Vitamin D is often referenced as the sunshine vitamin since the vitamin’s primary source is attained through sun exposure. Yet, many people are vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble hormone that plays a critical role in bone health, muscle function, adaptive immunity, and many human diseases like cancer, diabetes, and musculoskeletal health.²

Vitamin D Deficiency

In fact, vitamin D deficiency is a global public health issue.

About 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, while over 77% of the general population is insufficient.¹ So, what does that mean if you are an athlete who plays an indoor sport, trains indoors year-round, and rarely gets outside during the day?

What if you also live in the northern hemisphere? Odds are you are not getting enough vitamin D. Insufficient sun exposure can dramatically increase your risk of vitamin D deficiency. It can lead to a variety of negative health implications and hinder athletic performance.

Research has illustrated that vitamin D significantly affects muscle weakness, pain, balance, and fractures in the aging population.¹

Vitamin D plays a key role in:¹

• Mood
• Immune function
• Muscle function
• Calcium absorption
• Bone and teeth health
• Neuromuscular function
• Healthy Weight management
• Overall bone, joint, and muscle health
• Muscle strength, fiber size, and type

Vitamin D deficiency occurs as blood levels drop to less than 20 ng/mL (< nmol/L), while vitamin D insufficiency for athletes is defined as blood levels reaching between 20-32 ng/mL (50-80 nmol/L).

Research has indicated that 40-50 ng/mL (100-125 nmol/L) seems ideal for optimizing athletic performance.¹

Who’s at High Risk?

The people at high risk for vitamin D deficiency:^1,5

• Decreased dietary intake: Certain malabsorption syndromes like celiac disease, short bowel syndrome, gastric bypass, inflammatory bowel diseases
• Decreased sun exposure. Roughly 50% to 90% of vitamin D is absorbed through the skin. Twenty minutes of sunshine daily, with 40% of skin exposed, is required to prevent deficiency.
• Aging adults: The ability to synthesize vitamin D decreases by as much as 75% as we age.
• Overweight and obese individuals: Those who carry excess body fat can increase their risk of up to 55% due to vitamin D being trapped in adipose tissue and being unavailable in the bloodstream.

See the previous blog on factors that influence vitamin D levels.

Athletes Who Play Indoor Sports

Athletes who play indoor sports are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Hockey players specifically spend a great deal of their time training, conditioning, and competing indoors, making it difficult to attain vitamin D through sun exposure. To add to the statistics, another study found that as much as 88% of the population receives less than the optimal amount of vitamin D.³

Several studies link vitamin D status to bone health and the overall prevention of bone injuries in the athletic population.

Research and Vitamin D Deficiency

Studies have illustrated that inadequate vitamin D levels are linked to a greater risk of stress fractures in young men and women published in the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery.⁴

A study published in the journal, Nutrients assessed vitamin D status among college men and women basketball players in the season. The players were either allocated a high-dose, low dose, or no vitamin D depending on their circulation 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at the beginning of the study to identify the optimal dosage of vitamin D₃ supplementation optimal status.

The findings demonstrated that 13 of the 20 participants were vitamin D insufficient at baseline. Another finding was that of the athletes sampled, and the darker skin pigmentation increased the risk of vitamin D insufficiency at baseline.

Researchers found that most athletes who were vitamin D insufficient benefited from supplementation of 10,000 IU to improve their status.⁵

Another study concluded black professional football players have a higher vitamin D deficiency than white players.⁶

The study also suggests that professional football players deficient in vitamin D may also have a greater risk of bone fractures.⁷

Increasing power output is every athlete’s desire as it can translate into improved performance on the field. Your muscle tissues have several key receptor sites for vitamin D, and they will help support power production.¹

A study in soccer players found that increasing baseline vitamin D status over an 8-week period leads to increased vertical jump and 10-meter sprint times.⁹

Of course, we need further research in this area to identify the relationship between vitamin D levels and power output.

Still, the current literature is promising and that, at minimum, baseline vitamin D levels should be desired.

