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Don’t believe those that say, “Creatine does not work for me” or “Creatine causes me to retain water” or “Creatine upsets my stomach.” Creatine is still the most effective muscle building supplement ever for those that understand how and when it is used as an energy source in the body.

How is creatine used as an energy source in the body? First, Let’s talk a little about ATP (the life force of all living matter), the first energy source burned as fuel in the body. The other five energy sources for the body: creatine, glycogen, glucose, fatty acids and amino acids all must be converted to ATP (in that order) to be burned as fuel in the body.

Knowing when creatine is converted to APT is key in knowing how to get the best results in muscle building. Like ATP, creatine can be stored in the muscle, which means it does not need oxygen to burn. It is a short explosive energy burn. The ATP stored in the muscle is the most effective explosive fuel source, which burns for about four or five seconds at 100 percent muscle contraction in an all out effort, such as weight lifting or sprinting. Creatine then is converted to APT and burns for about six or seven seconds at nearly 100 percent muscle contraction. Knowing this tells us how we must train to get the best results with creatine. A weight training set needs to be completed with in ten to twelve seconds, which means heavy weight and low reps.

Another interesting fact about creatine is its ability to recycle itself to be used again as fuel. With one minute rest creatine will recycle itself about 50 percent. Resting four minutes between sets increases recycling ability to 90 percent. Creatine will be available for about ninety minutes.

Now, let’s look at how other fuels burn so you won’t be tempted to go beyond twelve seconds if you want maximum results. Glycogen and glucose burn respectively after creatine for up to two minutes at no more than 70 percent muscle contraction. The higher the percentage of muscle contraction the stronger the muscle. After twelve seconds, muscle contraction/muscle strength quickly falls off due to the type of fuel being burned as energy. Workouts fueled with creatine instead of glycogen and glucose just makes good sense if maximum results are desired.

Let’s sum it up. Long-lasting training sessions of over ninety minutes are not good because creatine has been depleted and the fuel used for energy will be amino acids, which is muscle.
Also, creatine will not cause water weight or stomach upset if it is taken with a high glycemic carbohydrate drink with enough liquid to completely dissolve the powder.

Fred Fishburne and his wife Ann are owners of ProHealth Nutrition, Inc., a very successful health store in McDonough, Ga. Visit at: http://prohealthnut.com

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which are capable of bearing significant weights. The temptation for beginners to go for broke by performing heavy squats should be resisted. To begin with you should concentrate on building the muscles safely by using machines that isolate muscle groups. The squat is an excellent compound exercise that trains numerous lower body muscles but it is one you should learn properly after spending three months strengthening the individual muscles that will be utilized later.

The muscles of the lower body can be divided into five groups:

1. Quads - this is the big muscle group consisting of four muscles at the front of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing exercises such as squats, leg press, lunge and leg extension.

2. Hamstrings - these are the main muscles at the back of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing leg curls.

3. Gluteals - these are the muscles that make up the buttocks.

4. Hip flexors - these are the small muscles at the front of the pelvis that allow you to raise your legs to the front.

5. Calves - these are the two muscles found in the lower leg.

For beginners these muscles should be exercised as follows:

1. Leg press - 1 set of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for the quads but it also works the hamstrings and glutes to a lesser degree.

2. Leg extension - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for adding definition to the quads.

3. Hamstring curl - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise isolates the hamstrings.

4. Standing calf raise - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the gastrocnemius muscle.

5. Seated calf raise - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the soleus muscle underneath the gastrocnemius muscle.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your lower body exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

Rick Mitchell has written numerous articles aimed at helping athletes, from beginners to advanced, understand how to build muscle and increase strength. He has also developed several supporting web resources including Fitness Gear Online

Most of these problems are usually related to using high dosage or individual genetics. For convenience we’ve divided the potential side effects into those experienced by men, women, and teenagers.

Men - Although anabolic steroids are derived from the male sex hormone, testosterone, men who take them may actually experience a “feminization” side effect along with a decrease in normal male sexual function. This is because one of the metabolic breakdown products of testosterone is the female hormone, estrogen. Some possible anabolic steroid side effects in men include:

Reduced sperm count

Impotence

Development of breasts

Shrinking of the testicles

Difficulty or pain while urinating

Women - It’s not surprising that women who take the drugs may develop masculinizing effects. These include the following:

Facial hair growth

Deepened voice

Breast reduction

Menstrual cycle changes

Clitoral enlargement

Both sexes - With continued use of anabolic steroids, both sexes can experience the following anabolic steroid side effects, which range from the merely unsightly to the life-endangering. They include:

Acne

Water retention

Rapid weight gain

Clotting disorders

Liver enzyme irregularities

Elevated cholesterol levels

Tendon damage from proportionally stronger muscles

Mood swings

Teenagers - anabolic steroid side effects can pose several serious health side effects in teens. Anabolic steroids have been known to fuse the growth centers (epiphyseal plates) in teens’ bones. Once these growth plates are closed, they cannot reopen so adolescents that abuse anabolic steroids may end up shorter than their natural genetic height. Anabolic steroids have also been known to cause severe mood swings. This could have severe consequences in many teens as this age group is characterized by naturally occurring behavioral changes. Although not conclusive, there have been a few cases where anabolic steroids may have contributed to suicide in a few teens. It’s because of these serious anabolic steroids side effects that teenagers should under no circumstances use these drugs.

Are anabolic steroids addictive?

Although the evidence is limited it is possible that addiction may be one of the most serious of anabolic steroids side effects. Recent evidence suggests that long-time users of anabolic steroids and steroid abusers may experience some of the classic characteristics of addiction including cravings, difficulty in stopping steroid use and withdrawal symptoms. As the research is limited, it’s not known if the symptoms of addiction are psychological or physiological in nature. For those who use anabolic steroids, coming off the “juice” can be very traumatic as they begin to lose muscular size and strength. This loss of a key component of their identity can leave them suffering many of the same symptoms and side effects as those using common street drugs.

How to minimize the risk of anabolic steroid side effects

Given that anabolic steroids are illegal in many countries, it’s probably a good idea to avoid them altogether. If you do decide to use them, the following tips will help you reduce the risk of side effects:

Use oral steroids as sparingly as possible. They have been chemically modified to survive the digestive system and hence much harder on the liver.

Never stay on a steroid cycle for more than 6 to 8 weeks.

Never use any steroids that have a questionable manufacturing background. Beware of the blackmarket.

At the first sign of any serious side effect (chest pain, blood in urine, etc), stop all steroids and see a physician.

Article 02/01 2006

Steroid side effects

Article 02/01 2006

© Bob Howard 2006