Creatine increases testosterone. How does creatine affect potency in men? Possible side effects

Perhaps the only way to experience the real benefits of using prohormones in increasing muscle mass is through proper training during the period of their use. Such training must include a pumping stage in order to attract prohormones into muscle tissue, and to convert them into a strong burning sensation in the muscles is required. After all, in order to increase muscle sensitivity to, it is necessary to subject them to maximum tension. Plus, you can increase the anabolic effects of androstenedione with several dietary supplements, and creatine will help you with this.

Creatine is like testosterone.

Natural bodybuilders and athletes are able to achieve overall muscle growth by increasing the size of specific muscle groups. One problem that remains for them is the development of the upper part of the sternum and rear deltas. Many are sure that only with the help steroids, perhaps succeed in pumping them up.

It's no secret that creatine acts by increasing muscle mass, and in many properties is related to. It has been proven that during taking creatine natural athletes manage to achieve swinging in the most intractable parts of the body, such as the upper chest. In addition, this allows you to increase not only their intensity, but also their quality, which can only be provided steroids. Consequently, creatine able to help an athlete who is unwilling use steroids, achieve considerable results.

Steroids like creatine.

Although creatine and is endowed with an effect similar to that of , it was not and is not a steroid hormone. This means that people using steroids can achieve great success and progress by adding creatine into a loop or steroid course. In this case, the androgen will act as a substance that improves absorption and penetration creatine.

It is a widely known fact that there is a connection between an increase in muscle strength and taking creatine. However, not all so simple. Animal studies found that the muscle tissue of exercised rats contained the same amount creatine, as well as the tissue of rats not involved in the training process. And, therefore, training only improves muscle perception on creatine.

But here, too, not everything is so simple, because it is not only responsible for the accumulation creatine in the muscles, but also directly increases muscle sensitivity to its effects.

About dosages.

You can get much more benefits from taking prohormones simply by combining them with other nutritional supplements. Eg, creatine it is possible and even necessary to take it together with androstenedione, but not before or after it. But if creatine similar in effect to steroid, isn’t it better to avoid the combination of these drugs?! No, creatine although similar to steroid, but still it is not. And thanks creatine an athlete can both gain maximum muscle mass and avoid problems associated with a combination of drugs with similar effects.

Most often, a person who has never been steroids, advise dose creatine in 3 g, I am of the opinion that such a dose is too small, and the best option is a dosage of 5 g. In the case steroid use the dose increases several times from 10 to 15 g. After all, the need for creatine increases with increasing levels of androgens in the blood. Reasons for the increase doses of creatine some. First, along with the physical wear and tear of the muscles, their need for creatine. And second - since the athlete’s muscles suffer from increased loads, then creatine they lose much more. For this reason, for anyone who has taken or is taking prohormones, I recommend a dose creatine approximately 10 g per day.

ATP and testosterone.

Testosterone takes on the process of building muscle tissue only when the energy reserve in the muscles is at the level necessary for this. Our muscle cells are made up of two main components. This is the cytoplasm, consisting mostly of protein and water. And the core, which contains genetic information. Most of the receptors are located in the nucleus, and only a small part of them are located in the cytoplasm. Androgen receptors are constantly forced between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Why? It's not entirely clear. But be that as it may, in order for receptors to reach the nucleus or to reach the cytoplasm, they need energy. If your ATP level is reduced, then the receptors will not have energy for this process, and as a result, the process of anabolic muscle growth will stop, which is unacceptable for an athlete.

Low ATP levels.

Today, many athletes are faced with the problem of low ATP levels. Contractions of muscle tissue directly depend on ATP; the more intense the contractions, the more ATP is consumed. After the first hike during training, your ATP level decreases and remains so for several days. And with each new approach it decreases more and more.

It turns out to be a kind of paradox, because after training our muscles contain much more androgen receptors than before or during training. If you also use androstenedione, then the amount in your body becomes higher than normal. However, androstenedione is not capable of causing anabolism in this case, due to the small amount of ATP. This is where it will come in handy creatine. By taking it, you protect yourself from a sharp drop in ATP levels and as a result, you can be confident that it is doing its job. Also, in the process of minimizing ATP losses, carbohydrates will play an important role. They should be taken in combination with protein, immediately after finishing a workout.

Another common cause of low ATP levels is muscle cell damage or more severe injury to muscle tissue. When muscles are damaged, inflammation occurs due to the influx of fluids to the site of injury, which our muscle cells squeeze out with the help of salts. In our muscle cells there are “pumps” that also squeeze out the water that accumulates due to injury. The bottom line is that such pumps use ATP as fuel, which leads to a decrease in its level in the body.

