It’s hard to imagine

It is somewhat difficult to comprehend, but the OPC Factor will enrich your life with less physical pain, increased alertness and less stress. All this will leave you feeling better than you have in years. Thousands of people are already experiencing the benefits of the OPC Factor after just weeks of taking the effervescent nutritional supplement.

What’s in that stuff?

OPC includes powerful antioxidants such as (23 total) vitamins E, B 12, C, A and Ester; grape seed; red wine extract; pine bark; lemon bioflavonoid; 8 minerals; vegetable and herbal extracts; and full spectrum plant enzymes. There is documented proof that these antioxidants can help prevent heart disease, can increase energy (where do I sign up? I need this!), improve circulation, slow the aging process (and who doesn’t want that?), and act as a natural anti inflammatory and helps to prevent ‘blood sludge’.

These invaluable ingredients also assist the body by promoting vision through better eye sight; they help your body support a stronger immune system; and strengthening capillaries and blood thereby improving circulation. The OPC Factor from Cell Essentials can even reduce the effects of the devastating disease – diabetes.

Doctors participate in OPC Factor reviews

A number of doctors can be heard on the promotional video singing the praises of the OPC Factor. One doctor gives it to patients struggling with compromised immune diseases such as colds and flu; another started giving it to children with ADHD, hyperactivity and learning disabilities with positive results not only in the classroom but at home as well.

What’s the rush?

Hurry! Because in the short time that it takes for you to watch the promo video for OPC Factor, over 237,414,000 of your body’s cells will be under attack by free radicals. Avoiding these free radicals is nearly impossible due to the fact that they’re in our air, water and food. Not only does this damage cause the body to age faster, it is a constant threat to our health. OPC Factor nourishes the body’s cells thereby reducing oxidative stress and the resulting aging process. Oxidative stress (the same thing that makes metals rust and apples and bananas turn brown), which is degrading your body as you read this, is primarily responsible for the aging process. Your body’s healthy cells are attacked by harmful free radicals which eventually take over the healthy cell and kill it.

Who can benefit from OPC factor?

Anyone. Athletes, when they exercise, produce free radicals. People with low immune systems can boost them by using OPC Factor. You will benefit from using OPC Factor. Don’t wait, act now and receive four bonus gifts. In addition, the sooner you order your own PC Factor, the better chance you stand of getting in on their two for one offer. What are you waiting for? You could already be enjoying a healthier body and a sturdier immune system!

Weight loss medications – or supplements – tend to fall into one of two categories; prescription or ‘natural’ over the counter medications and while many diet pills have been proven to be effective, they aren’t necessarily safe, even when they are prescribed by a health care professional.

Natural supplements are presumed to be safe simply because they contain herbal elements and we tend to assume herbal anything is safe, however that’s not always the case.

For example, some very effective diet drugs have historically been based on what are called ergot derived dopamine receptor agonists, that is, they are derived from mushroom type fungi and work on dopamine activity within the brain and liver as well as other organs.

One such drug was the now banned Fen-Phen, a notoriously over-prescribed and dangerous drug that has caused a number of severe cardiac conditions and deaths. This was marketed as both prescription medication and was freely available on the internet at one time, where it was promoted as a natural supplement.

Similarly, Ephedra, another natural supplement, was fairly recently banned in the US. Its effectiveness wasn’t in doubt; it worked minor miracles but again, it has the potential to cause serious and severe heart and neurological disease.

Furthermore, many of the supposedly natural supplements that are advertised on the internet are in fact counterfeit tablets and may contain just about anything other than the ‘real’ ingredient.

Diet and weight loss pills are readily available from healthcare professionals too but again, caution must be exercised before using these medications. Many can cause distressing symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or constipation.

They can also have an adverse effect on the kidneys and liver. For those who are morbidly obese, it’s often considered that the benefits of taking such medications outweigh the risks but this should only be decided after consultation with a healthcare professional.

The fact is, there is no such thing as an entirely ‘safe’ tablet. Anything we ingest, regardless of whether it’s a prescription medication or a ‘natural’ over the counter preparation, you should always research both the drug and the supplier.

Take into consideration all the known side-effects and then decide with your doctor whether the potential gains in terms of weight loss are worth putting yourself at any risk.

The fact remains, though we often don’t want to hear it, the only safe and effective means of permanent weight loss is through a reduction in calorific intake and an increase in physical activity levels. Yes, it can be slow and boring but is short-term dramatic weight loss worth risking your long-term health for?

This supplement works so well, that three out of four 1996 Summer Olympic Medalist’ were using creatine.

A French scientist first discovered creatine Monohydrate in 1832. Then, in 1923 further testing showed that over 95% of the supplement stores in the muscle tissue.

There have been numerous reports that have been published over the years, that tells of the body building effects of creatine monohydrate, and the very first to be published was in 1926, in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

It wasn’t until the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona, Spain, that creatine monohydrate was used for enhancing performances.

What is Creatine Monohydrate?

