Use Fenugreek To Improve Creatine Absorbtion
Written by Ben Bunting: BA, PGCert. (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) // British Army Physical Training Instructor // S&C Coach.
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It can be difficult to achieve bigger muscles, more strength, and higher testosterone. This requires commitment, dedication and effort.
When you see an opportunity that offers you an advantage, you should take it.
Creatine has been extensively studied around the globe. You can also add muscle volume, strength and power. The ability of this supplement to enhance physical performance is used by many athletes, gym-goers, and health professionals.
Some people stack carbohydrates and creatine. Why? It helps absorption. You can store and utilize more compound.
The problem is, this can lead to an excess of calories and sugar in your diet.
This article will tell you the benefits of using fenugreek instead.
Continue reading to learn more...
What is Fenugreek?
Fenugreek grows in Mediterranean climates. The herb is used in Asian cooking as a seasoning. It has a distinctive sweet aroma.
This herb contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium. These nutrients are essential for health and wellbeing.
The high content of fiber and antioxidants in this fruit helps maintain a healthy body functioning and digestive health.
It has the following abilities:
- Boost energy
- Raise testosterone
- Lowers cholesterol and regulates blood glucose
- Heart disease can be reduced by reducing cholesterol.
- It helps to burn fat and boosts your metabolism.
Fenugreek & Testosterone
The hormone testosterone (T) regulates masculinity. It increases your strength and speed. This enhances sexuality and libido. It is therefore vital that your levels are at their highest if you want to achieve a brand new body.
This herb helps to optimize male hormones through reducing sugar levels and reducing the levels of sex-hormone binding globulins (SHBG).
The SHBG protein is responsible for absorbing circulating testosterone. When levels drop, you have more "free" or available testosterone that can be used to grow your muscles.
This is also supported by studies. Wilborn and al. [1] discovered that testosterone levels in 30 men who were trained rose dramatically when they received 500mg of fenugreek. If you think that's good, their body composition improved dramatically too.
Fenugreek is used in high-quality boosters of testosterone for the same reason.
Creatine is a great way to work out for longer and more intensely without fatigue.
Fenugreek & Creatine: a powerful combination?
What is Creatine?
Creatine, one of the more popular supplements available on the market is widely consumed. Creatine is an amino acid-based compound that occurs naturally. It is a naturally occurring compound made up of amino acids.
The more ATP, the harder your workout can be.
You can find it in beef, salmon and other foods. However, to see real performance improvement you will need to take it as a supplement.
When working out at high intensity, the body uses the stored creatine in muscles to improve performance and reduce fatigue. This supplement increases power, strength and endurance.
This buffering effect allows you to work longer and harder without experiencing the unpleasant side effects associated with lactic acid. Creatine is great at balancing muscle contractions when muscles are acidic.
It also increases the volume of your cells, which means it pulls water into your muscle. You will appear to have a more muscular body. The volumizing effects can trigger the growth hormones that increase protein synthesis, resulting in bigger muscles.
Fenugreek improves creatine absorption
Since years, it's been recommended that you mix creatine and fruit juice. Why? The sugar helps shuttle creatine to your cells faster. It has been shown that consuming a grape juice or other high-carb beverage can spike insulin, which then allows your muscles to absorb the creatine.
In an American Journal of Physiology study, 100 g of carbohydrates in a sports beverage improved the absorption of creatine by 60%. It's a huge amount.
It's a problem that when you total up the daily calories of sugar, which was taken four times a day, it comes to nearly 1,500. If you want to be lean, that is a large amount of calories.
Fenugreek is a plant that grows in the fenugreek family
Fenugreek is a great alternative for sugary juices. The herb's antioxidant properties and reduced sugar intake allowed for a healthier diet.
Taylor et al. [3] conducted a study that looked at adding fenugreek over an eight-week period. The diet and exercise of 47 men who were already trained was carefully monitored.
The group showed improvements within 4 weeks. The group improved their maximum strength in 8 weeks for the leg press as well as the bench press.
The researchers found that adding the fenugreek extract to creatine significantly improved upper body strength compared with creatine alone. The body composition also improved significantly.
Fenugreek combined with creatine may help to increase creatine absorption without the use of excessive simple carbs [3].
Fenugreek appears to mimic the effects of sugar when it comes to stimulating insulin release. It is a healthier, lower-carbohydrate alternative to sugary and sweet sports drinks or fruit-based beverages.
Fenugreek and creatine together can boost muscle strength. This is a much better alternative than sugary carbs.
Conclusion
Creatine is an amino acid that aids the body in creating Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the energy source used by muscle cells during exercise.
Athletes who supplement with creatine report greater strength gains and faster recoveries times from resistance training sessions than those who don't supplement with it.
Tradition has it that athletes combine creatine with fast carbohydrates (such as dextrose) to enhance its absorption, but researchers at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor found that simply eating fenugreek seeds (containing naturally occurring creatine) increased its absorption without needing additional sugar or additives.
Subjects who participated in this study ingested fenugreek and 3.5g of creatine over eight weeks as part of a resistance training regimen.
This alternative to supplementation with carbs produced similar bench press 1RM and lean mass progression to that achieved through traditional supplementation regimen. Furthermore, its insulin-like action on glucose increased creatine transport into skeletal muscle in similar fashion to how carbohydrates would.
Fenugreek can aid digestion and gut health due to its magnesium and iron content, along with fiber that contributes to regularity.
Women experiencing painful periods can use fenugreek to ease discomfort as its compounds block sensory receptors in the brain that signal pain, according to a 2014 study.
If you want to increase testosterone levels, body mass and composition, consider adding fenugreek.
Military Muscle
Military Muscle contains 500mg of fenugreek seeds, making it a high-quality testosterone booster.
This natural supplement will help you achieve a more muscular body, improve your energy levels and boost recovery.
The Military Muscle program is designed to help you achieve that muscular physique.
References
- Wilborn, C et al. Effects of a purported aromatase and 5α-reductase inhibitor on hormone profiles in college-age men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010; 20(6):457-65
- Green, AL. et al. Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans. Am J Physiol 1996; 271(5 pt 1): E821-6
- Taylor, L et al. Effects of combined creatine plus fenugreek extract vs. creatine plus carbohydrate supplementation on resistance training adaptations. J Sports Sci Med. 2011; 10: 254-260