Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that found naturally in red meat. It is produced by the body in the liver and kidneys and converted in the muscles to creatine phosphate to resupply your muscles with their source of energy, that is, ATP.
ATP is needed for your muscles to contract. By replenishing ATP stores, creatine helps enhance your performance by increasing your explosive strength and endurance, helping you pump out those few extra reps at the end of your set to spark more muscle growth.
Intense exercise depletes muscles of creatine. By taking creatine as a supplement you can increase the supply to the muscles. Daily food consumption meets the body’s creatine requirements for normal function, but for athletes who are participating in sports that require short-term burst of energy, such as bodybuilders, weightlifters, powerlifters, strongman competitiors, creatine supplementation is needed.
Creatine supplements are basically categorized in two main types: Creatine Monohydrate, and Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE).
Creatine Monohydrate typically needs to be cycled in 3 phases. There’s a loading phase, a maintenance phase, and an off-cycle. Below is an example of a creatine cycle:
Days 1 to 7: 20 grams of Creatine Monohydrate per day, split into 4 dosages of 5 grams each.
Days 8 to 30: 5 grams per day (post workout or first thing in the morning for non-workout days)
Days 30 to 60: Off-cycle.
Repeat cycle.
Creatine Ethyl Ester is a newer form of creatine that does not need to be cycled. Simply take 5 grams pre-workout and another 5 grams post-workout. The difference between the two is only a matter of preference.
The difference between creatine in a pill or powder form is also again a matter of personal preference.
Here’s a small tip: Take your creatine with fruit juice. Studies have shown that creatine absorbtion is enhanced by sugar; taking your creatine with fruit juice will give you optimum results. Team Iron Behemoths recommends NutriFirst Creatine Monohydrate and NutriFirst Creatine Ethyl Ester.
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide, or NO, is another popular performance enhancing supplement. Your body naturally produces NO to regulate blood flow. NO supplements help push more blood into your muscles during workouts. Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients, so more blood in your muscles means more oxygen and nutrients, which means increased strength, endurance and better muscle growth. Not to mention the fact that you will look more pumped and vascular.
NO is also essential for the body to utilize hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone, which are vital for strength, muscle growth and of course, sexual performance.
Hence, NO supplementation can help you look more pumped, increase strength, endurance, lean muscle growth, and increase your performance – both athletically and sexually. Simply take a dose of it pre-workout or first thing in the morning for non-workout days (or as the respective product labels direct).
Team Iron Behemoths recommends taking NutriFirst NO2XL – a top quality Nitric Oxide supplement that delivers great results at a very economical price.
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