Our liver, pancreas, and kidneys naturally produce the compound, and then it is carried through the bloodstream to our body’s muscles. It is then that it is changed into phosphocreatine or creatine phosphate.

ATP, or adenosine triphosphate is the muscles main energy source, and creatine monohydrate aids the process of regenerating it, ultimately supplying energy to the muscles.

The use of creatine is 100% natural, and it is even naturally produced in several different foods, but especially tuna, herring, and salmon.

Although you can receive small amount of creatine in beef and through the intake of various foods, creatine monohydrate is a much better choice because you have the advantage of being able to receive more creatine per weight of material.

Read on to see what creatine monohydrate can do for you!

What does Creatine Monohydrate do?

This supplement has the ability to increase the muscle mass that body builders strive for, in as short a time as two weeks. It is no wonder that it is considered to be many body builders ultimate supplement.

Not only will it increase muscle mass, but it also improves performance in extreme exercising, it lets you enjoy much higher energy levels, and it also helps to speed the recovery rate process.

Creatine’s natural muscle protein synthesizing action is where the energy reserve enhancement comes from, and it also minimizes protein breakdown. Many body builders benefit from the supplement because it significantly enhances muscle growth.

This is achieved because the muscles’ fibers will become much bigger and much stronger. Creatine actually has the ability in keeping muscles super-hydrated with water.

What have studies shown?

The effects of creatine have been studied extensively over the past five years, to help determine exactly what creatine does in the body, and what causes it to work as well as it does.

More than twenty double blind studies have been performed, which proved the effectiveness of this very popular supplement. The findings of these studies not only proved enhanced endurance levels and recovery rates, as well as an increase in energy levels and increased strength, but also accelerated fat loss during the building of lean body mass, in individuals who used the supplement.

Who can benefit from its use?

Not only body builders can benefit from this supplement. Actually, anyone who would like to benefit from having increased energy, and be able to build muscle quicker, along with the advantage of more endurance, can benefit from creatine monohydrate.

Are you an individual who would like to have better muscle tone and increased lean muscle mass? Perhaps you are someone who is continuously involved in very intense physical activities. Or, do you often experience fatigue or physical stress?

It does not matter which of these best describes you, the use of creatine monohydrate will give you the advantage of having great results when it comes to recuperating faster, gaining lean muscle tone, having more energy, and losing extra fat in a faster amount of time.

How much should be taken?

There are two different ways that you can take this supplement. If you have never tried creatine before, the ‘loading’ method may work best for you. It involves taking 20 to 30 grams mixed with a non-acidic juice, such as grape juice, or water per day, for four days.

Then, you switch to taking a regular intake of between 5 and 15 grams per day. The initial four days will saturate and load your muscles up with creatine. After they have been ‘loaded’, the regular intake will ensure they maintain the level of saturation that they need.

The second method of supplementing with creatine monohydrate is a slower method than the first. In this approach, you skip the loading phase that is used in the other method, and you just take 5 to 15 grams per day, every single day, over an extended period of time.

The best results have been achieved when it is taken about 30 minutes before training and a combination of creatine is used with dextrose (glucose), which is a high carbohydrate base.

What are the side effects?

The use of this supplement is extremely safe, and very effective. There have been absolutely no side effects that have been reported with the use of this supplement, in any of the studies that have been performed.

In using creatine monohydrate, there is absolutely no reason to overdo its use. With the fantastic results you receive in such a short time, there will be no reason you will even want to!

Several pro-hormones have been tried in their search, and recent studies show this may not be the best option. There are just far too many side effects that are associated with the use of pro-hormone supplements.

There are safe alternatives that can be taken to achieve their goals however. Clinical studies have proven some awesome benefits in a new performance product that is called ZMA.

This new sports performance supplement includes just the right combination of both zinc and magnesium, to give you the advantage of being able to see great improvements in increasing levels of both your muscle strength, and in anabolic hormone levels.

It is Often wondered why Zinc and Magnesium are so important in achieving these goals

Many chemical reactions in your body, including that of your immune system, protein synthesis and cellular energy, rely on the important function of Zinc, because of its important role in regulating the T cells that are produced.

Your liver is very dependent on the protection it receives through Zinc, and it can also play a major role in slowing down enlargement of the prostate gland. Your reproductive organ health is also dependent on Zinc, to operate smoothly and efficiently.

There is a vast array of popular vitamins and supplements that include Zinc, but one of the most popular is the use of Zinc lozenges. The common cold is something that every single one of us has more than likely faced at some point in our life.

Zinc has been proven to lessen the effects that the common cold can cause, by 45 to 50%. It is not only effective for reducing the length of time that the symptoms are suffered, but it can also lessen the severity of the symptoms.

Exactly how does Magnesium help?

There are a variety of things that our bodies rely on magnesium for, such as the transporting of neuro-chemicals that is so essential for muscle function, the regulation of our moods, and very importantly for normal heart function.

