Ever since the days of chugging raw eggs to build muscle, the idea of supplementing your diet with something that will give you an edge has been popular. People are always looking for a quick fix, and supplement companies want you to believe that their product is the answer. But the truth is much simpler than that.

Want to invest your cash wisely? Creatine is quite simply the best supplement on the market. It produces dramatic, almost immediate results, has never been shown to have negative long-term side effects and is reasonably priced. Used over a period of a month or more, it can help you build more muscle, strength, power and speed than you could without it. It may also help improve your endurance.

Creatine is a natural substance produced by the liver and kidneys. Your body can also get creatine from eating red meat and fish. However, it’s nearly impossible to consume enough meat to get the amount of creatine you’d get from a supplement. In the body, creatine plays a crucial role in the phosphagen energy system, which generates ATP for powerful, short-duration muscle contractions. In other words, it helps you lift a lot of weight and build muscle.

Creatine supplementation makes two important things happen within the first week. First, it provides more energy for your muscles, increasing your strength and your ability to recover between sets of intense exercise. Second, it volumizes your muscle cells, meaning that it draws more water into them, making them more efficient so they can grow faster. As a result, your muscles will feel fuller and look more defined in less than two weeks!

The traditional way of taking creatine is to start with a loading phase of five or six days. During this time, you’ll take 5 grams four times per day. The goal is to quickly saturate your muscles with creatine so it can get to work. After this, your muscles won’t be able to hold any more creatine, so you simply need to maintain those levels. This is easy to do because the body gets rid of excess creatine very slowly. So all you have to do is take 5 grams per day.

Research has proven that the stomach’s ability to absorb creatine increases significantly when it is taken with liquid sugar (30-40 grams is standard). Typically, fruit juice will be used; grape juice being the most common. However, some creatine supplements come with the sugar already mixed in, so just add water.

Research indicates it should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (breakfast should be about 30 minutes later) to help maximize absorption. However, many people report that they feel an energy boost from it, so they take it right before their workouts. Experiment to see which works best for you.

Protein is probably the most common supplement on the market because many feel that you must increase protein intake in order to help build muscle. It is difficult to say how much protein a person really needs, but a common guideline is 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Good protein supplements can make excellent post-workout shakes and convenient snacks. Look for one without a lot of added sugar. If you want to sweeten it up, blend in some fresh fruit.

There are certain times when the body really needs protein. The most important is in your post-workout meal (20-50 grams of protein, depending on your size), as discussed in my article last month. Early morning is another crucial time for protein because, for most people, it has been nine to 12 hours since their last meal. When the body doesn’t get enough protein from food on a regular basis, it breaks down muscle tissue to get the protein it needs.

Ideally you should eat some form of complete protein every two to four hours. Some bodybuilders even wake up in the middle of the night to maintain this pattern! There are many varieties of protein, but whey protein is the best quality protein because it is most easily absorbed by the body.

Send your question for personal trainer Matt Stringer to editor@uptownpub.com.