Muscle & Workout Supplements Review (Creatine and Branched-chain Amino Acids)

Creatine

• What Does Creatine Do?

  Creatine is an amino acid that helps supply muscles, including the heart, with energy, particularly for short-term, maximal exercise (See What It Is). Some, but not all studies suggest creatine supplements can improve muscle strength and endurance during repeated high-intensity exercise of short duration, such as weight lifting and sprinting, but is not helpful in purely aerobic exercise. Creatine may also be useful in improving exercise tolerance in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and muscle strength in people with muscular dystrophies. It does not improve memory in young adults and has shown very limited benefits on cognition in older adults (see What It Does).

• Is Creatine Safe?

  Creatine is generally considered safe when taken in appropriate amounts for short periods of time, but little is known about potential long-term adverse effects of creatine. There is some concern that long-term use at high doses (20 grams/day) may adversely affect the kidneys and cardiovascular system (see Concerns and Cautions).

• How to Take Creatine?

  Commonly, a "loading" dose of creatine is taken for 5 to 14 days, followed by a maintenance dose. However, some studies have shown a benefit using a constant dose rather than a larger loading dose. If using a powder or mix, mix it in very warm water to help it fully dissolve and drink it as soon as possible after mixing with water -- creatine will begin to break down once in liquid. Also, when using creatine supplements, it is important to drink about 8 cups of water per day. For dosage details, plus information about how caffeine intake may affect creatine, see ConsumerTips.
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  Which Creatine Supplement Is Best?

  Creatine comes in various forms, the most common being the monohydrate form, which also yields the greatest amount of free, usable creatine. Certain formulations are inherently unstable and should be avoided. Among products Approved in testing, the cost to obtain 5 grams of creatine monohydrate ranged from 26 cents to more than $1. Among these, CL selected a Top Pick that provides 5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate powder at reasonable cost, as well as a chewable creatine tablet (see What CL Found and CL's Top Picks).

BCAAs

• What Do BCAAs Do?

  Branched chain amino acids are the essential amino acids isoleucine, leucine and valine that the body cannot produce (see What It Is). Taking BCAAs before and after exercise may help reduce or delay the onset of muscle soreness and improve muscle recovery. Leucine appears to be the most significant BCAA for stimulating protein synthesis (see What It Does).

• Are BCAAs Safe?

  BCAAs are considered safe at standard doses, but may interact with certain medications (see Concerns and Cautions).

• How to Take BCAAs?

  For muscle recovery and to prevent soreness, daily doses of 1 to 5 grams have been used. How to take this and doses for other uses are explained in ConsumerTips.
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  Which BCAA Supplement Is Best?

  ConsumerLab's tests revealed that one product contained less isoleucine than claimed. Among products that passed CL's tests, several provided 5 grams of BCAAs for as little as 25 to 50 cents, with others costing over $1 to $2. CL chose Top Picks for BCAAs as flavored and unflavored powders, and as pills.

Other Supplements for Muscle