Magnesium balances out the sodium and potassium that is within each of our cells. As important as magnesium is to every single one of us, studies have shown that as many as 74% of individuals do not take less than what is required in the suggested daily dose.

How does ZMA supplements play into the picture?

There are a variety of world-class athletes that are already enjoying the effects of this very beneficial product. Well-known NFL player, Lester Archambeau has stated, that when it comes to the advantages of ZMA, he is “extremely satisfied with ZMA. ZMA definitely helps me recover! I can tell when I take it and when I don’t. There is no doubt that it makes me sleep better.”

There are others as well who are very satisfied with the results they are seeing. The big Falcon states, “I have much better endurance when taking ZMA.” Currently there are more than 250 NFL players who are enjoying benefits of taking ZMA.

If that is not enough to convince you of it’s great effectiveness, Dr. Brilla finds, “A group of competitive NCAA football players who took ZMA nightly during an 8 week spring training program had 2.5 times greater muscle strength gains than a placebo group.

Pre and post leg strength measurements were made.” The strength of individuals in the ZMA group increased by 11.6%, where as the placebo group only saw a 4.6% increase.

Further commenting on ZMA, Dr. Brilla has stated, “The muscle strength increases may have been mediated by the anabolic hormone increases in the ZMA group. The ZMA group had 30% increases in free and total testosterone levels compared to 10% decreases in the placebo group.

The ZMA group also had a slight increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels compared to a 20% decrease in the placebo group. This study shows that anabolic hormone and muscle strength increases can be induced in already strength-trained athletes by using a novel zinc-magnesium preparation.”

A variety of different sports performance supplements have been considered to be a very controversial subject for many years, however the benefits of taking ZMA have been proven to be not only much more effective, but it is also an all natural alternative, meaning it is safe!

Never before has a nighttime anabolic formula been developed, that is designed specifically for the enhancement and recovery of muscles, through improved sleep efficiency.

So many people just do not realize how dependent that the healing in tissue repair, muscle growth, and hormone production are in receiving a deep and restful sleep.

As stated by Victor Conte, co-investigator and co-investigator and Director of BALCO Laboratories in Burlingame, California, “ZMA is the only all natural product that has been clinically proven to increase anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained athletes.”

Conte said, “There has never been a study reporting adverse health effects at these moderate dosages.”

What are the benefits of ZMA compared to Steroids?

It is a well-known fact that the use of steroids has been banned by many athletic organizations. This is not the case with ZMA. Since it is all-natural, it can be used safely, without any harmful side effects. It also does not have to be cycled.

The bottom line is this, when you begin to realize what is involved for speeding up the process of recovery, tissue repair, anabolic hormone production, healing, and muscle growth, the answer will be very easy.

ZMA is a much safer alternative to achieve these goals, than the use of steroids.

No, this is not true. In someone who weighs 220 pounds, if he were to consume 10g of creatine in a 24-hour period, 46% of it would be excreted, or simply go to waste. You will not benefit any more from taking a higher recommended dosage.

- Is Creatine loading mandatory?

Tests that were performed at Ball State University, at the Human Performance Laboratory, confirms the fact that smaller doses of creatine, such as 5g per day are effective, and this can be done without loading.

The studies are even suggesting that using more may very well be just a waste. However, in extenuating circumstances, such as with a professional athlete, you may want to consider loading, just to be sure.

- Is Creatine harmful to the liver and your kidneys?

Studies conducted by Dr. Kerry Kuehl, of Oregon Health Sciences University, followed 36 healthy men and women’s kidney function, after taking 10g of creatine every single day for a period of 12 weeks.

At the end of the tests, there were no adverse reactions shown to exist from taking this large of a consumption of creatine. In another study, healthy athletes who took up to 15.75g of creatine per day were tracked for 5 years, and they showed no signs of the large doses of creatine having affects on the kidneys or the liver.

- Does Creatine work better in liquid form?

Powder forms of creatine are your best bet. Acids that are found in the liquid forms of creatine, which are commonly used to preserve their shelf life, can actually break down its effectiveness, so you will benefit more from the powder forms, which are proven to be extremely stable.

- Are all Creatines the same?

No, they are not. Some forms of creatine are of much higher quality, than other forms. Creatine that is produced in Germany, is much more pure and cleaner, opposed to creatine produced in China.

These are of much lower quality, and they include more contaminants, such as sodium, dihydrotriazine, creatinine, and dicyandiamide.

- Can Creatine affect Anabolic Hormone Function?

Studies done at the University of Leuven, in Belgium, have proven that it does not affect anabolic hormone response during training. The hormones that were tested included testosterone, cortisol, and growth hormone.

Another finding noted during this study is that there may be benefits in stacking creatine with pro-hormones, or GH secretagogues.

- Is Creatine good for all types of athletes?

Endurance athletes that participate in various sports that demand steady aerobic output, may not benefit as well from the use of creatine, as others will. Those who need a fast or intense surge of power or strength however, will benefit a great deal from the use of these supplements.

