Creatine is an irreplaceable, natural substance that is found in the muscles of humans and animals and is required for energy metabolism and movement. The human body contains about 100-140 g of this substance, which serves as an energy source for muscles. The daily consumption of creatine under normal conditions is approximately 2 g. Creatine is as important to life as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Creatine can be synthesized by the body independently from 3 amino acids: glycine, arginine and methionine. These amino acids are protein components.

The timing of creatine intake just prior to exercise is generally considered to be inappropriate, although many sources recommend it. First, it disrupts water metabolism, since creatine is known to cause some degree of dehydration, which should be avoided during training. Second, before exercise, metabolism is less prone to transport and absorption of creatine. Thirdly, before training, it is recommended to take carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, since they provide cells with energy for a long time and in a normalized manner, in contrast to fast carbohydrates, which create a concentration peak of glucose with its deposition in the form of fat. Fourth, the body does not need a fresh supply of creatine during training, since the replenished muscle stores are stable during this time.

It is also impractical to take creatine during training. In addition, one scientific study found that taking creatine while exercising made exercise more difficult. This has been attributed to the dehydration state caused by the intake of creatine.

The best time to take creatine is after an hour of exercise, when the metabolic state of skeletal muscle is most susceptible to insulin-mediated creatine uptake. In addition, this time is the most favorable for the consumption of simple carbohydrates, amino acids or rapidly absorbed protein, which also activate the transport of creatine by stimulating the production of insulin. On rest days, the supplement can be taken at any time of the day.

Timing of creatine intake in relation to food

There is no consensus on this, as there are arguments in favor of taking creatine before and after meals. Many scientists recommend taking it before meals, because food can slow down the absorption and passage of creatine down the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the residence time of creatine in the acidic contents of the stomach, and this leads to an increase in the percentage of conversion. On the other hand, food can buffer an acidic environment. However, recently, scientists have finally proved that creatine monohydrate is slightly destroyed in the acidic contents of the stomach, so food intake does not play a special role.

In 2008, Deldicque L and co-authors conducted a study in which they determined that the absorption of creatine does not depend on whether it is taken with food or in pure form on an empty stomach. In all cases, absorption was almost complete.

Considering that it is advisable to combine creatine with transport systems (amino acids, protein, fast carbohydrates and others), it is better to take it between meals.

Creatine with transport system

Creatine with a transport system has its own specific characteristics in terms of time and frequency of administration. So, unlike the usual monohydrate, it is better to take it before training, this is due to the fact that it usually contains active substances that are in demand during training. However, options are possible, so the time of reception is determined by the instructions of a particular manufacturer.

Even MacRobert Stewart, the author of phenomenally useful manuals for bodybuilders and the most famous athlete, wrote that for high-quality pumping, it is not at all necessary to fill yourself with a bunch of sports nutrition jars, it is enough to have only protein and a creatine supplement.

At the same time, his statement sounded equally for all training programs - for weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth. However, many athletes are skeptical about such a universal technique, doubting whether it is possible to take creatine while drying the body?

It would seem, and it is true, what kind of relief, if the muscles seem to fill up, and no longer due to growth, but due to a surge of fluid - this is not a very valuable fact, either in competitions or in improving the form.

So, let's dispel all doubts and figure out - creatine when drying the body: yes or no?

Functions of creatine

We are not the first to ask this question. In particular, Anthony Almada, in 94, just conducted research that proved that the positive increase in the "dry" mass, due to creatine, is significant, and extra pounds of fluid are also deflated, as they appear during the pause of the cyclic intake. In addition, the scientist and his followers, in the course of further experiments, also found out the potential effect of the drug on enhancing the productivity of training. In principle, this is a logical fact, given that, as a component of skeletal muscles, it affects energy exchange in muscles and nerve tissues.

What are the benefits of creatine monohydrate during drying and other forms of this substance for athletes using them?

• The rise in indicators of power, efficiency, strength occurs due to an increase in the concentration of ATP. Of course, only within reasonable limits, this does not mean at all that now it will be possible to start abruptly working with unbearable weights, but the difference will still be obvious. By the way, this also contributes to an increase in "dry" mass, because muscles can work in an enhanced mode, contracting to peak capacity.

• The improvement of the relief is a controversial, but still a fact. Many athletes enjoy the hydration effect of a supplement on muscle cells, which significantly increases muscle cell growth. Muscles seem fuller, rounder, more pumped up. And although, at "Mr. Olympia" - this fact may not be perceived by the jury as victorious, the object of envy and desires on the beach, your body will certainly become.

• By the way, again, it has been experimentally proven that the hydration of the muscles enhances protein synthesis and inhibits its breakdown.

• Lactic acid buffering is one of the most rewarding things for athletes doing intense strength training with creatine while drying.

• Stimulation of the production of anabolic hormones - somatotropin, testosterone, insulin, suppression of myostatin, in response to training loads.

In addition, by taking creatine, you lower:

• Cholesterol

• Inflammatory Response Level

• The risk of developing neuromuscular disorders

• Consequences of cardiovascular diseases

And there can even be no doubt whether creatine is needed for drying vegetarians. Of course, this option in the form of an additive is the most optimal for them, since refusing meat, they actually lose one of the most valuable sources of this substance, and, accordingly, lower their athletic capabilities down several levels at once, without using the body's potential to the fullest.

Contraindications

Sports supplements are not a medicine and their use cannot critically affect health. Claims of imaginary "experts" that creatine is harmful, you cannot drink it - nothing more than a desire to stand out from the mass of "gray" scientists. This is the same nonsense as saying that after a reasonable consumption of meat, milk, fish containing it, you can end up in intensive care.

But nevertheless, you should not abuse it either, and if you are taking a sports food containing this substance in the form of an additional ingredient, you should seek the help of a good doctor. Find out from him your individual dosage, as well as whether you can drink creatine on drying if you have any rare disease of the muscular system or there are signs of intolerance.

How to choose creatine for drying

Creatine monohydrate is considered its most bioavailable form, so it is advisable to focus on this form of supplement in the choice. Buy from quality-assured brands and retailers, be sure to check the creatine reviews during drying for the product of your choice.

In general, it would be more correct to say not "needed", but "whether it will be useful." Since the question of necessity depends rather on our volitional decision. If a person does not want to do something, he will simply say “I don’t need this”. So, would creatine be beneficial if used as a supplement in a weight loss diet?

At the moment, we are not talking about ordinary people who do not go in for sports, but about those who build a body in the gym.

The answer will be simple: all the revealed beneficial properties of creatine do not depend on the direction of the diet, since in all cases, whether it is mass gain or drying, we carry out strength training in order to stimulate muscle growth.

Fat-burning strength training does not exist, and to be more correct, any training is fat-burning, since physical activity expends energy, and energy expenditure affects the degree of general energy deficiency. Well, energy deficiency is the only condition for fat burning. The main goal of strength training during this period is to maintain anabolism in the muscles in order to keep them to the maximum. Therefore, weight training during the drying period should be carried out as if we are gaining muscle mass.

Of course, with some restrictions caused by a lack of energy and a possible deficiency of macro and micro elements. This does not mean that one should neglect high-volume loads, which, as a rule, are practiced on a diet. There is nothing wrong with “many sets and many reps”. But you shouldn't expect a miracle from them. The energy expenditure when doing strength training is not that great.

A number of sources indicate that when performing work sets, each repetition consumes from 0.5 to 1 calorie. The numbers depend on the gender, age, fitness level of the athlete, the intensity of the load and specific exercises (basic ones spend more energy, isolating less, but all this is within the range of 0.5-1 kcal).

That is, for example, a man who performed 10 sets of squats for 15 repetitions (to failure or almost to failure), spent no more than 150 calories. And, for example, a girl who squatted 10 to 15 will not spend even 75 calories.

So, creatine helps us, regardless of diet, to maintain strength and performance. That is, to conduct training more fully. And the stimulus for hypertrophy depends on this.

In addition, increased muscle creatine in itself improves the anabolic response to exercise. As you know, muscle cells in men and women who exercise with resistance produce more IGF-1 (IGF-1). In athletes, IGF-1 stimulates protein synthesis in muscle cells, which is one of the factors for subsequent muscle growth. Sports researchers at Canadian St Francis Xavier University have found that supplementation with creatine results in even greater local production in muscle tissue. This was revealed in an experiment in which about 40 healthy 20-year-old people were involved in weights. One half of the subjects received creatine supplements and the other half received a placebo. After 8 weeks of the experiment, the investigator measured the level of IGF-1 in the muscles of the test subjects. In the placebo group, its level increased by 54%, while in the creatine group, the increase was 78%.

The same conclusion was reached by a research group from the Belgian city of Leuven. The subjects in the Belgian experiment performed strength training and received 21 g of creatine daily for 5 days. Before each workout, they took a protein-carbohydrate shake. Three hours after training, when muscle recovery is gaining strength, IG 1 production increases significantly with creatine supplementation than without it. The Belgians also demonstrate in their article that creatine increases the activity of the signaling molecules BP1 and p70-S6K in muscle cells.

From this they concluded that “creatine supplementation can stimulate muscle growth through a rapid response to the signal system, as observed after exercise and nutrition (through the intake of amino on drying all sorts of supersets of drop sets, giant sets and, in general, multi-repetitive work with little rest between sets, you should know that creatine supplements reduce the damage caused to muscle fibers by work aimed at developing endurance.

Scientists from Taiwan's Graduate Institute of Nutritional Sciences and Education in a study with well-trained male students found that creatine reduces the breakdown of protein structures during exercise. "From a metabolic point of view, creatine has the following benefits: prevents muscle glycogen decline and protein degradation, especially after endurance exercise."

But the most important properties of creatine - the direct influence on the training process has long been proven and tested "in the field". This already suggests that creatine will be useful for drying.

A good workout is a good stimulus for growth - less muscle loss, which is unfortunately inevitable on an energy deficit diet. And whether it is necessary, we decide for ourselves.

Diet and exercise are the best ways to get rid of body fat. But sometimes they are not enough, and you need to additionally take sports nutrition to dry the body, which helps to achieve results faster by burning fat deposits.

Drying requires a lot of training, but if you choose the right supplements, you can retain more muscle mass and burn more fat.

To build lean muscle mass while burning fat, you need to exercise and eat right, using sports nutrition to burn fat and maintain muscle. Exercising too much can deplete the body's supply of nutrients, vitamins, and other compounds that are essential during drying.

Getting all of these vital elements through diet can be extremely difficult, especially when drying requires cutting back as much as possible. This is where supplements come in.

Below we will figure out what kind of sports nutrition is needed to dry the body. Keep in mind that in order to get a beautiful, relief body, fat burners are not always needed, by the way, they are poorly suited for losing weight due to fat. Find out what sports nutrition to take while drying!

The most effective sports supplements for drying the body and burning fat, which will not only help speed up the process of losing weight, but also keep your body healthy during this phase of training.

1. Multivitamins

Exercise takes a lot of strength and energy, and often, trying to maintain the desired weight, we are deficient in vitamins and minerals. Drying sports food must include mineral and multivitamin complexes. Supplementing your diet with a multivitamin will provide your body with a wide range of vital nutrients it needs to maintain good health and a lean body.

For the best absorption of vitamins, take them in the morning with or after meals.

2. Whey protein

Protein is essential for promoting muscle growth before and after exercise. Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to eat before or after going to the gym. This is where whey protein can come in handy. It is made from whey and is considered a complete protein product containing all 9 essential amino acids that our body needs.

Protein plays an important role in quick muscle recovery. When consumed throughout the day, it increases metabolism and energy levels, allowing you to burn more calories.

Protein also contributes to the growth of muscle mass. Whey is a milk protein that is quickly absorbed and delivers amino acids to muscles almost instantly, which helps to accelerate muscle growth.

In addition, protein improves performance.

Experienced athletes and many nutritionists recommend taking about 2g of protein per 1kg of body weight during drying. Protein should be taken in the morning, before and after training, and between meals, and casein protein may be taken before bed. Do not use more than 1 scoop to make a cocktail.

How to take protein while drying

Take it at the rate of 2 grams per 1 km of body weight. This dosage helps in the fight against muscle breakdown and supports muscle growth.

Also try to consume protein from whole food sources throughout the day.

3. Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It increases natural growth hormone production, reduces pain and prevents catabolism. Glutamine can also stimulate muscle growth by controlling glycogen levels. It is able to slow the breakdown of muscle tissue during intense workouts and increase strength and endurance.

Glutamine supplements help preserve muscle tissue and allow the body to burn more fat. Remember: the higher the lean body mass, the more active the metabolism is. Studies have shown that such supplements have positive results in strengthening the immune system. This is very important, because during intense exertion, she is exposed to serious stress.

Glutamine promotes muscle tissue repair and maintains overall health. It is also known for its ability to increase plasma growth hormone levels.

How to take glutamine for drying:

To avoid feeling tired after exercise, take 5 grams of glutamine 2-3 times a day, for example, before and after exercise.

4. Creatine

Creatine is naturally present in skeletal muscle. It enhances energy production, increases strength, improves muscle performance during high-intensity workouts, stimulates growth hormone production, and improves post-workout muscle recovery and growth. Which makes it an excellent supplement for body drying.

How to take creatine while drying:

Take 2-5 grams of creatine per day.

5. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

Not all fats are bad. Conjugated linoleic acid (or CLA) contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to be good fats. Researchers have found that CLA helps reduce body fat and maintains muscle tissue. You can also provide your body with omega-3 fatty acids through diet.

How and When to Take Conjugated Linoleic Acid

The best results can be expected by dividing the daily requirement into 2-3 doses. The optimal form of release is gel capsules. While drying, consume 2-4 grams of CLA per day.

6. Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs)

The BCAA complex consists of three amino acids: valine, isoleucine and leucine. They play a key role in stimulating protein synthesis and regulating its metabolism.

Taking BCAAs before and after training while drying the body can significantly reduce muscle damage and reduce muscle pain. The complex also helps burn fat, reduces fatigue and promotes recovery.

BCAAs provide energy during exercise and replenish nutrient stores that are depleted during intense exercise.

How to take bcaa on a dryer

To get the most of your BCAAs, take 5-10 grams between meals and before and after training.

Keep in mind that most protein and pre-workout shakes contain varying amounts of BCAAs.

7. Green tea extract

Green tea extract has many health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants in the form of catechins, which lower cholesterol levels, help prevent cancer, and support healthy bowel function. It has also been shown to help you lose weight. If you want to boost the effects of caffeine, try green tea extract as it is considered one of the best fat burners.

Green tea extract contains caffeine, which stimulates metabolism, which is very useful during "drying". When choosing a brand, always read the label to find out how many milligrams of catechins are in one tablet. Most green tea extracts contain about 50% ECGC (epigallocatechin gallate) and appetite suppressants.

To safely include the extract in your diet, you need to drink enough water, since caffeine, as well as some other components in tea, are diuretics. The pills can be taken with or without food. To increase the effectiveness of the intake, it is necessary to combine green tea extract with supplements containing fish oil and quercetin, or with similar food. As a dietary supplement take 1 capsule daily... Do not take this product on an empty stomach.

8. Fish oil

Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have many beneficial properties, including lowering LDL cholesterol (called bad cholesterol) and improving mental function. They also help fight inflammation and use fat as energy while drying the body.

Inflammation is a common problem faced by strength training people. Choose fish oil that contains eicosapentaenoic (EPA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a 2: 1 ratio. It is he who has the best anti-inflammatory effect.

How to take dried fish oil

For weight loss, consume 3-4 grams, divided into 2-3 doses per day. It is best to use with food.

Research shows that nitric oxide stimulates natural growth hormone production, increases strength, and improves blood circulation. Combined with BCAAs and glutamine, it allows you to exercise more intensely. However, it is worth noting that such results were observed in a study that lasted 90 days.

How to consume nitric oxide

• Take NO on an empty stomach
• If your weight is more than 100 kg, then you can immediately start with a double dosage (on average 2 scoops).
• After two weeks, you can double the dosage (for all).
• The total duration of NO application on average should not exceed one month.

10. Supplements to strengthen joints

Joint pain may occur after exercising with heavy weights. It can be alleviated by taking special supplements in combination with fish oil. Most supplements for strengthening joints contain methylsulfonylmethane (msm), chondroitin, glucosamine, and other beneficial substances.

Caution: If you are allergic to seafood, then glucosamine should be avoided.

All of these supplements are scientifically proven to help you lose fat quickly and safely. However, when taking a sports nutrition on drying, you should combine it with a low-carb diet and exercise, and not rely on sports supplements only.

Food during drying

During drying, it is necessary to halve carbohydrates, but not completely exclude them, since in this case the body will enter a state of ketosis and begin to produce a large amount of ketones. Ketone bodies burn fat and use it as an energy source, so you need to consume carbohydrates to maintain a deficiency. If you eliminate them from your diet, you will experience a lack of energy. The main thing here is a reasonable balance.

Vegetables should be the main source of carbohydrates.

It is also very important to eat more lean protein (with each meal) and fat in order to replenish the "carbohydrate" calories lost. Consume unsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Whitefish, chicken breast, salmon, turkey, tuna, and eggs are good sources of protein.

Eliminate sugar and sodium

Remove most of the sugars from your diet. Always read the product label carefully to identify their content. Stay away from foods that contain more than 5 grams of sugar per serving.

Consume no more than 2,000 mg of sodium per day. When its concentration is high in the diet, the body begins to retain water, which makes it difficult to lose fat. Also, too much sodium can cause high blood pressure.

It is very difficult to build muscle and lose fat at the same time, so never forget about proper nutrition. Drying sports nutrition is only a supplement to the main food. No matter how hard you work out in the gym, without a balanced diet, you won't achieve amazing results. You will be amazed at how much better your body responds to exercise when accompanied by proper nutrition.

Breaks between meals can be more than two hours, but it is advisable to eat systematically, this will help you sports nutrition for drying the body.

In order to gain muscle mass, you must consume calories. Consume protein at the rate of 2-4 grams per 1 kg of body weight. Try to have healthy snacks high in this macronutrient with you at all times.

A protein shake before bed and in the morning will help protect the body from a catabolic state in which muscles lose mass, strength, density and definition. There are many supplements available to help build muscle and promote recovery from vigorous workouts. For most people, they are equally effective, but in some cases the body reacts to them differently.

Try a variety of supplements to find the sport drying food that works best for you. Always follow the directions on the package and take the correct dose. You will only see the benefits of supplements when you use them on a regular basis.

It is difficult to imagine modern sports without the use of special nutritional supplements, the action of which is aimed at replenishing the necessary vitamins and microelements in the body. During intense training, it is almost impossible to get enough energy even from a balanced diet, help is needed. Creatine is one of the most popular endurance supplements for professional and amateur athletes.

What is creatine?

The human body constantly produces amino acids, but in small quantities. Creatine, on the other hand, is a natural compound of arginine, glycine and methionine, which are produced in the pancreas, adrenal glands and liver. These amino acids are considered vital and contribute to the maintenance of the athlete's body in good shape.

The effect of creatine on the body:

• improves and accelerates tissue regeneration;
• improves the indicators of spermatogenesis in men;
• is directly involved in the formation of bone tissue;
• promotes the production of growth hormone;
• blocks catabolic processes after intense exertion.

Creatine is used as a dietary supplement that is considered optimal for stimulating protein metabolism in the body. An important question remains, can creatine be dried? Does it contribute to the maintenance of the athlete's body during this difficult period? The main aspects will be discussed below.

