Yesterday we talked about supplements in cricket and decided if you were going to use a supplement, the best one is creatine.

But creatine is certainly not a magic bullet. Before you start any supplementation plan you need to be aware of the facts, the benefits and the risks.

What the heck is creatine anyway?

Creatine is a source of energy that occurs naturally in your body. It is used during intense bursts of exercise to power your muscles. So running to chase a ball in the field would utilise creatine for energy.

Studies have shown that taking in extra creatine (up to a certain limit) leads to an increase in performance in intermittent bursts of activity (for example running between the wickets) and weight training (making you stronger).

So you can see the benefit to cricket.

On the downside, some people report side effects like cramps and dehydration and there has been no research into the long term (10 years and more) effects of creatine use.

How do I take creatine for cricket?

If you decide that creatine is for you, there are a few ways to take it. Most of the methods come from the world of bodybuilding so may not be suitable.

A method I have found to work is simple, cheap and easy:

1. Mix 5g of creatine monohydrate powder into 500ml of juice (grape juice is reported to work best, but any sugary drink should be fine).
2. Drink the juice every day after training, your workout or a game.
3. Every 5-6 weeks take 1 week off from using it

You may need to experiment to get things right for you.

If you want to know about creatine, take a look here.