Creatine has become mainstream back in 90's and now it's evolving to even a more potent supplement. It can help you gain lean muscle mass and indirectly help you lose body fat. Here are some commons questions and answers about creatine.

- Exactly what is creatine anyway?

Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the human body or taken as a dietary supplement. The scientific term for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. Creatine is composed of three amino acids – Glycine, Methionine, and Arginine. The human liver has the ability to combine these three amino acids and produce creatine. The other way we get creatine is from our diet/supplements.

- How does creatine help with exercise?

Human muscles use ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) for anaerobic exercise (short burst exercises such as weight training). During anaerobic exercise ATP is broken down into two simpler chemicals inorganic phosphate and ADP (adenosine di-phosphate). This process of ATP breaking down into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles the ability to contract. ATP stores only remain adequate for 10-15 seconds of maximum exertion however. After the ATP stores are exhausted the muscle will no longer be able to perform at maximum exertion.

Taking creatine supplements can create more fuel for the body through the following process. Most of the creatine stored in the skeletal muscle bonds with phosphorus (also stored in the muscles) which becomes creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate then bonds to excess ADP stores (which would be otherwise useless) which creates ATP energy stores. Hence taking creatine will create more fuel for your muscles!

- Is creatine a prohormone/steroid?

No. Creatine will not alter with your testosterone/estrogen levels the way prohormones can.

- What is Creatine Ethyl Ester HCI?

Creatine Ethyl Ester HCl is an exceptionally soluble creatine resulting in advanced absorption, increased bioavailability, and stability. Creatine ethyl ester directly penetrates the muscle cell resulting in 30 to 40 times more functional creatine.

For anybody looking to lose fat and gain muscle I would recommend primarily focusing on a weight program (cardio is also important but often over emphasized). There is no substitute for hard work in the gym, proper dieting and plenty of rest (this last one is a common problem among hard gainers). If you are training vigorously I would recommend taking supplements for optimal performance. Make sure you research the supplements you are taking and try to find the best price possible. So far the best company I've found was Rocky Mountain Sports Nutrition. I found them to have the most inexpensive prices for creatine ethyl ester. Overall they were much less expensive than GNC and their customer service is excellent. They also had quick product delivery; it only took a couple days for my order to show up on my doorstep.


Chad Klingensmith is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and a Mixed Martial Arts Competitor. He has helped several clients meet their goals in personal training, including weight loss and body building.