Shredding fat for the new year requires two things: eating less and exercising more. So you’d be a fool not to exploit the fatigue-fighting benefits of creatine. It works because it helps your muscles get more ATP, which your body uses for energy.

By mixing the low-dose white powder (or pill) into your diet it’ll help you crank out those extra few reps to burn off those unneeded calories – which all counts toward your overall goal.

So, how else can it aid your performance and appearance?

 

1. It’s guaranteed

Creatine, unlike some supplements, can claim to do exactly what it boasts on the packet with complete confidence. That’s because it’s thought to be one of the most intensely studied performance boosters on the planet. And from that research the overwhelming consensus has been it provides more strength, size, power and performance for the user.

 

2. It’s great for speeding up your recovery

The less time you spend recovering from your hard work in the gym (at the moment dedicated to dropping all that excess mass gained through the holiday months), the more sessions you can fit into your week. Creatine is known to help increase the recovery rate of muscle cells, which means reduced time on the bench and increased time under the bar. And that’s bound to help you bust the blubber.

 

3. It doesn’t increase testosterone

A 2009 South African study of rugby players found that while creatine didn’t up participants’ total testosterone it did mean more free ‘T’ was turned into the active kind, known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – and that’s been called ‘the king of all male hormones.’ It can lead to improved mood (which means you have fewer excuses to skip the gym, so burn more fat) and improved strength, so you can lift heavier weights and get more calories cooked.

 

4. Start right now

One result of taking creatine is water retention in and around the muscle, which is great for making you look bigger but doesn’t help with your definition. That shredded appearance might be what you’re working toward for summer, but it’s not what you need while you’re trying to get there. Think about it: it being winter you’re not going to be stripping off by the pool any time soon, are you? Get all that extra fat-burning work in now using creatine, then come off it prior to the summer months to allow all that edge-blurring water to drain away and reveal those eye-popping abs.

 

Check out Bodybuilding.com‘s online store for a wide range of creatine supplements and much more.