Sources of Vitamin D

The best vitamin D sources include egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, mackerel.⁸

Vitamin D rich food sources:

• 6 oz. fortified yogurt = 80 IU
• 3 oz. of salmon = 794 IU
• 1 cup of fortified cereal = 40 IU
• 1 cup of fortified milk = 120 IU
• 1 egg yolk = 41 IU
• 1 cup of fortified orange juice = 137 IU

Practical Applications

Athletes who train indoors, consume little vitamin D-rich sources, and live > 35 degrees north or south may benefit from a vitamin supplement of 1,500 – 2,000 IU per day to keep vitamin D concentrations within a sufficient range.

Athletes who may have a history of stress fractures, frequent illness, pain or weakness, or overtraining signs should have their vitamin D status evaluated.

Vitamin D is best absorbed when taken with a meal that contains fat.

It is important to follow up with a physician to assess vitamin D levels further and meet with a registered dietitian to discuss nutrition intervention further.

References:

1. Ogan, D., & Pritchett, K. “Vitamin D and the athlete: risks, recommendations, and benefits.” Nutrients, 5(6), 1856–1868. 2013.

2. Umar, M., Sastry, K. S., & Chouchane, A. I., “Role of Vitamin D Beyond the Skeletal Function: A Review of the Molecular and Clinical Studies.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018,19(6),1618.

3. Bendik, I., Friedel, A., Roos, F. F., Weber, P., & Eggersdorfer, M. “Vitamin D: a critical and essential micronutrient for human health.” Frontiers in Physiology, 5, 248, 2014.

4. Elsevier Health Sciences. (2015, December 14). “Low levels of vitamin D may increase risk of stress fractures in active individuals: Experts recommend active individuals who participate in higher impact activities may need to maintain higher vitamin D levels.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 19, 2020.

5. Sizar O, Khare S, Goyal A, et al. “Vitamin D Deficiency.” [Updated 2020 Jul 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-.

6. Sekel, N.M.; Gallo, S.; Fields, J.; Jagim, A.R.; Wagner, T.; Jones, M.T. “The Effects of Cholecalciferol Supplementation on Vitamin D Status Among a Diverse Population of Collegiate Basketball Athletes: A Quasi-Experimental Trial.” Nutrients, 2020, 12, 370.

7. National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements – “Vitamin D – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” [accessed October 19, 2020].

8. Maroon JC, Mathyssek CM, Bost JW, Amos A, Winkelman R, Yates AP, Duca MA, Norwig JA. “Vitamin D profile in National Football League players.” Am J Sports Med. 2015 May;43(5):1241-5. Epub 2015 Feb 3. PMID: 25649084.

9. Close, G. L., Russell, J., Cobley, J. N., Owens, D. J., Wilson, G., Gregson, W., Fraser, W. D., & Morton, J. P., “Assessment of vitamin D concentration in non-supplemented professional athletes and healthy adults during the winter months in the UK: implications for skeletal muscle function.” Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(4), 344–353. 2013.

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• Protein is primarily found in animal and dairy products.
• Protein enhances muscle mass, strength, endurance, muscle recovery, and power.
• Decreases inflammation and muscle protein breakdown.

First off, let’s talk about the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein. The current RDA is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

The RDA is established as the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. Essentially, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from avoiding sickness—not the specific amount you’re supposed to consume each day.

For example:

• For a 140-pound person, that means about 50 grams of protein each day.
• For a 200-pound person, that means about 70 grams of protein each day.

Reasons To Eat More High-quality Protein Daily

• Muscle growth
• Strengthens bones
• Hormone regulation
• Aids in quicker recovery
• Supports lean mass gains
• Suppresses appetite and promotes satiety
• Prevents chronic ailments associated with aging
• Protects the immune system against illness and injury
• Aids in weight loss during times of energy restriction

Let’s talk about why you need more protein. As you can see, the bullet list explains the reasons that protein is essential. As a registered dietitian nutritionist and fitness professional, I find the RDA to be quite confusing to the general public, athletes, and coaches.

To be honest, even dietitians can’t seem to agree on what to recommend for protein to their clients, patients, and athletes.

