SUGGESTED USE
Adults take 1 scoop (3g) daily with 200ml of water or a non-acidic beverage of your choice. It is recommended that athletes take creatine with a high carbohydrate drink (e.g juice or concentrated carbohydrate solution) or with a carbohydrate /protein supplement in order to increase creatine uptake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day while consuming creatine.
Product Information
Unived Creatine Monohydrate is an effective ergogenic nutritional supplement that supports energy production and supports increases work capacity and muscle power output.
Unived offers the most extensively studied and the most bioavailable form of creatine which is creatine monohydrate. Unived’s Creatine Monohydrate is ideal and beneficial for a variety of athletic and sporting activities.
Key Benefits
- Enhances force output and augmented power output.
- Increases strength and work capacity
- Increases anaerobic threshold.
- Replenishes ATP stores.
- Enhances recovery and training adaptations.
- Reduces muscle damage after intense training.
Ingredient Information
- Creatine Monohydrate - 3g
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Creatine is an amino acid that is relatively stored in the skeletal muscles. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle. About two-thirds of the creatine found in skeletal muscle are stored as phosphocreatine (PCr) while the remaining amount of creatine is stored as free creatine. The body breaks down about 1 – 2% of the creatine pool per day (about 1–2 grams/day) into creatinine in the skeletal muscle for ATP (energy molecule) resynthesis. The creatinine is then excreted in urine. Creatine stores can be replenished by obtaining creatine in the diet or through the endogenous synthesis of creatine from glycine, arginine, and methionine. Dietary sources of creatine include meats and fish. Large amounts of fish and meat must be consumed in order to obtain gram quantities of creatine. Whereas dietary supplementation of creatine provides an inexpensive and efficient means of increasing the dietary availability of creatine without excessive fat and/or protein intake [3].
Creatine has become one of the most extensively studied and scientifically validated nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes. Additionally, Creatine has been evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent in a variety of medical conditions. Creatine monohydrate appears to be the most effective nutritional supplement currently available in terms of improving lean body mass and anaerobic capacity. To date, several hundred peer-reviewed research studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of CM supplementation in improving exercise performance. Nearly 70% of these studies have reported a significant improvement in exercise capacity [3]. There also researches that indicate enhanced creatine uptake with carbohydrate co-ingestion.
Many athletes and experts in the field have reported that creatine supplementation is not only beneficial for athletic performance and various medical conditions but is also clinically safe.
References:
2. Wax B, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR, Mayo JJ, Lyons BC, Kreider RB. Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 2;13(6):1915. doi: 10.3390/nu13061915. PMID: 34199588; PMCID: PMC8228369.
3. Kreider, R.B., Kalman, D.S., Antonio, J. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Mode of Action:
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the energy molecule of the body is responsible for all metabolic activities of the body and is the main fuel source for high-intensity exercise. When cells use ATP for energy, this molecule is broken down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP), generating energy to spark metabolic activity. Creatine which is stored in the skeletal muscles in the form of Phosphocreatine (PCr) through Creatine Kinase (CK - an enzyme that adds a phosphate group to creatine making it a high-energy molecule PCr) donates its high-energy phosphate group to ADP and converts it to ATP, thus resynthesizing it [1].
By increasing the overall pool of cellular phosphocreatine, creatine supplementation can accelerate the recycling of ADP to ATP, thereby making more energy available for high-intensity exercise. This increased availability of energy can promote improvements in strength and power output [7]. The PCr along with Creatine Kinase plays an important role in shuttling intracellular energy from the mitochondria into the cytosol.
Creatine can improve health and athletic performance in several ways. Creatine supplementation can increase the capacity of ATP and energy produced during heavy anaerobically-related exercise, thereby possibly increasing muscle power, repetitions, and exercise volume which can subsequently contribute to muscle performance and hypertrophy over the course of a training period [10]. In high-intensity exercise, its primary role is to increase the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles. The additional stores can then be used to produce more ATP, which is the key energy source for heavy lifting and high-intensity exercise.
- Creatine supplementation increases lean body mass as well as strength, power, and efficacy in short-duration, high-intensity exercises [1].
- Enhanced recovery. Creatine supplementation may also reduce the post-exercise inflammatory response, thereby attenuating markers of muscle damage and soreness [3, 2]
- Can help athletes enhance glycogen loading [3].
- Increases cell hydration. Creatine lifts water content within your muscle cells, which causes a cell volumization effect that may play a role in muscle growth.
- Increases intracellular water and reduces thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses to prolonged exercise (e.g., heart rate, rectal temperature, sweat rate) thereby promoting hyper-hydration and a more efficient thermoregulatory response during prolonged exercise in the heat [3].
- Lowers myostatin (a protein that slows or inhibits muscle growth) level [4].
- Increase phosphocreatine stores in your brain, which may promote brain health and improve symptoms of neurological disease [5, 9].
References:
1. Butts J, Jacobs B, Silvis M. Creatine Use in Sports. Sports Health. 2018 Jan/Feb;10(1):31-34. doi: 10.1177/1941738117737248. Epub 2017 Oct 23. PMID: 29059531; PMCID: PMC5753968.
2. Wax B, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR, Mayo JJ, Lyons BC, Kreider RB. Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 2;13(6):1915. doi: 10.3390/nu13061915. PMID: 34199588; PMCID: PMC8228369.