This just will not happen, and may even give the opposite effect. Supplements can only be used for their own purpose and that purpose is to provide the body the nutrients it is missing. The main provider of nutrients to your body should be your diet.

This diet should be balanced, and no amount of supplements will be able to fix a bad diet. If you are using a bad diet, there is no amount of working out that will give you the results that you are pursuing. Everything should be balanced.

Water

If you are looking for a supplement that is the most important of all of the other the supplements in the world, then look no further. There is nothing more important to muscle mass than water. Not only that, but the body itself is dependent on water. A significant percentage of the human body is made up of water.

Body fat contains approximately 14% water. Human bone contains 22% water. Lean muscle tissue itself contains about 75% water. The blood that gives oxygen to those muscles contains 95% water. The adult male body as a whole is made up of about 60% water while the adult female body is 55% water.

This is one reason why the liquid supplements, as in protein drinks, are so useful. With them, your muscles are flooded with the two prime components of protein and water. The recommended amount of water that you should consume a day is 10 cups plus all other fluids. The water you should be drinking should be without calories or other additives.

Protein, Protein Powders, And Weight Gainers

Protein feeds the muscles and helps them heal and grow. You should be getting plenty of protein through your diet, from the meats and beans that you eat. But, when you are in need of a quick boost of protein, such as after a hard workout or when preparing for one, you can get a healthy amount of protein from a protein supplement.

Protein supplements are most commonly drink powders. They are mixed either with water or milk and come in a variety of different flavors. While Protein powders and drinks can help you gain weight in the nourishment of your muscles, weight gainers can help with body mass in general.

Although there are plenty to choose from, whey protein, which comes from milk, is probably the best and can be a major help to those who need that perfect boost. Whey protein is made up of chains of amino acids. This makes it very easy to digest and be absorbed into the body.

Although there are many different kinds of protein powders, such as soy, egg, milk, and combination products, each one has their own set of advantages. For example, for the vegetarians out there, soy protein is very cheap as well as an all-vegetable product.

Soy protein is not only a complete protein, but also it has very little flavor so that it can be mixed with almost anything. For many years, egg protein was considered the best source of protein and although it is still the best natural source, it has a protein profile that is complete and is easily absorbed and digested.

Although egg protein is one of the most beneficial, it is fairly expensive and tastes terrible compared to the other choices available today.

Milk

Milk is very popular in gaining mass. It is the most convenient and easily used supplement available other than water. It also contains complete protein that is digested and absorbed very slowly making it an ideal day-to-day-use protein for consumption between meals.

You also get plenty of amino acids into your bloodstream throughout the day. The convenience of using milk as a supplement is great because when you don’t have time to make a protein shake or eat a balanced meal, you can get a liter of milk just about anywhere and instantly have a great snack.

That single liter of milk has 48 grams of carbohydrates, 32 grams of protein, and you can buy an assortment of fat content depending on your needs. Milk is also available in powdered form, but since it is so conveniently available everywhere and is not expensive, why bother with it?

Multi-Vitamin Supplements

A good multi-vitamin supplement is really more than anything else, an insurance policy. Although you may not need all of what they provide, there is sure to be something in them that your body does need.

Simply because of diets that are restricted and repetitive consumption of the same foods, bodybuilders are at risk of developing certain deficiencies. A multi-vitamin can help eliminate that risk all together.

Creatine

Creatine is probably the most popular “actual” supplement available on the market today. This is simply just because creatine actually works! Creatine monohydrate, which is a component of the supplement, is converted to creatine phosphate and is mainly absorbed into the muscles.

If creatine is consumed in supplemental form, more of the Creatine phosphate is then stored allowing you to train longer and harder. Also, because your muscles have more creatine stored, it allows more water to be stored as well in the muscles.

This will also cause the muscles to appear bigger which is what most people are lifting weights for in the first place. Starting off though, this added mass is almost purely water weight gain, but if the creatine is taken on a continued basis, your body will start to compensate to the new balance and start to build muscle.

Glutamine

More expensive than most of the other supplements, glutamine can be a really good addition for you. It is the amino acid found most in muscle tissue. With most weightlifters, glutamine can become depleted because your muscles are in a constant stage of repair.

Because of this problem, a glutamine supplement can decrease the time it takes you to recuperate, in turn, getting you back to the gym faster. This will give you better gains as a result. Although this could be a major help in your muscle’s healing process, pay attention to your body.

If it is telling you that you need to rest longer, then rest longer. You could avoid a lot of injuries by doing so.

Others?

Listing all of the different supplements can go on forever, literally, so if you think you are in need of anything else specific, contact your doctor first, then a local supplement store or gym trainer. They may be able to help you find exactly what you need.

Answer: In creatine’s infancy as a supplement, many myths surrounded it. Some of these included that you should avoid taking it with caffeine, that creatine will make you cramp and, the most extreme of all, that creatine will kill you.

One piece of useful advice that came out back then regarding creatine was that you should cycle it. The theory was that taking creatine for too long would cause the creatine receptors (located on muscle cells that allow creatine to enter them) to decrease their ability to get the supplement into the muscle cells.

This would cause the levels of creatine in muscle cells to decrease, along with desired results. This theory has yet to be supported with solid research; however, cycling creatine can be beneficial to both your muscles and your bank account.

Undoubtedly, creatine is effective at producing strength and muscle mass gains. Yet, after many months of taking creatine, those strides seem to hit a plateau. Despite not making continued gains, many guys don’t stop taking the supplement for fear that they will lose muscle and strength.

But you don’t have to worry about this — you will not lose your gains when you stop taking creatine. In fact, in a 2004 study researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) found that subjects taking creatine who stopped taking it for 12 weeks lost no strength or muscle mass.

So, yes, consider cycling creatine, but only after the results you are getting from it seem to hit a ceiling. That’s the time to stop taking it for about four weeks. You won’t lose any of your hard-earned muscle in this time period, and when you start taking it again, you’ll get another boost in strength and mass above what you experienced from your previous cycle of creatine.

While a number of weight loss supplements can be harmful to people with certain conditions, on the whole, they are available in a variety of options and some work better than others. Some supplements are on hand at the local drugstore/supermarket while alternative options can be prescribed by your doctor.

The Food and Drug Administration continuously test these supplements in an attempt to combat the epidemic of obesity present among today’s society. If you are struggling to lose weight, a supplement could help you attain your goal.

Psychological Enhancement – Weight loss supplements provide psychological support for those struggling with their diet and in need of additional willpower. The expectation for a supplement to contribute success versus failure places you in a positive mindset, and thus, produces results.

These results are conclusive of the supplement increasing circulation to the brain and simply making you feel better. Sometimes we simply underestimate the power of our mind.

Metabolic Boost – Weight loss supplements gear towards an increase in the metabolic rate of your body, meaning, glucose (sugar) burns more efficiently instead of storing in your body and becoming fatty residue. When energy is burned, rather than stored, your body does not maintain weight.

As our age increases, our metabolic rate decreases, thus, managing your metabolism today will help maintain a steady rate when you grow old, producing many more quality years.

Fat Burn – The common initiative of a weight loss supplement is its fat-burning ability. You aim to rid your body of fat cells by using them as energy, rather than having them show up on your profile. Utilizing a supplements ability to positively alter the body processes makes it less difficult to visualize success in your weight loss efforts.

Selecting a weight loss supplement will add a large amount of success to your dieting and weight management efforts. They supply nutrition to your body while you’re shedding the pounds. Supplements increase your metabolic rate, so the amount of energy being used is significantly higher in all activities.

Some supplements “fill you up,” helping you control your appetite. Kick off your new diet regimen and see results with the benefits of a weight loss supplement, that will actually show results.

A vast majority of the supplement products on the market today are over-hyped, over-advertised and made out to be the next big thing, but as you probably already know, just because you see a pro taking a supplement, doesn’t mean he actually uses it, or that it works well.

Below we’ve mapped out the top 10 most effective supplements, ranked in order of priority. If you’re strapped on cash, make sure to start at the beginning, and work in from there.

» Priority Number 1: Whey Protein Powder
Why it’s important: Whey tops the list of mass-gain supplements because it’s the most crucial for pushing protein synthesis. Whey is a milk protein that has a high level of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, you’ll notice they made our supplement priority list below, as well).

Whey takes the crown because it digests fast and gets to your muscles rapidly to start building muscle. Whey also contains peptides (small proteins) that increase blood flow to the muscles. This is why it’s always recommended to consume whey protein immediately after training.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 20 grams of whey protein powder 30 minutes before working out, and take 40 grams within 60 minutes after training. Also consider taking 20-40 grams of whey immediately upon waking every morning to kick-start muscle growth and end the food starvation mode your body is in after a 7-9 hour fast.

Your best bet is to choose a whey powder that contains whey protein hydrolysates (whey protein broken down into smaller fragments for faster digestion) or whey protein isolate.

» Priority Number 2: Casein Protein Powder
Why it’s important: The other milk protein, casein, comes in on the priority list just under whey. Casein isn’t an all-purpose protein, like whey, but due to its very slow digestion rate, this makes it ideal as a pre-bedtime shake because it prevents catabolism while you sleep by emptying slowly and steadily. (Even a small phase of catabolism can lead to muscle absorption in the body)

Casein also makes you feel less full, which makes it a great snack for those who want to pack on muscle mass. New research also finds that casein gives whey a run for its money. When it’s taken post-workout, casein boosts muscle protein synthesis much like whey does. It’s even suggested that a whey and casein protein shake taken after training increases muscle growth better than either protein taken alone.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Choose a casein protein that contains micellar casein (the slowest-digesting casein you can buy) and take 20-40 grams right before going to bed. After workouts, add 10-20 grams of casein to your whey protein. Also, use 20-40 grams of casein in your protein shakes between meals.

