Creatine, what is it?

You hear from people that they supplement with creatine. However, do you know what it is? Actually the real question is, do THEY really know what creatine is and what it does for our body. Creatine is a popular supplement in todays market. It used by a lot of people across the country and world. The bad thing is, half those people take it and have no clue why.

Creatine is naturally stored in our bodies. It mostly found in our skeletal muscle(95%), some is scattered throughout our body. We get it in our diet with meat and fishes but it is usually destroyed by heat.

So why is creatine so popular? When we workout we require ATP. ATP is our first energy source. However, we only have enough ATP in our body for 1-3 seconds of intense exercise. So, what happens after 3 seconds? That is where creatine comes into play. After those 3 seconds are body is looking to replenish our source of ATP. In order to do that creatine phosphate must be present. So, the idea of creatine supplementation is that the more creatine you have in your body the quicker you will be able to replenish your ATP source. This ATP creatine phosphate system only applies for 8-12 seconds of high intensity exercising. If you continue on for more then 12 seconds you are know using glucose as your primary energy source. I want to focus on those first 8-12 seconds.

So, it is proven that the supplementation of creatine aides in the replenishment of ATP. So, how is this beneficial? Well for athletes who are anaerobic, such as weightlifters, sprinters, and football players, creatine is a great supplement. With the supplementation of creatine, these athletes may be slightly quicker off the line or push out 1 or 2 more reps compared to if they were not on creatine. Those extra reps add up and at the end of the week resulting in strength and muscle gains.

Like I mentioned creatine is at its prime only for those high intensity activities lasting 8-12 seconds. So athletes like endurance runners and swimmers would not benefit from the use of creatine. Creatine is meant for anaerobic activities.

Creatine has only been around since 1993 as a supplement so there is not much research on long term side effects. The big side effect is water retention. Water is needed for creatine to enter the muscle cells, so when you are on creatine, it is not rare for you to gain 8-12 pounds of water weight. This will all be lost when you stop taking creatine.Other small side effects are the usual nausea, diarrhea, and muscle cramps.

So, you think creatine is right for you? As a recommendation, creatine should be taken at a dose of 3-5 grams a day. More is not better in the case of creatine. Your body can only hold 0.3gm per pound of body weight in kilograms, so any more then that will simply be excreted out. Creatine is best taken post workout with carbohydrates for the best absorption rate.

Creatine is not for everyone. However, is is proven to be one of safest and most effective supplements on the market today if used correctly. If you are interested in more information or recommendations about creatine, shoot me an e-mail.

If you ever have any topic suggestions or questions on fitness or nutrition please don't hesitate to ask me.

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu

Do you really want your health in the hands of a weekend personal trainer?

Personal trainers have a horrible reputation. When someones mentions personal trainers they think of big meat heads, who were jocks in high school, and couldn't do anything in school so they just became a personal trainer.

In my opinion, true personal trainers are professionals who have a MINIMUM of a four year degree in exercise science and have an accredited certification. In addition, they keep there certification current by attending seminars and conferences in order to expand there knowledge.

Unfortunately, there are personal trainers out there training clients with no certifications or schooling. There are several organizations that offer weekend certifications to become a personal trainer. However, do you really want your health in the hands of someone who learned everything in two days. NO!

I am 6 months away from receiving my bachelors degree in exercise science, and I don't even know half of what there is to know in the world of fitness. That is why every day I try to learn as much as I can about the human body and how it works. I am constantly attending conferences and seminars in order to improve my knowledge about fitness and currently in the process of applying to graduate school.

So, next time you meet with your trainer or choose to work with one, ask them about their credentials. Then think to yourself, do you really want your health in the hands of a weekend personal trainer or would you rather work with an educated professional exercise specialist!?

Give it a little shake and bake!

Mix it up! So many people go into the gym on a regular basis which is great. The problem is, they do the same damn thing every single workout. Don't be afraid to mix it up. Change the exercises you do, change the order you do them in, change your reps, your sets, anything to shock your body. That's all it is. In order to see results in the gym your body needs have stress placed on it. That stress being the weights in your hands. However, if you do the same thing day in and day out your body will soon no longer realize that as a stress and thus no adaptations will occur. So, to keep your body guessing and in a state of "shock" change your routine up. Whether that be doing super sets, or simply changing the order you complete your workout in. Any type of change will cause a different stress to your body and thus your body will react in a positive way!

Questions? Shoot me an e-mail.

Have great long weekend!

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu

Battling those night time cravings

So it's 9:00pm. You sitting on the couch watching the Red Sox game. You suddenly get hungry. What do you eat? Well, you know what you shouldnt eat, but what foods are good for you at night. The biggest thing you want to avoid at night is any carbohyrates. Carbs are broken down as energy and any excess that isnt burned as energy is stored as body fat. So, as you are settling down for the night getting ready for bed you dont use much of any energy. That explains why you dont need carbs at night.

So, now you know to avoid carbs at night. Well, as you know protein is an essential nutritnet for muslce growth and recovery. So you definetely want to inlcude that in your meal. However, it shouldnt just be any type of protein. It is best to have cassein protein at night. Cassein protein is a very slow digesting protein that takes anywhere from 6-8 hours to digest. So you take in some cassein protein before bed and you have an instant metabolism boost. This way, your body is still working while you are sleeping to breakdown that protein and provide it to your muslces, vital organs, and keeping your metabolism skyrocketing.

So what kind of food cotains cassein protein. Basicaly any milk or cheeses. No, that does not include icecream! Foods that best for you at night are thing like milk, string cheese, sliced cheese, and cassein protein powder. However, there is one food that beats all of those is the king of night time muscle building. That food is.................


COTTAGE CHEESE!

Yes, I know most people look at it and gag but I promise you it is the best thing you can have at night. 7 years ago when I first started lifting I hated cottage cheese. I couldnt even stand to look at it. I soon learned that I was going to have to force myself to like it. Today, after a hard day of school and work I cannot wait to get home and chow down on my cup of cottage cheese.

So, next time you have a night time craving try to avoid those cupcakes, chips, and poptarts and stick to that cassein protein and eat some cottage cheese!


Questions? Shoot me an e-mail!

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu