Novice athletes in the field of bodybuilding periodically have questions regarding the selection of sports nutrition and the right combination of products. Quite relevant - is it possible to drink creatine and protein at the same time? These supplements are quite common and popular on the market, which explains the interest.
See also:
What to take creatine monohydrate with
The right combinations of additives for maximum effect.
In this article we will look at the features and effects of creatine with protein, whether it is possible to take them together, dosages and nuances of administration for noticeable results in sports activities. Expert recommendations will help you correctly build a pattern of consumption of additional products.
Is it worth mixing substances?
The combination of two foods in the diet is an important basis for gaining muscle mass. Creatine provides muscle fibers with energy for high-quality transport of nutrients, and protein supports recovery processes.
The key rule for using different sports supplements is to take into account the rules of their interaction. Protein and creatine are most effective when mixed into a post-workout shake. They do not interfere with each other’s actions; rather, on the contrary, they complement and enhance the effect. This combination will allow creatine to be absorbed faster and charge the muscles with the necessary energy reserve for the recovery process.
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What will be the effect if you take creatine and protein together?
Consuming creatine with protein can help move creatine into muscle cells and allow it to be absorbed more quickly and completely within the body.
Interesting! In practice, the combination of supplements feels like this: during training, the muscles tolerate standard loads more easily, and after that, pain and fatigue from the training go away faster. If both products are mixed, the athlete gets the opportunity to do a greater number of repetitions and actively increases the additional weight of the weights.
Something that will help you increase strength and endurance
Creatine is an excellent supplement that gives quick and 100% results in the development of strength and endurance. But you can also improve not only your physical capabilities, but also your emotional ones. What is it for? A lot depends on your emotional mood and the readiness of your central nervous system for hard physical work. A supplement that specifically energizes the central nervous system is a pre-workout complex. In addition to it, you can also take a pampilka, which will not only give you an impressive fullness, but will also contribute to a better supply of nutrients to the muscles.
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You can find out how to properly take a pre-workout supplement with maximum benefit by following the link.
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How to use medications at the same time correctly
Dissolution problem
The form of creatine monohydrate is the most common in the range of sports nutrition: it has proven effectiveness and reasonable cost. The main disadvantage is that such powder is problematic to dissolve in water.
This can be solved in 2 ways:
- instead of the monohydrate form, use malate or nitrate, but they have a higher price;
- dissolve such powder only in warm liquid for better mixing.
To ensure that the supplement reaches the muscles faster, it should be mixed with protein in sweet juice. The combination of glucose, protein and creatine will be absorbed quite quickly and will enhance the combined effect.
Note! The liquid for dissolving additives should not be too hot. Too high a temperature will not improve dissolution but may reduce the effectiveness of the additives.
Dosages
The classic regimen for taking creatine involves 3-5 g of active substance per day. In this case, the period of use is up to 60 days, followed by a break of 1 month.
The intensive loading scheme allows you to take 20 g of monohydrate daily, dividing it into several servings. Active use lasts a week, after which the dose is reduced by 10 times to maintain the effect.
Protein, regardless of the chosen regimen, should be consumed 30-60 g daily. The final portion depends on the weight of the athlete and the amount of protein in the main diet (the total proportion of proteins is at least 2 g per 1 kg of weight).
Reception scheme
Creatine and protein can and should be taken together. When gaining muscle mass, the usage pattern should be as follows: drink the mixture an hour before training and 30 minutes after it.
To do this, make a special protein shake with additives:
- 3-5 g creatine;
- 25-30 g protein;
- 1 teaspoon sugar;
- water or milk.
If you use sweet fruit juice as a dilution liquid, you don’t need to add sugar. This combination will create a surge in insulin in the blood to quickly replenish energy reserves in the body.
Note! Frequency of intake: 1 cocktail before and after training. On days without exercise, this mixture should be taken before breakfast.
How to take glutamine with creatine?
Creatine and glutamine should be taken from 16 years of age. Before this, sports nutrition is selected on an individual basis and only after consultation with a nutritionist, therapist and personal trainer.