» Priority Number 3: Creatine
Why it’s important: Creatine is made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine and methionine. Anecdotal reports and scientific studies alike find that guys who take creatine gain a good 10 pounds or more of body-weight and increase strength dramatically. Creatine works in a number of ways. For one, it increases the amount of fast energy in your muscles needed to perform reps in the gym.

The more of this fast energy that’s available, the more reps you can do with a given weight, allowing you to get bigger and stronger in the long run. Creatine also draws more water into your muscle cells, placing a stretch on the cell that increases long-term growth. Most recently, creatine has been found to increase levels of insulin-like growth factor-i (IGF-i) in muscles, which is critical for stimulating growth.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 2.5-5 grams of creatine in the form of creatine monohydrate, creatine malate, creatine ethyl ester or creatine alpha-ketoglutarate with your protein shake immediately before workouts. This will help keep your muscles saturated with creatine, producing the rapid energy they need to perform more reps.

Then consume another 2-5 grams with your postworkout shake (in addition to 40-100 grams of fast-digesting carbs), a time when creatine will be rapidly taken up by muscle cells and the boost in IGF-i levels will help prompt further growth. On days when you don’t train, you can also take 2-5 grams of creatine with a breakfast that contains carbohydrates.

» Priority Number 4: Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Why their important: The term branched-chain amino acids refers to leucine, isoleucine and valine, the most important amino acids for repairing and building muscle tissue. Leucine is the most critical of the three, as research shows that it can stimulate muscle protein synthesis on its own.

Although, it’s still best to take all three together, since they work in synergy to provide a multitude of benefits, including muscle growth, increased energy during workouts, the blunting of Cortisol (a catabolic hormone that inhibits testosterone and increases muscle breakdown, also brought on by stress) and decreased delayed-onset muscle soreness.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 5-10 grams of BCAAs with breakfast, as well as in your pre- and postworkout shakes. Look for BCAA products that provide leucine at a ratio of 2:1 per dose of isoleucine and valine.

For example, if you take a 5-gram dose of BCAAs, about 2.5 grams should be from leucine, 1.25 grams from isoleucine and 1.25 grams from valine. Xtend, by Scivation, is a good product to take during your lifts. It provides the essential BCAAs to help provide you extra energy and benefits during your lift.

» Priority Number 5: Beta-Alanine / Carnosine
Why its important: In the body, the amino acid beta-alanine is combined with another amino, histidine, to form carnosine. Research shows that when muscles have higher levels of carnosine, they have more strength and endurance.

Carnosine appears to increase the muscle fibers’ ability to contract with more force, and to do so longer without fatiguing, resulting in a better lift producing better gains. Several studies reported increases in muscle strength and power in athletes who took beta-alanine. One recent study found that subjects who took beta-alanine along with creatine gained more muscle mass and lost more bodyfat than subjects who took only creatine.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 1-2 grams of beta-alanine or carnosine immediately before and after every workout in addition to your shakes and creatine. On nonworkout days, you can also take 2 grams with breakfast, along with creatine.

» Priority Number 6: Nitric Oxide Boosters
Why it’s important: Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule found throughout the body that’s involved in multiple processes. The one that bodybuilders are most interested in is its ability to dilate blood vessels, which allows more blood flow to the muscles for enhanced delivery of oxygen, nutrients, anabolic hormones and water (blood is mostly water).

This gives you more energy during your workout, an enhanced muscle pump, and better muscle recovery and growth after the workout. Although their called NO boosters, they don’t actually provide NO, but rather the amino acid arginine, which is readily converted to NO in the body. Research has found that subjects who were given arginine increased muscle strength and growth and lost bodyfat.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take an NO booster that provides 3-5 grams of arginine in the form of L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglu-tarate, arginine ethyl ester or arginine malate. Also, consider NO boosters that provide ingredients such as citrulline, pycnogenol and American ginseng, which enhance arginine’s ability to increase NO.

Take one dose at each of the following times: in the morning before breakfast, 30-60 minutes before training, immediately after training and 30-60 minutes before bedtime. When possible, take each dose without food and consider combining it with 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C, which can help maintain levels of NO for longer.

» Priority Number 7: Glutamine
Why it’s important: This amino acid has been a favorite of bodybuilders for decades because it’s central to muscle function and is one of the most plentiful aminos found in the human body.

Glutamine provides numerous bodybuilding benefits, such as aiding muscle growth by increasing levels of leucine in muscle fibers, helping decrease muscle breakdown and bolstering the immune system, which helps prevent you from getting sick and missing workouts.

Glutamine taken before workouts can help decrease muscle fatigue and boost growth hormone levels. In addition, recent research shows that glutamine might also play a role in fat loss by increasing the amount of calories and fat burned at rest and during exercise.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 5-10 grams of glutamine in the morning with breakfast, with your pre and post-workout shakes, and with your nighttime shake, before bed

» Priority Number 8: ZMA
Why it’s important: ZMA is a combination of zinc, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6. It’s an important supplement because hard-training athletes such as bodybuilders are often deficient in these critical minerals, which are important for maintaining hormone levels and aiding sleep (essential for recovery).