3. Kreider, R.B., Kalman, D.S., Antonio, J. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
4. Saremi A, Gharakhanloo R, Sharghi S, Gharaati MR, Larijani B, Omidfar K. Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2010 Apr 12;317(1-2):25-30. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2009.12.019. Epub 2009 Dec 22. PMID: 20026378.
5. Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 22;270(1529):2147-50. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2492. PMID: 14561278; PMCID: PMC1691485.
6. Mujika I, Padilla S. Creatine supplementation as an ergogenic aid for sports performance in highly trained athletes: a critical review. Int J Sports Med. 1997 Oct;18(7):491-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-972670. PMID: 9414070.
7. https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/
8. Bemben, Michael G., and Hugh S. Lamont. "Creatine supplementation and exercise performance." Sports medicine 35.2 (2005): 107-125.
9. Balestrino M, Lensman M, Parodi M, Perasso L, Rebaudo R, Melani R, Polenov S, Cupello A. Role of creatine and phosphocreatine in neuronal protection from anoxic and ischemic damage. Amino Acids. 2002;23(1-3):221-9. doi: 10.1007/s00726-001-0133-3. PMID: 12373542.
10. Antonio, Jose, et al. "Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 18.1 (2021): 13.
11. Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi: 10.3390/nu13030877. PMID: 33800439; PMCID: PMC7998865.
What is the suggested use of Unived Creatine Monohydrate?
Adults take 1 scoop (3g) daily with 200ml of water or a non-acidic beverage of your choice. It is recommended that athletes take creatine with a high carbohydrate drink (e.g. juice or concentrated carbohydrate solution) or with a carbohydrate/protein supplement in order to increase creatine uptake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day while consuming creatine. Not to exceed the stated recommended daily usage.
Are other forms of creatine similar or superior to creatine monohydrate?
Creatine monohydrate is the recommended form. It's backed by the strongest research, with studies demonstrating its effectiveness at increasing the body's creatine stores and improving exercise performance.
Does creatine lead to water retention?
Creatine is an osmotically active substance which means it draws water when its concentration increases. Creatine is taken up into muscle from circulation by a sodium-dependent creatine transporter. Since the transport involves sodium, water will also be taken up into muscle to help maintain intracellular osmolality. It’s important to note that intracellular water is a crucial cellular signal for protein synthesis and thus drives an increase in muscle mass over time and thus there are no adverse effects because of intracellular water retention.
Is creatine an anabolic steroid?
Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone. While the physiological and performance outcomes of anabolic steroids and creatine can be similar, their mechanisms of action and legal categorization are not. Anabolic steroids are drugs, with a different chemical structure than creatine, because creatine has a completely different chemical structure, it is not an anabolic steroid.
Does creatine cause kidney damage/renal dysfunction?
Experimental and controlled research indicates that creatine supplementation, when ingested at recommended dosages, does not result in kidney damage and/or renal dysfunction in healthy individuals.
Does creatine lead to dehydration and muscle cramping?
Creatine alters the body's stored water content by driving additional water into your muscle cells because of its osmolyte action. This fact may be behind the myth that creatine causes dehydration. However, this shift in cellular water content is minor, and no research supports the claims about dehydration. Studies indicate Creatine supplementation reduced the frequency of symptomatic muscle cramping by 60% [10]. Experimental and clinical research does not validate the notion that creatine supplementation causes dehydration and muscle cramping.
Does creatine increase fat mass?
No. Creatine increases lean body mass (meaning, fat-free mass of the body) and muscle mass. Creatine supplementation does not increase fat mass.
Is a creatine ‘loading phase’ required?
You do not have to ‘load’ creatine unless you want to saturate muscles with creatine stores quickly in a short period. For instance, if an athlete is hoping to maximize the ergogenic potential of creatine supplementation in a very short period of time ( 30 days), or if avoiding potential weight gain which can sometimes occur during creatine ‘loading’, the creatine ‘maintenance’ strategy would be a viable option. Lower daily dosages of creatine supplementation (i.e. 3-5 g/day) are effective for increasing intramuscular creatine stores, muscle accretion, and muscle performance/recovery.
Is creatine beneficial for older adults?
Creatine supplementation can increase functionality (e.g., strength, activities of daily living, delay fatigue) and muscle mass in older adults. There is a growing body of evidence showing that creatine supplementation, particularly when combined with exercise, provides musculoskeletal and performance benefits in older adults.
Is creatine only effective for males?
Creatine kinetics may vary between healthy males and females. As a result of hormone-driven changes throughout various stages of female reproduction, endogenous creatine synthesis, creatine transport, creatine kinase kinetics, and creatine bioavailability are altered over time, highlighting the potential positive implications for dietary creatine supplementation for females. Accumulating research over the past decade in postmenopausal females demonstrates that creatine supplementation during a resistance training program can improve muscle mass, upper- and lower-body strength, and tasks of functionality. Creatine supplementation appears to be a viable option for post-menopausal females to improve muscle quality and performance. There is accumulating evidence that creatine supplementation has the potential to be a multifactorial therapeutic intervention across the lifespan in females, with little to no side effects.
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SUGGESTED USE
Adults take 1 scoop (3g) daily with 200ml of water or a non-acidic beverage of your choice. It is recommended that athletes take creatine with a high carbohydrate drink (e.g juice or concentrated carbohydrate solution) or with a carbohydrate /protein supplement in order to increase creatine uptake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day while consuming creatine.