The human physique has a limited capability for producing energy on its own. The system in the body that gives you the energy needed for sustained intense workouts is called the ATP-PC (Phosphagen) system. ATP is short for adenosine triphosphate, while PC stands for phosphocreatine. Both are components that produce energy on the cellular level when their chemical phosphate bonds are broken. The processes of digestion and eventually the breakdown of PC will provide the energy necessary to regenerate the ATP compound that produces the energy needed to do work. In the muscle cells, it is the ATP-PC cycle that actually provides energy for individual protein filament contractions. However, when the ATP stores are depleted, the muscular contractions are impaired, and your workout suffers.

If you're eating optimally and still 'hit the wall' in your workouts, what else can you do? You need to replenish your source of fuel at the cellular level! But how do you do that? Unfortunately the process of digestion is too slow to provide you with a quick source of fuel when you’re training. That means you still need an ideal energy source that will spare protein and provide you with the energy needed to push you through an intense workout. Creatine monohydrate may just be the answer you have been looking for! It has been tested extensively, and has been shown to be a possible answer to your stamina/growth dreams.

Creatine is not a new product on the supplement market. But the addition of beneficial Malic acid is different, that is in comparison to products that have been produced in the past that claim to be so called 'enhanced' creatine products. As we all know many of these products are just marketing hype, basically an effort to add value, adding a twist to the old 'stand by' base ingredient. What is exciting is that the addition of Malic acid bound to creatine shows promise. When malic acid (a component that is used in the Krebs cycle to increase energy) and creatine monohydrate are combined to form the compound creatine malate, the resulting product is a more bioavailable form of creatine monohydrate, which may prove to be more efficient in increasing the production of energy because of the impact it has on ATP production and utilization. And any product that can give you the edge in helping you to recuperate faster and that helps you to build muscle and gives you more energy should be at the top of your list of products to take every day! Creatine not only will help to restore energy, but it can buffer the build-up of lactic acid that occurs during exercise, which is also a cause of fatigue and failure.

The addition of chondroitin sulfate to the product adds value that you won't find in most other products sold to the active athlete. During those hard workouts there is a major amount of stress placed on the joints and the tissues that support proper joint function. Chondroitin sulfate is a major constituent of cartilage, which is the tissue that allows the joints to move smoothly. It provides structure, holds water and nutrients, and allows other molecules to move through cartilage. This last property is important since there is no blood supply to cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate belongs to a family of heteropolysaccharides called glycosaminoglycans or GAGs. Glycosaminoglycans are also known as mucopolysaccharides. This macromolecule naturally co-exists with several other known GAGs, including keratin sulfate, heparin, heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate. As stated, chondroitin sulfate is found in humans in their cartilage, bone, cornea, skin and the arterial wall and needs to be replenished on a regular basis, especially if you train hard year round.

Another ingredient that works synergistically with chondroitin is glucosamine. There are several different kinds of glucosamine products on the market and all work in a somewhat similar manner. There are literally hundreds of scientific studies on the use of this ingredient that show it supports healthy connective tissues in the joints. Glucosamine is readily absorbed by the body, it is a substance that is naturally found and made in the body, but due to a number of factors it is produced in limited amounts and needs to be supplemented in the diet. And again this is especially true if you are a hard working athlete where damage to the joint tissues is more prevalent. Lets face it, any down time from training is time wasted, so it only makes sense to get the protection and energy ingredients you need all in one product. It is only common sense that if you take care of your body by taking what it needs to perform well, you will make the gains that others dream about!

References:

1. Racette SB. Creatine supplementation and athletic performance. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2003 Oct;33(10):615-21.
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3. Becque, M.D., et al. 2000. Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32: 654-658.
4. Constantz RB. Hyaluronan, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate: roles for... In: Kelley WN, Harris ED, Ruddy S, Sledge CB, eds. Textbook of rheumatology. Philadelphia : WB Saunders, 1998.
5. Deal CL, Moskowitz RW. Nutraceuticals as therapeutic agents...: the role of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and collagen hydrolysate. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999; 25: 379-95.