Intense training can compromise levels of testosterone and IGF-i. In fact, one study found that athletes who took ZMA significantly increased their levels of testosterone and IGF-i during eight weeks of training, while those who took a placebo experienced a drop in both T and IGF-i. Naturally, boosting testosterone and IGF-i can make huge impacts on muscle gains.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Use a ZMA product that provides about 30 mg of zinc, 450 mg of magnesium and 10.5 mg of vitamin B6 and take it 30-60 minutes before bedtime without any food or calcium. Taking ZMA on an empty stomach will enhance its uptake and utilization and improve your sleep quality for optimal recovery.

» Priority Number 9: Carnitine
Why it’s important: Besides being a popular fat-loss supplement, carnitine is now known to enhance muscle growth through a number of mechanisms, all of which are supported by clinical research. For one, carnitine can increase blood flow to muscles, which means it provides similar benefits to NO boosters.

It also increases testosterone levels post-workout and the amount of T receptors inside muscle cells, which allows more testosterone to stimulate more growth. In addition, carnitine supplements have been found to increase levels of IGF-i. Add all these benefits together and you have the potential to gain enormous amounts of muscle.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Take 1-3 grams of carnitine in the form of L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine or L-carnitine-L-tartrate with breakfast, your pre and post-workout shakes, as well as your nighttime shake.

» Priority Number 10: High Molecular-Weight Carbs (Vitargo)
» Why it’s important: Molecular weight is a term that refers to the mass of one molecule of a substance. Therefore, high molecular-weight carbs (HMCs) are essentially made up of very large, heavy molecules. HMCs such as the patented Vitargo brand are typically made from waxy maize (corn) starch.

What makes these carbs so special is their ability to rapidly pass through the stomach to the intestines where they can be absorbed and enter the blood. Research shows that HMCs pass through the stomach at a rate almost 100% faster than sports drinks.

This is important after exercise because consuming carbs at this time blunts Cortisol levels, prevents muscle breakdown and raises insulin levels to help promote muscle growth and replenish muscle glycogen levels.

» How to maximizie this supplement’s effects: Taking 60-80 grams of HMCs mixed in your post-workout shake will help push muscle recovery and growth, and the insulin spike it causes will drive more amino acids, creatine and carnitine into your muscle cells. In other words, HMCs will not only boost muscle growth themselves but they will help your other mass supplements work even better.

Creatine is one of the most popular muscle building products on the market available today, and for good reason. The hype surrounding the supplement is backed up by some pretty impressive studies. Its popularity continues to grow due to its effective muscle building results and low chance of side effects when it’s taken within the recommended dosage.

It’s also considered quite safe since it helps to supplement a process in the body that occurs naturally, assisting to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells.

Although the long-term effects aren’t completely understood, creatine is considered one of the most effective, safe supplements to gain muscle; period. Below we’ll be breaking down all of the important aspects of creatine, including the history, creatine’s scientific principles and what exactly it does in your body.

We’ve also thrown in instructions that explain the best
time to take it, how much to take and few other recommendations.

- The History and Media-Coverage of Creatine

Even though creatine has been known to scientists to boost performance since as early as the 1900s, it has become increasingly popular since the early nineties, when supplement companies first started major production.

The media was first introduced to creatine during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, when it was stated that Linford Christie, the gold medalist in the 100 meter, had trained with creatine prior to the Olympics. A few medal-winning rowers were also named as using creatine during their pre-Olympic training that year.

From then on, creatine came into the spotlight as being a well-researched, credible supplement to aid in physical performance, as well as muscle building.

Gain Muscle with Creatine- Natural Scientific Process of Creatine within the Body

Unlike most bodybuilding supplements, creatine is not a mineral, vitamin or hormone. It occurs naturally within your body, derived from three non-essential amino acids. As you probably already know, amino acids are vitally important, and are the most basic building-block of protein.

Ninety-five percent of creatine in the body is stored within the skeletal muscle system. Although most people acquire a healthy dose of creatine naturally through meats, fish, dairy, egg whites and nuts, the body has the ability to store high amounts of creatine within muscle tissue.

Since it is nearly impossible to eat enough food to fill these reserves, a creatine supplement plays a large role in enhancing muscular gains.

One of the main advantages of creatine is its ability to aid in energy production within the body. When ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the activated carrier which “feeds” organisms energy) loses a phosphate molecule and becomes ADP (adenosine diphosphate), it must be converted back to ATP for the molecule to be used as energy again.

This is where the creatine stored in your body comes into play. The phosphocreatine stored within your muscle cells donates phosphate to the ADP, which renews the ATP molecule, allowing it to produce energy once again.