So if there is a misunderstanding among the food and nutrition experts, there’s likely a misunderstanding across multiple populations. Especially young children, athletes, and the elderly have a greater need for more protein.

Is More Protein Better?

The Protein Summit reported in a special supplement to the June issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) that Americans may eat too little protein, not too much. Eating more protein can help provide the whole package.

That means that a byproduct of consuming more protein is you’re getting other great nutrients such as B-vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and healthy fats that offer the complete package.

Naturally, when you consume more protein, you will typically consume less low-quality foods like simple or refined carbohydrates that people typically turn to when they’re hungry. Sweets, cookies, white bread, and pastries won’t offer the healthy nutrition you’d get from a high-quality protein source.

These are just a few of the high-quality protein sources out there. Most animal sources of protein such as:

• Meat
• Dairy
• Fish
• Chicken

These examples of high-quality protein sources offer all essential amino acids in proportion needed by the human body.

While plant-based proteins such as vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains often lack one or more of the essential amino acids.

That does not mean you should only consume animal products to attain your essential amino acids because you can utilize soybeans and quinoa, which contain all nine essential amino acids needed. Click here for a complete list available if you’re interested in plant-based proteins.

Athletes and Protein Needs

Even athletes have higher needs. Provided the remodeling process of muscle proteins, there is a much higher turn over rate as a result of higher training volumes.

• Specifically, in track and field athletes, it would be wise to consume roughly 1.6 grams per kilogram of body mass each day if their goal is to increase muscle and prevent muscle breakdown.
• A proper target protein intake should be between 1.6 and 2.4 grams per kilogram of body mass per day, as cited in recent findings in a consensus statement on Sports Nutrition for Track and Field Athletes. A summary of the review can be accessed here.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand on protein and exercise provides an objective and critical review related to the protein intake for health and fitness-oriented individuals. For building muscle mass and maintaining muscle mass:

• The overall protein intake of 1.4-2.0 g/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is enough.
• There is evidence to support (3.0 g/kg/d) to support positive effects on body composition in strength-trained athletes to promote lean mass gains.
• It is optimal to spread out protein intake between 20-40 g/meal throughout the day.
• As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I strive to consume (2.0 g/kg/d) to support my health and performance goals.

I encourage all of my clients and athletes to consume more protein. Especially if you’re trying to increase lean mass and strength gains, the higher protein will not make you fat. It will help support a healthy body and make you feel more satisfied.

Older Adults and Protein

Older adults are fighting off the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function that is associated with aging, referred to as sarcopenia. For every decade after 40 years old, you lose 8% of muscle mass, and it increases to 15% after 70 years of age.

Older adults should strive to consume 1.5 to 2.0 grams of high-quality protein per kg of body weight per day, according to an article by the Center of Aging. Up to one-third of older adults don’t eat enough due to reduced appetite, impaired taste, swallowing difficulties, and dental issues.

During the aging process, the body is less efficient and struggles to maintain muscle mass and strength along with bone health and optimal physiological function, which warrants a greater need for protein.

Protein Summary

Eat more high-quality protein. It won’t make you fat, harm your kidneys or bones. It will support lean tissue gains and help you recover overall while fighting age-related muscle loss, especially if you’re a female athlete, aging adult, male, or in general, human with a beating pulse.

That’s a joke, but really If you have questions about eating more protein or how to implement higher-quality sources into your diet, email me and let’s have a conversation.

The post Like to Lift? Consume More Protein appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Whether you’re a man or woman reading this, excellent, it applies to both genders. Are you an aging adult or someone who has experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Yes? Then, keep reading. If you’re an athlete or non-athlete and you’re reading this, even better because it applies to you as well.

Still aren’t with me. Do you have a beating heart? If this answer is no, please seek medical attention at once. All jokes aside, if you’re a living, breathing homo sapien (homo = genus, Sapien = species), this article is for you.

If you’re a parent of a young athlete, coach, athlete, or bodybuilder, you likely have read up on creatine and have supplemented with creatine monohydrate before. Creatine is one of the most well-research and effective supplements to date.

