The short answer…
Creatine is an extremely popular supplement with over 60% of gymgoers using it. It can help increase muscle size and density leading to more strength output in the long term. Creatine leads to a faster recovery time and in most cases a 2-3% increase in muscle and an 8% increase in strength compared to individuals who are not taking Creatine.
The art of pursuing the greatness at which the human body can perform. The journey of rebuilding, composing, and defining the body until it is a biological machine capable of generating force far greater than its own. This feat is known to the uninitiated simply as Powerlifting, and to those who know it all too well, a lifestyle. For these strength athletes, powerlifting is so much more than picking up “x” object and putting it down at “y” position. To them, powerlifting is the pursuit of greatness. A pinnacle of human power. These individuals are a part of an even greater whole, known as the fitness community. The two biggest “factions” of this community are the Bodybuilders, those who seek to sculpt their body into that of a greek god, and powerlifters, who seek what has been stated prior. For a powerlifter, it is not as important to put on pounds and pounds of muscle it can be quite the opposite in many cases. When a powerlifter competes, he is set into a bracket based on his weight. This being stated, if one powerlifter can weigh less but push more weight, then he is more likely to succeed. For them to succeed, there are many steps.
These steps are training, nutrition, and recovery. The biggest difference between a bodybuilder and a powerlifter is usually the training aspect. A bodybuilder would usually train in a set range of 8-12 repetitions, but a powerlifter will most likely stick to a set range of 1-8 repetitions. In other words, one individual will train with lower weight but higher reps, while the other will train with much heavier weight and lower reps. The bodybuilder seeks to put their body through the most stress possible to induce muscle growth while the powerlifter seeks to strengthen their body to the point where it doesn’t get stressed by that set weight any longer. For each of these individuals, recovery and nutrition are equally important. Nutritionally, it is recommended to have between .5 – 1 gram of protein to every pound of bodyweight for that person for their muscles to properly recover. Another factor strength athletes need to consider is supplementation. Many supplements are simply a waste of money and some are merely a placebo at worst. Creatine is not one of those supplements, which brings me to the main point of, “Should a powerlifter take Creatine?” To answer that question some simple things must be addressed first, this question of course is what in the world is creatine anyway?
Creatine first is a natural compound found in typically raw meat, such as beef and fish, and even in your own body. Creatine is a naturally produced compound found in the liver and the kidneys as well as the muscles themselves. Creatine Monohydrate (the supplement which most commonly comes in a white powder) however is synthetically made with varying chemical processes. Creatine itself has been shown to aid muscle growth and recovery among strength athletes and fitness freaks alike. For a new lifter, creatine can induce an additional 5-7% increase in muscle after consistent dosing for a year, and for an experienced lifter a 2-3% increase. To the previously stated Joe Smoe, a few percent of muscle gain every year doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but to the veteran powerlifter, a few extra pounds of muscle can increase the strength exponentially in their targeted movements. This translates to an even more impressive 8% increase in individuals who take creatine. The best part about these benefits of creatine would have to be that the hard-earned muscle and strength are not sapped away from you the moment you stop taking it. The progress made on creatine does not go away or diminish like those caused by steroids or other harmful drugs.
Creatine is the most researched health and fitness supplement to this day and has never been shown to have any negative side effects. The only thing that comes close to a negative side effect of creatine is the water weight gained from it. Creatine is stored mostly in the muscle fibers and causes those muscle fibers to be saturated with water, causing slight weight gain, but only in water weight. If anything this extra weight will make the individual look even leaner and more muscularly defined since the water is gathered in the muscle rather than the skin or fat tissue.
Closing Thoughts-
With all the information being stated here, it is undeniable that creatine is certainly a beneficial supplementary compound to athletes as a whole, let alone powerlifters. Powerlifters see even more results from creatine since it not alone helps muscle gain, but also strength as a whole.
Creatine isn’t a necessity for anyone, but if an individual is serious about gaining strength, then it would be hard to pass up these free gains. And finally, for me as an experienced lifter and health nut geek, I have personally seen the exact same results, if not more than what is described above, I would personally recommend taking creatine to anyone passionate about seeing progress in themselves over the long term.
www.menshealth.com/uk/nuitrition/a754243/how-much-protein-should-eat-to-build-muscle/
blog.nasm.org/fitness/fast-twitch-vs-slow-twitch
artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/health/creatine-faq/