As for the dosage regimen, it looks like this:
4-5 grams of glutamine are mixed with 5 grams of creatine and dissolved in a glass of grape juice (or other fruit juice). This mixture is drunk twice a day:
- After training or during lunch;
- Before bed on an empty stomach.
The peculiarity of this combination is that sweet fruit juices and glutamine accelerate the absorption of creatine.
Since dietary supplements should be taken in a course, a solution of glutamine with creatine should be drunk daily for 1.5 months. It is best to change the dosage during the course. The following dosage regimen is considered the most effective:
- 5 days 25 grams of creatine and 10 grams of glutamine (in a combination of 5:2 5 times a day half an hour before meals);
- 40 days of 10 grams of creatine and 10 grams of glutamine (1:1 combination twice a day).
Some sports nutrition experts who tell how to take glutamine and creatine together recommend dissolving them in water and drinking them separately, washing the solution down with juice or eating sweets. There is no consensus on whether to drink these amino acids together in one solution or separately in two solutions. Both methods are considered effective. The main thing is to take the drugs at the same time, so that glutamine can serve as a catalyst for the absorption of creatine.
In addition, glutamine and creatine can be taken together with other dietary supplements. However, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of their influence on the body.
Recommendations from professionals
Daria Lobanova, sports nutrition consultant, coach
Protein is a traditional protein that has been isolated in the laboratory from natural raw materials. The whey version is the most purified form, contains many amino acids (including BCAA) and is quickly absorbed in the body. This is what you should choose as a quick snack and to restore your supply of nutrients after a strength workout. The supplement can be combined with creatine to actively replenish energy.
Such products are in addition to regular food and cannot be used as a replacement for it. Supplements can be taken on the go to supplement your regular diet and increase its nutritional value. Taking protein after training not only promotes weight gain, but also increases muscle definition.
Daria Lobanova, sports nutrition consultant, personal trainer Hardcore gym
Dmitry Smirnov, coach
Creatine is a basic source of energy during physical activity. The optimal dosage regimen is 3-5 g per day, washed down with a large portion of water to prevent dehydration.
Combination with protein helps compensate for protein deficiency. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between the “fast” and “long” options. The first type (whey) has high bioavailability and instantly fills the body with energy. The second (casein) releases protein compounds gradually, over several hours. “Fast” protein should be consumed in the morning and after active exercise, and “long” protein should be consumed at night.
Dmitry Smirnov, sports trainer, author of the publication “Fitness for the Smart”
Joey Vaillencourt, Trainer, Supplement Specialist
Protein is an accessible material for building muscles. It is used in the body to restore and quickly compensate for damaged fibers within the muscles after strength training.
For active weight gain, it is necessary to maintain a constant process of protein entering the body in large quantities. The required portion to increase lean muscle is calculated as follows: you need to multiply your own weight by 2-2.5. The resulting value is the optimal portion of protein per day, which should be divided into several doses.
Joey Vaillencourt, Certified Personal Trainer, Sports Supplement Specialist
We understand sports nutrition together with personal trainer Pavel Ipatov
Friends, hello!
Today, the idea of a healthy lifestyle is becoming popular every day. The fitness industry is developing and more and more people want to be healthy and attractive. But what is the key to success? In addition to physical activity, a properly balanced diet plays an important role. Especially if you want to change your figure, nutrition is 70-80% of your success.
In the frantic pace of modern life, it is difficult to provide yourself with a 100% balanced diet. Sports nutrition comes to the rescue. I hope now people are no longer afraid to use sports supplements, confusing them with pharmacological preparations :) All sports nutrition supplements consist of the same natural substances as regular human food, and in reasonable dosages are absolutely harmless to the body. The difference between sports nutrition and regular food is that it is easier and faster to digest due to the concentration of nutrients. Which sports nutrition to use depends entirely on your goals.
So, what kind of supplements are there?
Whey Protein
Translated from English, protein is protein. Perhaps one of the most popular supplements, it is suitable for people with different goals. With the right ratio of BJU, it allows you to both build muscle mass and promote weight loss.
