Should Boxers Take Creatine?

Creatine is one of those legal supplements out there which more often than not work, but fighters in the boxing world still have second thoughts on whether or not should they use it in their training, and this article is here to answer exactly that.

Why you might want to use it

Using creatine is almost always going to make you perform better as it does increase muscle endurance, which lets you throw more punches, overall strength, speed and athletic ability.

You’ll also be able to recover from your training quicker and have more gas in the tank when sparring or fighting, so it’s clear that the benefits are pretty huge.

The only real problem

The biggest disadvantage of taking creatine, especially for a fighter which has to stick to a specific weight class is possible water retention. What that means is that you will gain weight a lot easier and have a harder time losing it, although the effect could be reduced if you stop taking it about 2 weeks before competition.

My opinion

Personally i wouldn’t take creatine, neither any supplement for that matter which increases athletic performance as i just want to train at my natural best without any additives, but if your goal is to indeed reach the highest levels, you might consider doing so because i bet some of your competition already does.

The additional weight gain might seem to be a huge fact but it really isn’t if you learn how to adapt your weight cutting routine correctly.

How to take it

Taking about 3-5 grams of creatine a day is enough to really get the full benefit. We all get some creatine by eating foods like red meat, and if you eat a lot of it, the additional supplementation might provide little to not benefit to begin with.

Creatine doesn’t have to be loaded, that is, taken in higher doses for the first weeks and then bumped down, neither cycled, although you might wish to take a break from it from time to time.

When it comes down to actually taking it, you might want to do so after you finish your training during the training days, and before having breakfast on off days. Do so with a glass of grape, apple juice to let your body absorb it the best.

When using creatine, be sure to drink more water as failing to do so could lead to uncomfortable cramping.

Which creatine to choose?

There are all types and forms of creatine on the market, but i would suggest sticking to the good old creatine monohydrate – get a 600 g tub off Amazon and that should last for months.