An Introduction To Creatine And Beta Alanine For Personal Trainers

Introduction

Creatine and beta alanine are among the most researched ergogenic aids on the planet.

Leading personal trainer and expert performance nutritionist Ben Coomber says both have helped hundreds of his clients achieve incredible transformation results.

But who should take these supplements? What do they do? And are they expensive? Ben explains in this short video.

Or, if you’d prefer, you can read what Ben said in the article below.

Creatine

If you’re a qualified personal trainer, it’s likely you will use creatine with a number of your clients. There is so much data to support creatine consumption for people who exercise intensely and even ageing populations who want to improve their cognitive ability.

Creatine monohydrate is the most common form of creatine. There are lots of other forms including creatine ethyl ester, but the research always comes back to indicate that creatine monohydrate is the most bioavailable. Fortunately for us, it is also the cheapest and easiest form to consume. For more information on creatine and its various uses, head to our complete creatine guide here.

Most research indicates that around 5 grammes is a healthy amount for most people. There is nothing wrong with having a higher dose – especially in someone who weighs more. I have clients who consume about 8 grammes per day and haven’t had any issues.

After all, it will be excreted in your urine if there is an excess of stores in the body. So, why would you take creatine? If you or your client is training for strength, power, or doing a repeated explosive activity, then creatine supplementation can help.

There is a small benefit to consuming creatine post-workout with some form of carbohydrates, but it is a very small benefit. In my personal practice, I would recommend that your clients take creatine when it is most convenient for them, because if you can get it into their lifestyle and make it a habit, they are more likely to consistently take it every day.

Beta Alanine

I want to talk about beta alanine in the same conversation as creatine because they are quite often used hand in hand. I would always recommend creatine in strength training, power training, explosive activity, and various sports. Not often would I recommend it in endurance training unless your client is also taking part in strength training or needs a sprint capacity boost.

Beta alanine works to raise carnosine levels in the blood which helps buffer lactic acid. So, if we think about the exercise activity that a lot of people enjoy; high intensity training, high rep training, and generally pushing their bodies – beta alanine can really help delay muscle fatigue, improve endurance, and support better performance.

You can get your client to take 5 grammes of creatine per day, then 3 to 6 grammes of beta alanine per day. I say 3 to 6 grammes because the research indicates that we need to load our muscles with beta alanine over time. For the first month of taking beta alanine, I would recommend my client takes two servings of 3 grammes per day. Then, once they have gone through that 4-week period, take just 3 grammes per day.

You can buy beta alanine supplements as standalone supplements, or you can buy a supplement that contains both creatine and beta alanine.

With so much information on ergogenic supplements available online, it can be hard to know where to look at times. You have total peace of mind that our personal training courses and articles give you all the evidence-based knowledge you need on supplements, nutrition, training and everything in-between to build a successful career.

If you are interested in learning more about evidence-based diet and nutrition practices and how these relate to healthy eating, take a look at our range of nutrition courses and qualifications.