Another reason for low ATP levels is muscle cell damage. When a muscle fiber is even slightly damaged, which often happens after lifting weights, inflammation occurs. Cells swell and although we are told that this activates anabolism, in the case of cellular damage this is not at all true.

If in the first case it comes to our aid creatine, then in case of injury you are unlikely to find a way to normalize ATP levels. Therefore, my advice to you is to avoid injuries and training that can lead to them.

Diet and ATP.

Another reason that causes a decrease in ATP levels in the body is a low-calorie diet. During this period, the cellular reserves of strength and energy slowly but surely decrease, and if at the same time you are also busy with training, then this process is accelerated many times over. However, you will not be able to restore your energy levels even by stopping the training process.

Depletion of energy reserves often becomes the reason that even the maximum doses steroids do not have any effect on the athlete. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that anything can help an athlete faced with such a misfortune.

Diet can also accelerate loss creatine in the muscles, blocking its entry. As a result, we have a kind of vicious circle. Due to lack creatine we lose energy, and from the loss of energy we cannot replenish reserves creatine.

The only way out of this situation is to give up the diet for a while and increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed in food. This will increase the stock creatine in the body and, as a result, will restore the necessary amount of muscle or cellular energy. As a result, the level of ATP increases and the process of anabolic effects begins.

Bottom line: If for your own reasons you are unable to purchase several nutritional supplements, then use creatine. Of course, whey protein has also proven itself well, but it is still inferior to this dietary supplement. I'll give you one more piece of advice if you use creatine, then add androstenedione to it and, conversely, when using androstenedione, do not forget about creatine.

There is no convincing evidence that creatine can increase testosterone levels. Our evidence-based analysis contains 20 unique links to scientific articles.

Where did this idea come from?

And in fact, where from? Supplements are often tested for their effect on hormones, especially if they have the anabolic properties that creatine has: by helping to regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main transport of energy in cells, creatine helps you train harder and lift heavier weights, and extra work leads to muscle building. This anabolic effect is caused by an increase in training intensity, that is, it is indirect. But what if creatine had a direct anabolic effect? Could it, say, increase testosterone levels? Scientists are looking for an answer to this question.

In the case of creatine, there was also the possibility of an indirect effect on testosterone levels. We know that resistance training results in a short-term increase in testosterone production, and creatine allows you to lift heavier weights, so fueling your workouts with creatine could theoretically lead to an increase in testosterone levels. Now let's move on to the actual research done. Three randomized controlled trials (RCT) are cited to support the concept that creatine can increase testosterone levels.

In the first, 20 healthy young rugby players were randomly assigned to two groups. The creatine group took a loading dose (25 g per day) for one week, followed by a maintenance dose (5 g per day) for two weeks. Participants' testosterone levels did not change in either the placebo group or the creatine group. However, by the end of the study, the creatine group showed a significant increase of 0.12 ng/ml (12 ng/dL) in levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a highly active androgen made from testosterone and known to play a role in hair loss. To date, this is the only study examining the effect of creatine on DHT.

Perhaps the only way to experience the real benefits of using prohormones in increasing muscle mass is through proper training during the period of their use. Such training must include a pumping stage in order to attract prohormones into muscle tissue, and to convert them into testosterone, a strong burning sensation in muscle tissue is required. After all, in order to increase muscle sensitivity to testosterone, it is necessary to subject them to maximum tension. Plus, you can increase the anabolic effects of androstenedione with several dietary supplements, and creatine will help you with this.

Creatine as a steroid

Natural bodybuilders and athletes are able to achieve overall muscle growth by increasing the size of specific muscle groups. One problem that remains for them is the development of the upper part of the sternum and rear deltas. Many are sure that only with the help of steroids can they succeed in pumping them up.

It's no secret that creatine acts by increasing muscle mass, and in many properties it is similar to the male hormone. It has been proven that while taking creatine, natural athletes are able to achieve swinging in the most stubborn parts of the body, such as the upper chest. In addition, this allows you to increase not only their intensity, but also their quality, which only drugs can provide. As a result, creatine can help an athlete who does not want to take pharma achieve significant results.

Steroids like creatine.

Although creatine has effects similar to those of the male hormone, it was not and is not a steroid hormone. This means that people using steroids can achieve great success and progress by adding this drug to a cycle or course of taking steroids. In this case, the androgen will act as a substance that improves the absorption and penetration of creatine.

It is a widely known fact that there is a connection between an increase in muscle strength and taking creatine. However, not all so simple. Animal studies found that the muscle tissue of exercised rats contained the same amount of creatine as the tissue of untrained rats. And, therefore, training only improves muscle perception of creatine.

But here, too, not everything is so simple, because testosterone is not only responsible for the accumulation of a substance in the muscles (meaning creatine), but also directly increases muscle sensitivity to its effects.

