All about creatine. What foods contain creatine. Creatine benefits and side effects
All about creatine. What foods contain creatine. Creatine benefits and side effects
Anonim

Creatine is a carboxylic acid that is directly involved in the energy metabolism of cells and muscles. This substance can be obtained from many foods. The resulting creatine will be enough for normal life, but athletes have to use this component in the form of a powder.

What products contain creatine, how to use it as a supplement, the benefits and harms of creatine - all this will be discussed in the article.

creatine powder
creatine powder

What role does creatine play in the human body?

Creatine helps athletes recover from intense physical activity. Many weightlifters use creatine to gain muscle mass and improve endurance. And it's not for nothing that they do it. After all, this substance perfectly copes with the task.

Besides this, creatine:

  • positively affects the functioning of the nervous system;
  • improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
  • strengthens joints;
  • lowers cholesterol;
  • strengthens tendons.

Creatine is an irreplaceable substance. It is very important to know what gives and where creatine is contained.

Eating properly and balanced, a person receives about 1 gram of creatine per day. This is the norm and is quite enough for the body to function properly. Creatine has the ability to be produced independently in the human body.

Where and what foods contain creatine?

Creatine can be found in animal products. In beef, in any fish, pork, chicken and even in dairy products.

For example, 500 grams of beef contains 2 grams of this substance, which is 2 times the daily dose. Just a storehouse of creatine! There is only one drawback - creatine can be lost (in small amounts) during heat treatment.

Below is a table showing how much creatine is in food. The value is indicated for 1 kilogram of a product.

Product Creatine content in grams
Salmon 4, 5
Pork 5
Herring 6 to 10
Beef 4
Cod 3
Chicken 2, 5
Cranberries 0, 02
Tuna 4
Milk 3.5% 0, 1

Most people get creatine from food, and this is enough for the normal functioning of the body. But creatine, obtained through food, is only enough to restore strength after a normal household load. Athletes have to look for additional ways to get such a substance.

creatine in products
creatine in products

Creatine as a Dietary Supplement

People involved in sports know very well which products contain creatine. But they simply cannot physically consume this food in large quantities. If athletes are addicted to products that include creatine, then all their workouts will not only be in vain, they may face obesity.

Athletes use a pure component in the form of a powder or capsules. They consume 5 grams of creatine daily and whether there is a workout today or not.

The capsule is drunk like a tablet, and the powder is diluted with juice, water or mixed with protein. They drink it for two months. Then they take a break for two weeks.

Creatine supplementation is completely absorbed by the body and is non-habit forming. But still, you should be careful with such a substance. After all, he has a number of contraindications and severalside effects.

creatine for athletes
creatine for athletes

Contraindications for the use of creatine

Contraindications include:

  • high blood pressure;
  • diseases of the digestive system;
  • kidney failure.

If a person does not have a single disease from this list, then he can safely use creatine.

Side effects of drinking

Rather, these are not side effects, but the body's natural reaction to the use of creatine in high doses:

  1. Fluid retention in the body. Some may notice that once they started using creatine, they gained a lot of weight. This is due to the fact that some parts of the body began to swell. As soon as a person stops taking creatine, the weight drops dramatically.
  2. Dehydration. It is highly recommended to drink about 3 liters of water a day to avoid dehydration.
  3. Disorder of the digestive system. There may be bloating, diarrhea, and mild abdominal pain when taking creatine. Usually, indigestion occurs when an athlete has significantly overdosed on creatine.
photo of creatine
photo of creatine

In closing

Don't be afraid of creatine - it's an exclusively natural ingredient. By eating right and knowing which foods contain creatine, you will never lack this vital substance.

Recommended: