Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick6EF
Care to share why it is "absorbed much better"?
Creatine is naturally found in red meats for those wondering.
And to answer OPs question, meal timing irrelevant, and in this case, a PWO shake. Your muscles wont fall off if you dont take one immediatly after you workout.
If you want proof let me know.
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i've read about the water absorption in a lot of places... but i've never really heard about it in my exercise physiology classes. i'm guessing its true, but i don't know the mechanism... i'm guessing if it causes your muscles to absorb more water, its just because there's more creatine in your muscles than in your bloodstream causing water from your blood to enter your muscles to make it more isotonic (more equal concentrations of creatine between blood and muscle). when your muscles are hydrated, you are more able to contract and release them... think opposite (no water = cramps)
i do know that creatine is generally used as an energy source after its been phosphorylated. i won't go into detail but i'm sure you've guys all have learned about ATP, our "energy currency," at one point in your lives... so basically sugars, fats, and protein can be used as sources to make ATP which is used for many things, such as the contraction of a muscle.
ATP has three phosphates and this is pretty much where the energy comes from. And creatine is very much like ATP. In that once phosphorylated, it becomes a energy source. but rather than fueling our muscles directly, it actually passes on its energy (a phosphate) to ADP, basically an ATP missing one phosphate, to make ATP.
So basically:
Creatine + P -> Creatine-P
ATP -> ADP + P (used for energy)
ADP + Creatine-P -> ATP + Creatine (ATP created to be used for more energy)
The thing is... most people who consume creatine take in more than they need (their body . Usually it gets pissed away... which may and may not be a bad thing long term. One thought is that overloading your kidneys with these substances over time is a bad thing and can lead to diseases... i don't know the statistics or whether this is actually a truth.