine in your muscles for a while you may become stronger and also get a boost in endurance. So, if you are taking creatine to assist you to develop muscle and you know just how creatine builds muscles, you can expect to get some results. On the flip side, if you think just taking creatine alone will give you bodybuilder’s muscles without putting in the hard work, you will be disappointed.

To Load or Not To Load

This has been a highly debatable topic about creatine but more and more studies prove this to not be true. A study done at the Ball State University Human Performance Laboratory, scientists have proven smaller doses of creatine monohydrate (5g/day) to be just as effective, and that you can get results without a loading phase.

Summary

So does creatine build muscle? Not if you aren’t working for it. Creatine itself won’t build muscle but it may give your muscles just enough energy to push more weight. The most effective thing to do if you start taking creatine is to have a consistent weight training routine that will allow you keep track of your progress being made. However, keep in mind you have to put in all the hard work and that creatine supplements will only assists your muscles to be in a state favorable for muscle growth. Without putting in the work, you won’t achieve the results.

© Exercise and Nutrition Tips, 2013. Written by admin

Post tags: Adenosine triphosphate, ATP, Creatine, Creatine supplements, muscle in Categories: Does Creatine Build Muscle

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