We know that creatine is an amazing foundational supplement to take every day.
Since its release to the public it’s been the focus of over 1,000 research papers and is shown to exert positive effects on many areas of human health across a wide range of ages from children to elderly adults.
In terms of effects on muscle and strength, one meta-analysis showed that creatine-supplemented groups had significantly greater increases in power output(1), lean tissue mass, chest press strength, and leg press strength compared with placebo(2).
More recent research has focused on the improvements creatine has on cognitive health(3),
brain performance, memory(4), brain aging, and more, and the results there appear to be just as promising.
But one of the biggest 'issues' with creatine has always been absorption.
Fortunately there is a simple way to enhance your creatine monohydrate absorption to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck in terms of effectiveness.
Whether you prefer creatine capsules or by the scoop, all you need to do is add a little sea salt to the water you drink your creatine with.
Because salt, or more specifically, sodium, plays an important role in your body’s ability to absorb and utilize creatine and other nutrients effectively. Sodium acts as an electrolyte that facilitates the transport of nutrients, including creatine, into your muscle cells.
You see, sodium helps maintain fluid balance and muscle hydration, both of which are essential for optimal muscle function and growth.
But when you sweat during exercise, you lose sodium and other electrolytes and replenishing these are vital to keep your muscles functioning properly and to support the growth process.
The key is to not overdue it. You only need a pinch.
To maximize your creatine results, consider these steps:
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Maintain sodium balance: Ensure you have enough sodium in your diet. Many people already get too much sodium from their diet, so you may find cutting out a high-salt snack in your diet to accommodate the pinch of salt in your water for best creatine absorption may be a great trade-off in terms of health improvement, muscle gain, and the added benefit of learning a new habit.
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Hydrate properly: Adequate hydration is paramount. Sodium helps with fluid retention in muscles, which can improve creatine uptake and muscle volume. (Keep reading for a simple way to do this every morning)
• Pre-workout sodium: Incorporate a small amount of salt or an electrolyte-rich drink like
Hyperade into your pre-workout routine. This can optimize the environment for creatine absorption and improve your workout performance.
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Be consistent: Take 5 g of creatine every day. Focus on building the habit so there is less chance of forgetting to do it. Consistency helps maintain creatine levels in your muscles, leading to better results over time.
It’s also important to understand that it doesn’t require a military like schedule. If you forget to take your creating in the morning just do it when you get home later in the day.
If you miss a day, don’t sweat it. It's not that serious.
Is taking creatine with sodium or other electrolytes absolutely necessary?
No, it’s not.
So if you have creatine but you don’t have salt, still take the creatine.
But if you do have sea salt available and the creatine you’re currently using only contains creatine monohydrate, start experimenting by adding a bit of sea salt along with the creatine in your daily water bottle or workout drink and observe the difference in your performance and gains.
If it’s too salty you’ll know when you taste it. Next time reduce the amount of salt until you find the mixture you like best. This will help you dial in your perfect mix without consuming excess sodium that may lead to
negative effects like elevated blood pressure.
You can mix up a bottle of water and keep it by your bedside to and start the day by drinking it right when you wake up.
(It’s a great way to rehydrate to start the day and you hardly notice the salt and you don’t notice the creatine at all.)
If you don’t want to mix it yourself you can use a pre-mixed version that utilizes an optimal salt to creatine ratio like ATP-Fusion.
ATP-FUSION is enhanced with a performance-focused dose of sodium and potassium in order to better aid with creatine absorption and utilization within the body.
It is formulated with a precise amount of sodium to open the cells like a key to a lock so your cells absorb creatine like a sponge soaks up water.
It’s perfect for men and women of any age seeking lean muscle gains with no adverse bloating. It requires no loading phases or sugar to ensure absorption and is stimulant free and can be used any time of day, including pre or post-workout!
References:
(1) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373969902_Effectiveness_of_Creatine_in_Metabolic_Performance_A_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-Analysis
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679696/
(3) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0741-x
(4) https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/81/4/416/6671817