Creatine use and dosage

You can get much more benefits from taking prohormones simply by combining them with other nutritional supplements. Eg, taking creatine can and should be combined with androstenedione, but not before or after it. But if creatine has similar effects to androgens, isn’t it better to avoid the combination of these drugs?! No, creatine, although similar to androgens, is still not one. And by taking creatine, an athlete can both gain maximum muscle mass and avoid problems associated with a combination of drugs with similar effects.

Most often, a person who has never tried anabolic steroids is advised to take a dose of 3 g of creatine, but I am of the opinion that such a dose is too small, and the best option is a dosage of 5 g. If the athlete knows that such use of steroids, the dose increases several times from 10 to 15 g. After all, the body’s need for a substance, which is creatine, increases along with an increase in the level of androgens in the blood.

There are several reasons for increasing drug doses. First, along with the physical wear and tear of the muscles, their need for creatine. And secondly, since the athlete’s muscles suffer from increased stress, they lose much more creatine. For this reason, I recommend a creatine dose of approximately 10 g per day to anyone who has taken or is taking prohormones.

ATP and the hormone testosterone

Testosterone takes on the process of building muscle tissue only when the energy reserve in the muscles is at the level necessary for this. Our muscle cells are made up of two main components. This is the cytoplasm that drives testosterone, consisting mostly of protein and water. And the core, which contains genetic information. Most of the receptors are located in the nucleus, and only a small part of them are located in the cytoplasm. Androgen receptors are constantly forced between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Why? It's not entirely clear.

But be that as it may, in order for receptors to reach the nucleus or to reach the cytoplasm, they need energy. If your ATP level is reduced, then the receptors will not have energy for this process, and as a result, the process of anabolic muscle growth and testosterone penetration will stop, which is unacceptable for an athlete.

Testosterone and low ATP levels

Today, many athletes are faced with the problem of low ATP levels. Contractions of muscle tissues affected by testosterone hormone, directly depend on ATP; the more intense the contractions, the more ATP is consumed. After the first hike during training, taking testosterone, your ATP level decreases and remains so for several days. And with each new approach it decreases more and more.

It turns out to be a kind of paradox, because after training our muscles contain much more androgen receptors than before or during training. If you also use androstenedione, then the amount of testosterone in your body becomes higher than normal, higher than the natural levels of the hormone. However, neither testosterone nor androstenedione are capable of causing anabolism in this case, due to the small amount of ATP. This is where creatine comes in handy. By taking it, you protect yourself from a sharp drop in ATP levels and, as a result, you can be sure that testosterone is doing its job. Also, in the process of minimizing ATP losses, carbohydrates will play an important role. They should be taken in combination with protein, immediately after finishing a workout.

Another common cause of low ATP levels is muscle cell damage or more severe injury to muscle tissue. When muscles are damaged, inflammation occurs due to the influx of fluids to the site of injury, which our muscle cells squeeze out with the help of salts. In our muscle cells, where testosterone tends, there are “pumps” that also squeeze out the water that accumulates due to injury. The bottom line is that such pumps use ATP as fuel, which leads to a decrease in its level in the body.

Another reason for low ATP levels is muscle cell damage. When a muscle fiber is even slightly damaged, which often happens after lifting weights, inflammation occurs. The cells that testosterone needs to move into become swollen and although we are told that this activates anabolism, in the case of cellular damage this is not the case at all.

If in the first case creatine comes to our aid, then in case of injury you are unlikely to find a way to normalize ATP levels. Therefore, my advice to you is to avoid injuries and training that can lead to them.

Testosterone, diet and ATP

Another reason that causes a decrease in ATP levels in the body is a low-calorie diet. During this period, cellular reserves of strength and energy slowly but surely decrease, the level of hormones, including, decreases, and if at the same time you are also busy with training, then this process is accelerated many times over. However, you will not be able to restore your energy levels even by stopping the training process.

Depletion of energy reserves often becomes the reason that even the maximum doses in which steroids are taken do not have any effect on the athlete. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that anything can help an athlete faced with such a misfortune.

Diet can also accelerate the loss of creatine in muscles by blocking its supply. As a result, we have a kind of vicious circle. Due to the lack of creatine, we lose energy, and because of the loss of energy, we cannot replenish the reserves of the substance that is described as creatine.

The only way out of this situation is to give up the diet for a while and increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed in food. This will increase the supply of creatine in the body and, as a result, restore the necessary amount of muscle or cellular energy. As a result, the level of ATP increases and the process of anabolic effects begins.

Bottom line: If for your own reasons you are unable to purchase several nutritional supplements, then use creatine. Of course, whey protein has also proven itself well, but it is still inferior to this dietary supplement. I will give one more piece of advice: if you use creatine, then add androstenedione to it and, conversely, when using androstenedione, do not forget that you can take the drug.

Continuation of the series of articles “Testosterone” - wait for it tomorrow.

By the way, you can always buy the best testosterone esters in our store, including testosterone cypionate from reputable companies.

From: AthleticPharma.com

Bonus (Desktop wallpaper “Mariusz Pudzianowski” 1994×1360):

According to a number of studies and the opinion of scientists, the level is one of the factors not only in muscle strength, but also in their growth. In this regard, a very interesting question arises - does taking creatine affect the levels of anabolic hormones in the blood, and in particular testosterone? There are several scientific studies on this matter, which I propose to analyze in this article.

Study #1– On the effect of creatine on testosterone levels in rugby athletes.

van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med. 2009 Sep;19(5):399-404. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f.

Link

results: 7 days after the creatine loading phase and during the subsequent 14 days of maintenance use, testosterone levels in the blood did not change. However, dihydrotestosterone levels increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained above baseline by 40% over the subsequent 14 days.

Study #2– The effects of creatine and beta-alanine on performance, power, strength and hormone levels in athletes.

Hoffman J, Ratamess N, Kang J, Mangine G, Faigenbaum A, Stout J. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Aug;16(4):430-46.

Link to original study.

results: Total blood testosterone concentrations were increased after creatine supplementation.

Research #3– The effects of creatine on muscle performance and body composition.

Volek JS, Ratamess NA, Rubin MR, Gómez AL, French DN, McGuigan MM, Scheett TP, Sharman MJ, Häkkinen K, Kraemer WJ. The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 May;91(5-6):628-37. Epub 2003 Dec 18.

Link to original study.

results: Blood testosterone levels were increased in the group of people taking creatine, but the results were not statistically significant.

Research #4– On the effects of creatine on muscle performance and hormone levels in recreational swimmers.

Sheikholeslami Vatania, H. Farajib, R. Sooric, M. Mogharnasid. The effects of creatine supplementation on performance and hormonal response in amateur swimmers Science & Sports Volume 26, Issue 5, November 2011, Pages 272–277.

Link to original study.

results: The increase in blood testosterone levels after taking creatine was 15% compared to baseline.

Study #5– On the effects of creatine and caffeine on skills and sleep.

Cook CJ, Crewther BT, Kilduff LP, Drawer S, Gaviglio CM. Skill execution and sleep deprivation: effects of acute caffeine or creatine supplementation - a randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2011 Feb 16;8:2. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-8-2.

Link to original study.

results: Testosterone levels increased with 100 mg/kg creatine compared to the placebo group.

Analyzing the above studies, we can conclude that the effect of creatine on testosterone levels in the body is ambiguous. Creatine may not directly affect testosterone levels. However, by increasing muscle performance and strength, it is indirectly able to influence the levels of anabolic hormones in the body. Because the more intense the workout, the greater the anabolic response (including increased hormone levels) it leads to. At least, this explanation of the results of some studies confirming an increase in testosterone from taking creatine seems more logical.

It is common for every person to fear for their health. Having heard tales and stories about the dangers of sports supplements, many people are afraid to use them so as not to harm their body. Does creatine affect potency? This is one of the most popular questions related to the harm of creatine. In this article we will look at exactly this aspect.

Many buyers of creatine from all the potential side effects of creatine monohydrate! This is what worries me: does creatine affect potency? There is no greater fear for a man than impotence. This fear is fueled by the public opinion that “jocks are not worth it,” which arose out of envy or a lack of understanding of the difference between steroids and sports nutrition.

How can creatine affect potency?

Taking creatine could theoretically affect potency due to several things:

• Creatine increases testosterone levels in the human body.
• Creatine allows you to recover faster after workouts.

How does creatine affect potency by increasing testosterone? Yes, it has a good effect... High levels of testosterone increase sexual desire (both in men and women). Thus, an increase in testosterone levels when taking creatine has a beneficial effect on potency.

How does creatine affect (and does it affect) potency, allowing you to recover faster? Of course, training with weights is a lot of stress for the body. First of all, the body takes care of recovery after exercise. Everything else (including sexual attraction) fades into the background. Creatine helps the body recover faster after exercise. Does creatine affect potency, taking into account the above? Yes, even if it does, it’s only positive!

Where did the rumors come from that creatine has a bad effect on potency?

All the rumors about the detrimental effect of creatine on potency came from people’s misunderstanding of the differences between steroids and sports nutrition. It's not even a matter of understanding, but a reluctance to delve into and understand. However, we have already answered the question “does creatine affect potency”, and the effect of steroids on libido is a matter for a separate article.