Creatine is one of the most heavily-researched supplements out there, and despite misconceptions, it is not a steroid. Creatine is produced naturally in your body and can be found in red meat and fish. The World Anti-Doping Authority does not consider creatine a performance-enhancing drug and it is allowed by the International Olympic Committee and professional sports leagues. The only exception is the NCAA, which allows creatine, but does not permit colleges to actually give it to their athletes.
So why does creatine get a bad rap in the football community? Recently, BPI Sports partnered with Independence Community College, the school featured on the Netflix series, Last Chance U. James Grage went out to visit the football players and we sent them supplements to help them get in shape for the upcoming season. One of the products we included was Best Creatine™.
Soon after the shipment arrived, one of the coaches called us asking for advice. The football players were wary of taking creatine, concerned that it would get them in trouble with the league. This article is essentially a copy of what we told them – football players should definitely be taking creatine!
Creatine is beneficial for training on and off the field. It reduces fatigue by shuttling nutrients into your muscle cells where they’re used for energy. The more creatine you have stored in your body, the longer you can work out. Over an extended period of time, say, a football season, this results in more lean muscle mass and more strength.
Scientists first linked creatine to performance in the 70s. Since then, “its safety and effectiveness has been supported in numerous peer-reviewed studies and many experts in the field of sports nutrition,” says Carly Tierney, a personal trainer.
How do you get the best results? Since creatine transports nutrients, it works best when you take it with food, particularly carbohydrates. Take 1 scoop with your pre-workout meal (about an hour before your work out) and 1 scoop with your post-workout meal. We recommend 5g per day, but each person is different, so find the dose that’s best for you. Do not exceed 20g per day and consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, if you regularly take prescription meds or anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, if you’re over 40 or if you have a history of kidney or liver disease.
All readers are advised to consult their physician before beginning any exercise and nutrition program. BPI Sports and the contributors do not accept any responsibility for injury sustained as a result of following the advice or suggestions contained within the content.