There are several types of protein: milk proteins - whey and casein, egg protein and vegetable proteins. The most popular are milk proteins. Casein “long” protein is absorbed by the body over a longer period of time, so it is well suited for taking before bed. Slowly released, they enter the bloodstream and supply muscles and other tissues of the body with building material.
BCAAs
BCAA is a complex of essential amino acids containing L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine. These amino acids are considered essential because they are not synthesized in the human body and can only be obtained from external sources. They are the building blocks of proteins that form the structure of new muscle tissue. BCAA reduces catabolic processes. Additionally, taking them post-workout will help improve recovery.
Collagen
Collagen is a protein that is found in all tissues of our body. It provides firmness and elasticity to the tissues of cartilage, joints, bones, mucous membranes, etc. Collagen is the main structural component of the formation of connective tissue; it is thanks to it that the tissues of our body acquire elasticity. Collagen also keeps tissue cells strong and intact.
The synthesis of collagen in the body depends on the presence of a sufficient amount of vitamin C. Collagen is recommended for use by everyone who cares about the health of their skin, nails, hair, and the condition of their musculoskeletal system (joints, bones, ligaments, spine)
L-carnitine
A vitamin-like natural substance that is classified as a B vitamin. It is formed in the liver and kidneys with the participation of B vitamins, as well as methionine and lysine, and is stored mainly in the muscles and brain. Improves fat metabolism and also helps the body use “stored” fats as an energy source. L-Carnitine makes it easier for the body to access fat reserves, increases endurance and has a beneficial effect on the health of the cardiovascular system. Carnitine can be used both during cutting and when gaining muscle mass.
L-glutamine
With heavy physical activity, glutamine reserves in the body are depleted, and this negatively affects the immune system and reduces recovery abilities.
Glutamine is especially good at helping relieve muscle pain after workouts. Glutamine also promotes the production of glycogen, which allows you to retain energy for training for a longer time.
When taking glutamine before bed, the production of growth hormone is enhanced, which has a positive effect on muscle growth and recovery. Thus, we can conclude that the main task of glutamine is to improve muscle recovery during and after training.
A significant concentration of glutamine is found in meat, fish, and eggs. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, an L-glutamine supplement is ideal for you to maintain sufficient levels of this element in your body without compromising your beliefs.
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate is a natural compound produced in the body that is used to create the most explosive form of energy - adenosine triphosphate energy, ATP. It is generally accepted that taking creatine-containing supplements can increase strength. Creatine is especially popular among bodybuilders, powerlifters, football players, hockey players and rugby players - sports in which the body works in short bursts. Creatine monohydrate is a high-quality supplement to the sports diet for those seeking to improve physical performance during short-term, explosive exercise.
Sweeteners
Life without refined sugar can be sweet too. Sweeteners can be either natural or synthesized. You can choose the sweetener to suit your taste. Read below what they are.
Sucralose
Sucralose is a synthetic sweetener, but completely safe. Sucralose is made from sugar, its taste is almost indistinguishable from it, it is 600 times sweeter than sugar and has no calorie content. It can be used in the vast majority of products, both sports (cocktails, desserts) and ordinary, everyday products (tea, coffee, etc.).
Stevia
Stevia is a natural sugar substitute. Stevia leaves are several dozen times sweeter than sugar and can rightfully be called a pantry of health. The plant, whose distribution area was the countries of South America, is today cultivated all over the world, including in Russia. A few medium-sized stevia leaves are enough to sweeten a cup of tea. The wide popularity of the sweet herb stevia is explained by the content of a significant amount of vitamins, amino acids, and microelements in its leaves. It has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system; digestive organs; liver and gall bladder; immune system; teeth and gums. The disadvantage of this natural product is its slightly bitter taste.
Well, now you know why and for what purposes, rationally use sports nutrition. You need to understand that these are just additives and if your diet is perfectly balanced, then you can do without them. But if it’s difficult for you to provide your diet with simple food, then sports nutrition will help you. Good luck on your way to your goals.
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