Types of creatine

There are several of the most popular types of creatine:

1. Monohydrate. Perhaps this variety is the most popular. It is characterized by rapid absorption, but it can cause side effects in the form of diarrhea, since it is taken on an empty stomach. From the walls of the intestine, the drug enters the bloodstream, gradually passing into the muscles.
2. Creatine phosphate. It is generally accepted that this variety has a higher quality, and the course of taking it is simpler and easier to tolerate. Unlike the monohydrate, this product does not cause water retention in the athlete's body.

On the modern market, you can find many more types of creatine, which will differ in price and composition. But, most likely, this is more of a publicity stunt than an improved nutritional supplement formula. The creatine composition can be supplemented with various organic acids.

The food supplement comes in powder and capsule form. The powder must be dissolved in a liquid and consumed as a cocktail, observing the recommended dosage. Capsules are more convenient to use, but at a significantly higher price, which may be a reason for choosing not in their favor.

Pros and cons of supplements

• drug abuse leads to a weakening of bone tissue;
• exceeding the dosage can lead to impaired renal function;
• water retention in the body (after the cessation of the course of intake, water is removed rather quickly);
• sometimes there is an increase in the number of acne, as well as disruptions in the normal process of digestion.

However, as practice shows, the listed factors are not manifested in everyone and are rather an exception to the rule.

Pros of creatine:

1. The food supplement is suitable for use when gaining mass, it is also permissible to take creatine while drying.
2. Increases the endurance of the athlete's muscle frame before heavy loads.
3. A faster build-up of muscle fibers occurs.
4. Helps reduce muscle recovery time after intense exercise.

To obtain the desired result, it is important to observe the recommended dosage, this rule is true for creatine when losing weight and drying. The right course will help you choose a personal trainer, as well as the training scheme itself. Water retention in muscles plays a role in the event that a person is preparing for a competition and a clear muscle relief is needed. In other cases, this aspect is insignificant.

Features of taking creatine on drying

If an athlete is faced with the goal of getting rid of the accumulated fat layer, then creatine will be indispensable in this matter. There are often doubts among novice athletes whether it is worth taking creatine while drying, whether this approach will be effective.

The fluid that accumulates in the muscles under the influence of a dietary supplement makes it difficult to see the desired relief, but it is excreted from the body at the end of the course of taking creatine.

Among the reasons why creatine on drying, let's say, are the following:

1. Increased Stamina: Allows you to train harder and burn more calories.
2. It makes it possible to increase the duration of the workout, as it helps the body to recover faster.
3. Allows the body to accumulate muscle mass without additional fat.

An equally important advantage of this sports supplement is that it can be taken simultaneously with protein, fat burners or other amino acid complexes. Sports nutrition experts recommend eliminating caffeine from the diet, with which creatine may not be combined.

Studies have shown that taking creatine before exercise is ineffective because during intense physical activity the body does not absorb amino acids and removes excess fluid from the body. A post-workout supplement is considered optimal when combined with fast carbohydrates for better absorption.

The correct dosage will allow you to achieve optimal results without side effects and complications. How to take creatine while drying, a personal trainer who knows all the characteristics of the body and the training plan will tell you.

If the relief is important to the athlete, then it is recommended to cancel the intake of creatine on drying two weeks before its end. This will allow the fluid to pass out of the body and show the results achieved.

There are several schemes for taking creatine while drying:

1. The daily rate is divided into three doses of 1.5 grams each, which are timed with meals. The remaining 0.5 grams is drunk on an empty stomach, before bedtime.
2. Drink 5 grams of creatine immediately after an intense workout. On days when training is not foreseen, the supplement is drunk on an empty stomach.

It is believed that this approach allows the body to absorb the maximum amount of the substance.

Restrictions on use

Studies have shown that creatine supplementation is safe for humans. Its composition is completely natural, while the body independently produces amino acids that are contained in the food supplement.