Despite the fact creatine’s most prominent trait is aiding in energy production, a large portion of the benefits help to stimulate and enhance muscle growth. Creatine helps supply you with more energy within your cells for your lift, which also allows you to hit more reps, resulting in a larger amount of muscle fibers being worked.

By allowing the lifter to perform more reps and sets, increased protein synthesis occurs naturally. Additionally, when a larger amount of creatine phosphate is stored within muscle tissue, the muscle retains more water, which is referred to as being volumized.

As a result of the volumized muscle, protein synthesis is enhanced, the breakdown of protein is discouraged, and an increased level of Glycogen synthesis takes place within the muscle. There are also studies that show creatine supplementation aids in repairing muscles quicker then a placebo group.

Bottomline: Creatine is used in the body to renew molecules quicker to be used for energy, resulting in more work within the muscles being done, which yields greater muscular strength and mass.

- Are there any adverse side effects associated with creatine?

The majority of short-term studies (doses taken for 2 weeks or less) on creatine monohydrate have resulted in no high-risk adverse effects being associated with taking the recommended dosage.

Dehydration, due to excess water being pulled into muscles, as well as muscle cramping, normally associated dehydration, have said to have been small side effects associated with creatine. These both can be eliminated by increasing your daily water intake, making sure you get close to a gallon of water per day.

Although, since there haven’t been many long-term studies on creatine, no one can tell for sure if creatine is safe in the long-run. But by following the recommended dosages, and increasing your daily water intake, creatine usage is quite safe.

Creatine does tend to put more stress on the kidneys since the excess does need to be filtered from your blood, but no direct correlations have been found between creatine and any type of kidney disease, or failure due to creatine intake.

In conclusion, creatine is one of the safest, most effective supplements. To stay the safest, it’s a good idea to take creatine on a daily basis for no more then 12 weeks. After a 12 week period, it’s suggested to take a month off to allow your body to return to its normal levels of creatine, just to be safe.

- Which Creatine is the best? When and How Much Creatine do I need?

There are many different types and forms of creatine available, including creatine serums, micronized creatines, effervescent creatines, creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester, etc.

Instead of messing around with the new forms that are “marketed” to have better absorption rates or a higher potency, forget about every other one and stick with the most common, fully researched form of creatine: creatine monohydrate.

Creatine monohydrate is simply a creatine complexed with a molecule of water, which helps make its bioavailability higher, resulting in the highest researched absorption rate.

Which creatine brand is best?

The best brand we suggest when it comes to creatine supplementation is PrimaForce’s CreaForm. PrimaForce is a company owned by Scivation, known for providing high-quality, research-proven products at an affordable price. We personally use Creaform ourselves for every workout, and can definitely back it’s quality and effectiveness.

When and How Much?

There are currently two “popular” ways of taking creatine. One is on a daily basis, before and after workouts, while the second is referred to as “loading” and sometimes “cycling.” A loading and cycling form of taking creatine requires you to take a high dosage for 5-7 days, followed by a maintenance dosage per day.

We won’t go into much more detail then that here, because we firmly believe a loading phase is just not necessary. A much more effective and easier process is to sandwich your workouts with a moderate creatine dose.

Assuming you take a pre and post-workout shake, which, by the way, is the most effective way to supplement around your workout, it’d be a perfect time to throw in one scoop, or 5g of CreaForm.

This strategy of supplementation will enhance your lift, since your body will use up the creatine it gets beforehand for energy, as well as aid in recovery by using the creatine it gets afterwards to help repair and rejuvenate your muscle fibers.

Pre-Workout (Approximately 45-60 minutes before your lift): 5g of Creatine
Post-Workout (Within 60 minutes of your lift, the sooner the better): 5g of Creatine

As your system adapts to the creatine, it will begin to saturate your body, storing higher amounts of creatine within your muscle tissue, pulling more water into the muscle, as well as giving you all of the benefits we’ve talked about: building and maintaining lean muscle, providing more energy during sets and faster recovery between sets when training, promoting muscle cell hydration, increasing strength and recovery.

It can take up to a month for your body to regulate and store the new creatine, so stick with it for at least that long before you judge its benefits and results.

5 Steps to Ensure Creatine works for You:

1. What is it? Creatine occurs naturally within your body as an amino acid.
2. Why use it? Creatine is used in the body to product greater energy, resulting in greater muscle gains when supplemented.
3. When should I take it? Pre-Workout (Approximately 45-60 minutes before your lift), as well as Post-Workout (Within 60 minutes of your lift, the sooner the better).
4. How much should I take? 5g (1 scoop of CreaForm)
5. Recommendations: Drink 1 gallon of water per day, don’t exceed recommended dosage.

Also, to clarify, we’re not compensated in anyway for suggesting CreaForm as our choice in creatine. It’s simply a good product that we’ve personally used and recommend. You can choose your own brand if you like, but it’s a good idea to at least stick with creatine monohydrate, and 2.5-5g as your dosage.

Although, if you choose a different product, make sure to check the label to see what they suggest for proper dosage instructions.