Make Your Workouts More Efficient By Adding This To Your Routine
We’re all pressed for time. Fitting in any workout, whether it’s 15, 20, or 50 minutes, is a major feat, and you want every drop of effort to count.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your workout (more energy, more power, more muscle, and faster recovery), then a creatine supplement may be exactly what you need.
What is creatine?
Creatine supplements used to be known in the context of helping avid gym goers (mainly men) bulk up. But over the last year, this supplement has received more widespread recognition as a tool to help people (especially women) of any age build muscle and strength.*
You see, creatine is a naturally occurring substance that acts as a quick energy source for cells during times of high-energy demand (like working out). About 95% of creatine is stored in the muscles, and much of the rest is found in the brain.
The body does make some creatine on its own. Plus, you get some from eating animal proteins like meat, poultry, and seafood. But that’s typically only enough to fill up your creatine stores to 60% (maybe up to 80%)1 of capacity.
And if your creatine stores aren’t full, your muscles aren’t fully primed to perform at maximum capacity or recover with ease.
Taking a daily creatine supplement is the best way (if not only way) to ensure your creatine stores are filled 100% so you can reap the full benefits during your workout.*
Not to mention, creatine is also the most studied supplement and over 680 studies confirm its safety.
How does it make workouts more efficient?
Study after study shows that taking a creatine supplement while participating in a strength training program builds more muscle than exercise alone.*
When your muscles have access to creatine, they can rapidly regenerate energy, which directly leads to you being able to:*
- Exert more strength during workouts (like reaching for that heavier dumbbell)
- Exert more power in moves (like exploding at the bottom of a squat)
- Complete more total sets and reps in the same workout, without fatiguing as quickly.
When taken consistently, creatine can also help you build muscle and lose fat.*
A 2024 study found people taking creatine gained an average of 4-5% more muscle mass and lost an average of 1-2% more fat mass than those who just exercised.*
When will you start seeing results?
Creatine starts working pretty quickly when taken daily. After just two weeks of supplementing with creatine, you may start to feel strength and power in workouts. But it typically takes around four weeks of supplementing with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day to fill your creatine stores (while combating muscle soreness.*†
The benefits keep building from there. By weeks 12-14, you’ll likely notice improvements in body composition, physical performance, and blood pressure (yes, creatine can even help your BP)*†
How to supplement
Research shows that taking 3 to 5 grams2 of creatine a day is beneficial for muscle health, with some experts recommending up to 10 grams daily to further support brain health.*
mindbodygreen's creatine with taurine+ is a great option. It provides 5 grams of creatine monohydrate along with 2 grams of the amino acid taurine. Taurine further supports exercise performance and recovery (as well as heart health).*
If you’re looking for a 3-gram dose, try this electrolyte powder.
Just remember, consistency is key when it comes to creatine. You have to take it every day (even on rest days) for the best results.
The takeaway
Adding a creatine supplement to your routine is one of the easiest ways to get the most out of your current workouts. It can help you move past plateaus at the gym and finally help sculpt those hard to tone muscles.*
