Why You Need To Be Taking Creatine For MMA

Should you be taking creatine for MMA?

With so much conflicting advice, this question is one that’s often heard in the gym locker rooms.

There is no doubt that you’ve heard of creatine – this is the most thoroughly-studied product, and there is research dating as far back as the early seventies.

Countless papers so far have shown that creatine works:

It delivers numerous benefits, and it’s safe to take, even in the long run.

Today, we’ll go over some of the most prominent benefits of creatine for martial arts. 

Ready? Let’s dive in.

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Creatine Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance

Studies show that creatine supplementation improves high-intensity exercise performance. In the literature, subjects who were given creatine have been able to run faster, jump higher, lifter heavier, and do more repetitions than their placebo counterparts.

This mostly has to do with the primary mechanism of creatine:

To provide a phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (a precursor molecule). That way, the body can more quickly convert it into an ATP molecule – the primary energy molecule for our cells. Thanks to creatine, the body can produce energy molecules more quickly, and we can do a bit more work before fatigue sets in.

Due to the explosive nature of MMA, fighters will increase athletic performance by taking creatine for MMA.

It Can Improve Cognitive Function

It’s no secret that cognitive function plays a reasonably significant role in our overall athleticism and MMA performance.

The good news is, one of the benefits of creatine for fighters seems to be that this organic compound improves cognitive function. This is due to the fact that the brain needs large amounts of ATP to function well. And, because creatine does a great job of accelerating the production of ATP, it makes sense that it makes us sharper.

Increased Muscle Growth

Creatine can improve our muscle-building efforts on two fronts: 

First, because creatine boosts our performance slightly, we can do a bit more work before we feel tired. This itself is beneficial because research shows that training volume (the total amount of work we do) is tightly correlated with muscle growth. The more work we do, the better growth we can expect. To a point, of course.

Second, some studies show that creatine positively impacts muscle protein synthesis through different mechanisms. However, we need more long-term research before concluding.

It’s Easy and Convenient to Take

The best thing about creatine for MMA fighters is that it’s incredibly easy and convenient to take. All you need to do is take a standard dose of three to five grams every day. The timing of it doesn’t matter, and you can have it with water, juice, or as part of a protein shake.

Some research suggests that the body absorbs creatine a bit better when we take it with carbs and protein, but they are not mandatory.

Should I Take Creatine For MMA

Taking Creatine for MMA has a large number of benefits including increased athletic performance, enhanced brain function, and has even shown potential for protecting the brain against concussions.

Creatine is one of the best supplements for improving strength and high-intensity exercise performance by increasing your capacity to produce ATP energy.

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One consideration when taking creatine is the initial loading phase that causes an increase in water retention. Be cautious if you are close to a weigh-in, or struggle weight for competitions.

If you want to feel the benefits of Creatine for your martial artists training. Check out this Link.

For more advice on supplements for MMA, check out our recent article.

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Gareth Davies

I'm a martial arts competitor and enthusiast. Over the last 15 years, I have trained and competed in several martial arts. I live in Manchester U.K working as a strength & conditioning coach when I'm not travelling and exploring martial arts around the world.
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