PROFESSIONAL GYM, EASTBOURNE - We don't all have the time to look like the Rock or perform like a gymnast, but with a few minutes a couple of times a week in a gym, or with a personal trainer, you can gain a few years back, look and feel great - and it need not cost the earth. Everyday chores will seem less daunting, because your body will be stronger and more able to cope. This is your local gym in Eastbourne. We also have a mobile app, where you can train and monitor your fitness online.

Creatine supplements are used by many athletes. The supplement is allowed by professional sports associations, the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Benefits have been reported in men and women, although most studies have been conducted on men. Some studies note that women who take creatine supplements may not see as much strength or muscle mass gain as men during training.

Creatine is one of your body's natural sources of energy for muscle contraction. Its name comes from the Greek word for meat. About half of the body’s supply comes from a carnivorous diet and about half is produced in the liver, kidneys and then delivered to the skeletal muscles for use. About 95% of creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle of your body and is used during physical activity. Creatine helps to maintain a continuous supply of energy to working muscles by keep production up in working muscles. Small amounts are also found in your heart, brain and other tissues.

Creatine is also found in foods such as milk, red meat and seafood. In a normal omnivorous /carnivorous diet, you consume one to two grams/day of creatine. Vegetarians may have lower amounts of creatine in their bodies.

Creatine exists in a steady state with a similar compound named creatinine that can be measured in lab tests as a marker of kidney function. It is passed out of your body in the urine. This means your body must release stored creatine each day to keep normal levels, the amount depending on your muscle mass. Although creatine is created naturally in your body, you must keep up your levels and do so through your daily diet.

Creatine is a substance that is found naturally in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise.

Taking creatine as a supplement is very popular among athletes and bodybuilders in order to gain muscle, enhance strength and improve exercise performance.

TECH STUFF

Chemically speaking, it shares many similarities with amino acids. Your body can produce it from the amino acids glycine and arginine.

Several factors affect your body’s creatine stores, including meat intake, exercise, amount of muscle mass and levels of hormones like testosterone and IGF-1.

About 95% of your body’s creatine is stored in muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is found in your brain, kidneys and liver.

When you supplement, you increase your stores of phosphocreatine. This is a form of stored energy in the cells, as it helps your body produce more of a high-energy molecule called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).

ATP is often called the body’s energy currency. When you have more ATP, your body can perform better during exercise.

Creatine also alters several cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength and recovery.

STUDIES

Creatine is effective for both short- and long-term muscle growth.

It assists many different people, including sedentary individuals, older adults and elite athletes.

One 14-week study in older adults determined that adding creatine to a weight-training program significantly increased leg strength and muscle mass.

In a 12-week study in weightlifters, creatine increased muscle fiber growth 2–3 times more than training alone. The increase in total body mass also doubled alongside one-rep max for bench press, a common strength exercise.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

Research shows that taking creatine supplements may:

- Improve your exercise performance.
- Help your recovery after intense exercise.
- Prevent and/or reduce the severity of injury.
- Help athletes tolerate heavy training loads.
- Increase your fat-free muscle mass during training.

Because vegetarians have lower intramuscular creatine storage, they may see greater gains from taking the supplements. However, it may take longer to build up levels in the muscles.

Several studies show that users experience less incidence of cramping, heat illness/dehydration, muscle tightness, muscle strains/pulls, non-contact injuries and total injuries/missed practices than those not taking creatine supplements. The effects appear to be sustained over time.

In addition, studies have noted that taking creatine supplements may aid in neurodegenerative diseases (such as muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease), diabetes, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, disorders of creatine metabolism or transport, aging, brain health and heart ischemia.

NEGATIVES

- It may be dangerous to take creatine supplements when you are actually dehydrated or trying to lose weight.

- If you take creatine supplements, you may gain weight because of water retention in your body’s muscles. It will take seven to 28 days to see energy effects depending on how much creatine you already have in your body.

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements can help you regain strength and fitness after a period of inactivity, or injury.

Supplements can’t provide you with maximum muscle gains if your nutrition and exercise programs are lacking.

To gain muscle, you need to eat a good balance of calories and protein, as well as exercise, ideally with weights for faster results. Once your nutrition and exercise regimens are in check, you may want to consider dietary supplements.

Creatine and protein supplements are likely the most effective choices for muscle gain, but other supplements may be beneficial for certain people. See the top ten in 2022.

Terry is a vegan, imposing more of a challenge on him, in sustaining a healthy regime with sufficient nutrients to remain on top form. Thus, he is in tune with your concerns, whether weaning off meat one day a week, moving to eating more fish, or going veggie. The vegan diet is the most difficult to stay true to. Many people would find that difficult.

It is usually better to get the nutrients you need from food, rather than a pill. That’s because nutrient-dense foods contain other things that are good for you, like fiber.

Most older adults can get all the nutrients they need from foods. But if you aren’t sure, always talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian to find out if you are missing any important vitamins or minerals. Your doctor or dietitian may recommend a vitamin or dietary supplement.

It’s important to be aware that some supplements can have side effects, such as increasing the risk of bleeding after an injury or changing your response to anesthesia during surgery. Supplements can also interact with some medicines in ways that might cause problems. For example, vitamin K can reduce the ability of the common blood thinner warfarin to prevent blood from clotting. If you do need to supplement your diet, your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what supplements and doses are safe for you.

When looking for supplements to buy, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of choices at the pharmacy or grocery store. Look for a supplement that contains the vitamin or mineral you need without a lot of other unnecessary ingredients. Read the label to make sure the dose is not too large. Avoid supplements with megadoses. Too much of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful, and you might be paying for supplements you don’t need. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend brands that fit your needs.

The global anti-aging market is worth $ 58 billion dollars, meaning that we are not alone in caring about being youthful and healthy for longer.

CLIMATE CONCERNS

The production of red meats is the most damaging in terms of global warming, lamb and beef generating the most methane. Vikeen is not trying to change your eating preferences, but it pays to know more about how your eating patterns affect climate change. So that if given the choice, and the food is tasty and satisfying, that you may want to consider a healthier option, or just varying your choices a little from time to time.

For example, pescetarians live longer, displacing red meat for fish. But fish supplies are declining from overfishing, according to a Report from the Marine Stewardship Council in 2022. Something Terry (our founder) is very concerned about, despite being a vegan, because hunger is on the increase, and nobody should go hungry in a civilised world. He is also concerned about Food Security in general, as in making sure there is enough sustainably farmed (and fished) food to feed our global population. Where at the moment deserts are being made of agricultural land, at an alarming rate, according to the United Nations FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). Terry trains responsibly.