Creatine can support exercise performance by quickly producing energy during intense activity. Furthermore, creatine may also provide cognitive benefits, but further research is warranted.

Studies have consistently illustrated how creatine supplementation increases intramuscular creatine concentrations that can help us understand the observed improvements in high-intensity exercise performance and overall training adaptations at large. We know creatine supplementation can:

• Bolster post-exercise recovery
• Decrease the risk of injury and support injury prevention
• Expedite rehabilitation, thermoregulation, concussion, and or spinal cord neuroprotection

Furthermore, clinical applications of creatine supplementation have been studied in neurodegenerative diseases like:

• Muscular Dystrophy
• Parkinson’s (Huntington’s disease)
• Diabetes
• Aging
• Osteoarthritis
• Brain and heart ischemia
• Adolescent Depression
• And even Pregnancy as cited in the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Position Stand on Creatine Supplementation in Exercise, Sport, and Medicine.

Studies are demonstrating short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 grams per day for five years) is not only safe but well-tolerated in individuals and a range of clinical settings from infants to the elderly.

So, creatine is not just for male athletes trying to build muscle and facilitate recovery. It is beneficial to all, given the full range of benefits associated with supplementation documented in the literature and several currently under investigation in a clinical setting.

Myths in Regards to Creatine

Creatine is a steroid. Incorrect, please stop this nonsense from making its way into 2021 please. In my professional experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist, this must be one of the most obnoxious fallacies to date.

Possibly behind “protein hurts my kidneys,” also false, but that’s a whole other subject for a different blog. However, I am happy to direct you to the literature that dispels this myth published in 2016 in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism compliments of Dr. Jose Antonio and colleagues.

Now back to creatine; let’s clear this up quickly. Creatine is not a steroid. It has no relation to a steroid structurally or with its mechanism of action.

Why? A steroid is any compound that possesses a common structural feature of three cyclohexane rings by scientific definition. A cyclopentane ring makes up the structure that, by definition, is a steroid molecule.

Eggs contain a steroid compound called cholesterol, and is naturally produced in the body and becomes steroid hormones like testosterone and estrogen. But no, creatine is not a steroid.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made up of three amino acids, which we would call a tripeptide (tri meaning three). Three amino acids (L-glycine, L-methionine, and L-arginine) make up creatine.

Creatine is mostly made in the liver and, to a limited extent, the kidneys and pancreas.

It deposits high-energy phosphate groups in phosphocreatine, which is given to ADP, regenerating it to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The sole energy carrier in the human body is called energy currency for cells to execute their functions.

For example, in conditions of short-term high-energy demand activities (< 30 seconds) with limited recovery time, ATP runs out quickly, which brings us to creatine stored in muscles in the form of creatine phosphate.

Creatine phosphate can help restore ATP, giving muscle cells the ability to produce higher energy. The greater creatine you have, the greater energy your muscle cells can yield during high-intensity exercise, leading to increased exercise performance.

Even though the most well-documented and primary benefit is higher energy production, this mechanism also supports muscle gain and strength increases.

Creatine is found naturally in several of the foods we consume, such as:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Herring
• Cod
• Shrimp
• Beef
• Pork

Consuming enough creatine from the diet is challenging, given the total creatine pool available according to an article published Frontiers in Nutrition Sport and Exercise Nutrition in 2019. This suggests the body needs to replenish about 1.0–3.0g of creatine per day to maintain regular (un-supplemented) creatine stores depending on muscle mass.

Creatine improves numerous factors, including:

• Strength
• Power
• Sprint ability
• Muscular endurance
• Resistance to fatigue
• Muscle mass
• Recovery
• Cognition
• Speeding up muscle growth

Women Should Use Creatine

I am a female who participates in regular strength training (4-5 times per week) and (2-3 cardiovascular sessions per week). I eat a whole foods diet, supplemented with 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, whey protein isolate, 1,200 mg of fish oil, and a multivitamin.

