Creatine is one of the essential supplements for the human body. Over the years, it has been tested to be effective and safe for use.
But, should you take creatine even when you are on cutting?
According to many people, creatine is just beneficial for enhancing muscle strength, and thus, they are mostly confused about its consumption during the cutting phase. However, contrary to the basic belief, creatine can be taken while cutting.
Let us get in detail to understand what makes creatine safe to consume during cutting.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is the substance made naturally in your body’s muscle cells, which is synonymous for enhancing muscle strength and growth. The main need of this supplement is to allocate energy to different body muscles during a heavy and high-intensity workout.
ATP is well-known as the energy production’s cellular currency, which fuels almost all the body’s biological processes. It comes with its ability to improve the production of energy (ATP) in the body. The higher amount of ATP you have, the better performance you can deliver before seeing a decline in your performance.
Creatine is very similar to amino acids. The majority of the body’s creatine is stored in the muscles, with a minimal amount stored in the kidneys, liver, and brain. As a matter of fact, the human body can produce creatine from the stored amino acids like glycine and arginine.
Benefits Of Consuming Creatine During Cutting:
The consumption of creatine during cutting ensures protection and support to the body muscles by bringing and maintaining the desired amount of water in the muscles. This, thus, prevents and protects muscle fibers from being damaged.
Therefore, it is suggested to drink lots of water during the cutting phase as it reduces the risk of muscle injury or breakdown because of dehydration. Along with this, the regular consumption of creatine helps in:
- Improving body fat percentage
- Enhancing the muscle strength
- Stabilizing the power performance
- Increasing endurance without affecting the body’s fat mass
Besides these, here are some of the benefits which you can expect from creatine:
- The consumption of creatine helps to get a better performance in the gym for longer hours. This proves beneficial for maintaining muscle growth in the long run
- It accelerates the performance of individual cells during the recovery and repairing stage of body muscles
- It helps in increasing the hormonal levels of the body
- Creatine is also beneficial for maintaining the required amount of hydration in the muscles. The hydrated body muscles are helpful in fatigue and muscle growth.
- Lastly, it is also beneficial to control the breakdown of protein in the body, which prevents muscle breakdown.
How Much Creatine Do You Need?
There is no fixed amount of creatine suitable for everyone. The recommended dosage to consume is about 5g for 4-times a day continued for 5-7 days. However, the athletes with heavy workout needs consume up to 20g of this supplement for about a month.
Once you have taken the recommended dosage for a month, you just need to balance an adequate maintenance amount. After the successful creatine saturation in the body, you would need 3-5g of it for maintenance. However, for heavy workout athletes, the dosage for maintenance can go up to 5-10g a day.
Therefore, it is advised to consult the suitable creatine dose with your health experts before including it in your diet.
What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Creatine?
Although there are no significant side effects of creatine on the body, the negative side of creatine is losing too many calories or fat quickly. The effort of losing bodyweight aggressively can be damaging for the body as well as for the mind.
The common adverse effects that you may face are as follow:
- Excessive consumption of creatine can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea
- After the recovery phase, you may tend to gain weight
- You may also feel irregular –
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
- Energy and hormone levels
- Muscle mass
In addition to these effects, men taking creatine during the cutting phase may experience lower testosterone levels, and women may face irregular or lacking periods.
Tips To Keep In Mind:
You can avoid the harmful effects of creatine by keeping these simple yet effective tips in mind:
- Plan a diet supporting slower and steady weight loss. This will help in preserving the required energy and lean muscle mass while cutting the unwanted fat.
- Ensure to take a proper and nutritious diet. Make sure to include 1.25-1.5g of protein in your diet as it helps to protect the lean muscle mass.
- Maintain a balanced maintenance amount of 3g creatine to enhance the recovery, strength, and power of the body
- Drink lots of water as it prevents any muscle damage because of dehydration
- Never compromise on your sleep. Getting sound sleep for 7-8 hours will help in balancing mental and physical health by improving stamina and focus
What Is The Right Time To Take Creatine?
There are different assumptions about the right time to consume creatine. Some people prefer to take it at night, while others suggest taking it right after their high-intensity workout.
Everyone has a different take on the optimal or suitable time to consume creatine, but it largely depends on your preference. You should take it when you think it is suitable for your body. It is suggested to take creatine before or after exercise during your workout days, and anytime you are not working out.
Conclusion:
Your safety and health should be the prime concerns when you are considering cutting. Creatine can be a reliable supplement source to improve muscle power, body strength, and weight management. When appropriately taken with all the required precautions and a nutritional diet, creatine can be highly beneficial to achieve your fitness goal.
It is always suggested to discuss your fitness goals and products with a health expert during the cutting phase. They can also help to monitor your daily progress.
For more detail and information on the efficiency of creatine while cutting, please do comment below. We will bring you the best assistance possible.
Also Read:
Creatine For Athletic Performance
Combine Protein and Creatine for Maximum Increase in fat-free mass
