Most people hit the gym with an intention to gain muscle, it’s one of the most common goals when somebody is hitting the gym. However, it isn’t easy building muscle, it requires for you to follow a strict diet and a good amount of hard work. Your diet is basically paramount to building muscle. But, there are times when food isn’t enough to provide you with the nutrients to reach your goal quickly. So, what do you do when food is not enough? This is where the supplements come in. People turn to supplements when food is not giving them a sufficient amount of nutrients to reach their goals; and one of the most common supplements used is creatine.
Creatine is one of those supplements which are quite easily available in the market. However, if you have never used creatine before it can become intimidating for you; there are other ways to build muscle, if you cannot take creatine, moreover, the process will be much faster.
What is creatine?
Creatine is naturally produced in the liver and is made of three amino acids, supplying the cells in the body with energy. However, even though this substance is produced naturally in the body, the energy demands of athletes are higher, therefore, they greatly benefit with creatine supplements. Creatine supplements are used because they help with high intensity training, for example, whether it is performing a few reps per set, lifting very heavy weights, engaging in strength training or high intensity interval training, creatine will help you get through your workout routine. A study conducted in California found that creatine supplements increase performance intense and short strength training exercises, moreover, it boosts your testosterone level. Therefore, these supplements can be used in place of testosterone boosters which increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. It was concluded in a study that after 10 weeks of using creatine supplement, the resting level of testosterone was increased. Body builders are aware of the fact that creatine helps in the building of muscle mass, however, it is not suitable for all body builders.
What is better than creatine?
The debate for which supplement is better beta alanine or creatine is an ongoing one. Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring beta amino acids. Moreover, it is not used to build protein, that is, it is non-proteogenic. As for amino acids, the body does not produce beta-alanine directly from foods. Beta-amino acids are derivatives of dipeptides, carnosine, balenine and anersine. The breakdown of these dipeptides helps in the absorption of beta-alanine by the body. Therefore, body builders are able to benefit from beta-alanine supplements in several surprising ways, by increasing carosine levels in the body.
What makes beta-alanine better than creatine?
Beta-alanine supplements are better than creatine because they increase lean mass and increase the aerobic and anaerobic endurance, consequently helping increase athletic performance. Beta-alanine supplements allows the athlete to train for longer periods of time because it increases strength and improves the response to fatiguing muscles during training.
Beta-alanine limits the buildup of lactic acid in the body
Beta-alanine limits the buildup of lactic acid in the body by decreasing acidosis which makes it a supplement better than creatine. Likewise, in athletes who perform high intensity exercises, beta-alanine increases the levels of carnosine, the greatest benefit which makes it better than creatine. Athletes who engage in high intensity workouts and reps which lead to exhaustion, they will greatly benefit if they add beta-alanine to their diet. Moreover, athletes engaging in Cross-Fit or HIIT, will notice a significant increase in their punch frequency and force with beta-alanine supplementation.