Those are my supplements; these are not recommendations for you, your young athlete, teammate, or friend. I make this clear because there is no one-size-fits-all in nutrition, health, and fitness.

What works well for me does not mean it will work well for you. I see too many mistakes made with people trying to adopt the same diet, training, and lifestyle of their cohorts when it simply is not sustainable or appropriate.

As individuals, we have different genetics, hormones, environment stimulus, training styles, body composition, sport and performance goals, resting metabolic rate, and the list goes on.

It would be absurd to eat and train the same way as someone else and anticipate the same outcome as humans’ previously listed differences.

One certainty is we can all benefit from eating real food, but given the benefits of creatine supplementation, it is an undervalued and written-off supplement among my fellow ladies.

Hear me out, ladies, creatine will not make you fat, bulky, retain water, turn you into a man, or any of the other nonsensical claims that exist on the web these days.

I don’t care what Linda at the gym said about “creatine making you fat or how it is a steroid that will make you a man.” I hear these claims often, and not only are they flat out wrong, but they also misinform my fellow ladies out there trying to gain strength, lean mass, and other health benefits that would occur with appropriate creatine supplementation.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of me, roughly ten years ago, when I ate too many carbohydrates, inadequate protein, some strength training, and an abundance of cardiovascular exercise.

I ran lots of miles. Now, ten years later, I am happy to report I engage in strength training sessions no greater than 45-minutes, 4-5 times per week with some sprints and daily walking.

I supplement with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate post-workout, whey protein isolate, take a multivitamin and consume 2 gm/kg/body weight per day in protein. I infrequently track calories because I fuel my body with high-quality protein, as many fruits and veggies as I can get my hands on.

Creatine won’t make you fat, bulky, or manly ladies. It will help support lean body composition. Let me be more specific to my fellow ladies; creatine can help you improve your health, fitness, recovery, and overall physique.

Trying to turn up the intensity of your workouts? Use creatine! Creatine is like a Koenigsegg Agera RS, the fastest vehicle in the world. Creatine is a vehicle for producing ATP, which, as you have learned, drives muscle contraction. Important when trying to sprint, lift heavy weights, jump and train with the max output?

Regularly supplementing with creatine monohydrate (3 -5 g/day) for eight weeks or greater can help maximize the body’s phosphocreatine stores, the necessary compound to produce ATP. Thus, allowing the skeletal muscle to produce more energy, bolster power output, and exert more work overall.

The greater the intensity is expressed forth, the greater your muscles grow stronger, bigger, and faster should you train appropriately. Therefore, creatine supplementation is a highly underrated supplement among the female population.

I encourage and empower my fellow ladies reading this article who have been on the fence about using creatine to note its effectiveness. Creatine has been shown to bolster muscular size, power, and strength. More muscle equates to more energy burned, healthier body composition, bone mineral density, and a decreased risk for musculoskeletal disorders.

Not to mention the link between muscle mass and risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, keeping aging muscle fit is also linked to better health later on in life.

Even sedentary women who utilized creatine long-term experience increases in maximal muscle strength during resistance training by 20 to 25% compared to women given a placebo in a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Another study examined the effects of long-term creatine supplementation (12-weeks) combined with resistance training on one-rep max strength, motor functional performance tests, and body composition in eighteen older women.

The creatine group gained significantly more fat-free mass and muscle mass and performed submaximal-strength functional tests than the placebo group efficiently.

Special note: The creatine group was also able to increase training volume and one-rep max bench press. Creatine contains no calories and does not lead to fat gain. The increase on the scale you may see from use is drawing water into the cell, which is the desired response with training.

Benefits of Creatine

According to research referenced in the ISSN’s Position Stand on Creatine, several studies have shown creatine supplementation can increase brain creatine content by roughly 5-15%, along with reducing mental fatigue and improving cognitive function.

Another study carried out by Rawson & Venezia, 2011 reported that creatine supplementation of (20 g/day for five days or about 2 g per day for 30 days) increased skeletal muscle creatine phosphocreatine, leading to the enhancement of high-intensity exercise tasks.

Moreover, there are well-documented benefits of creatine supplementation in young adults, increased strength, lean body mass, and delayed onset fatigue during resistance training. All of which is critical for older adults striving to maintain cognition, bone mineral density, and overall health.

Research is scant, but a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was carried out using creatine in type 2 diabetes subjects published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The study illustrated creatine supplementation improved glucose tolerance in healthy subjects.

When creatine was supplemented in diabetic subjects that participated in an exercise program, the results improved glycemic control.

The underlying mechanism could be attributed to the increase in GLUT-4 recruitment specific to the sarcolemma. More research is warranted in diabetics, but the current literature is promising.

Another study examined the potential of creatine or phosphocreatine supplementation in cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. The study illustrates the ability high-dose creatine supplementation has on cerebral creatine content and that it may have the capacity in humans to protect against stroke due to increasing the neuronal and endothelial creatine content.

Emerging evidence also suggests that creatine supplementation with and without resistance training has the potential mechanistic effect of influencing bone biology.

A more recent study published in Experimental Gerontology examines pre-exercise and post-exercise creatine supplementation has similar effects on aging bone mineral density and content.

A meta-analysis carried out by Forbes in 2018 illustrated creatine supplementation did not lead to greater bone mineral density during resistance training in older adults > 50 years of age.

Research in animals also suggested creatine supplementation to support managing Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and brain or spinal cord injuries. In addition, a study was conducted examining creatine supplementation following sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and catecholamines.

The study eludes to creatine supplementation, decreasing the negative effects, like mood, focus, impulse, and emotional reactions reliant on the prefrontal cortex.

Creatine Is Safe and Easy to Use

As you have learned, creatine offers many diverse benefits beyond muscle. It is one of the least expensive and safest supplements available on the market.

It has been studied for over 200 years. An abundance of literature supports safety, efficacy, and no reported adverse effects in healthy individuals, as referenced in the ISSN’s Position Stand: Creatine Supplementation and Exercise.

A good dose, to begin with, is merely taking 3.0 to 5.0 grams of creatine monohydrate post-exercise to support recovery, muscle growth, and decreasing fatigue.

If you’re a vegetarian or new to using creatine, you may wish to start with a loading phase by taking (0.3 g/kg/body weight/day).

For example, if you’re a 60 kg female = 18 g total for the day but broken up into four doses for 5-7 days. This would mean a (4.5 g dose of creatine 4x/day) for 5-7 days.

Then onto a maintenance phase of 5 g per day for 12 weeks. If you’re interested in looking at different phases of cycling creatine (short-term and long-term), you can refer to the literature in the Creatine Position Stand paper I have referenced throughout this article.

For example, supplementing with (5 g/day) for 12 weeks during training to truly help increase intramuscular creatine stores and support health and performance benefits outlined in this article.

Dissolve the creatine in water or your protein-carb drink post-workout for the best results. Take a break from supplementation after using it for 12-16 weeks.

A Guide to Order Creatine

I strongly advise Informed Choice Certified supplements, meaning they are free of any banned substances, and ensure the product has been tested for any unsafe substances.

If you’re a parent or coach of adolescent athletes and are considering creatine supplementation, keep in mind that limited research is available in this population, highlighting the safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in young athletes < 18 years of age.

A review was published examining the limited studies in the adolescent population to identify the use of creatine in young athletes.

The review suggests that adolescent athletes using creatine tolerated supplementation well and had no reported adverse events or incidents. Ethically, we do not have enough research to recommend creatine monohydrate to young athletes, but many use it despite direction from professionals. My advice as a sports dietitian is to provide the literature and suggestions to support the best interest of my athletes.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist and sports nutrition specialist, I advocate for whole foods first and prioritizing nutrition to optimize your health, wellness, physique, and performance goals.

Creatine is a great supplement to incorporate and great nutrition, enough hydration, adequate sleep, and proper training. Creatine works best when paired with resistance training. I hope reading the science outlined in this article surrounding creatine has given clarity.

Creatine can benefit everyone, so if you have a beating pulse, that means you. Train hard, eat well, and stay healthy, my friends.

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