Debunking the Myth of the "Fat-Burning-Zone" On Ellipticals, Treadmills, Stationary Bikes, Etc

Are you a treadmill user? Elliptical user? Stationary bike user? All of these types of machines typically have a "fat-burning-zone" setting, and many people click the setting...expect to see results...and end up progressively frustrated at the lack of results they ultimately experience. I can't count how many times I've heard about it. Why aren't these people actually burning the fat they want the most to burn, and getting in shape as desired? After all, it's a "fat-burning-zone" setting...so isn't that setting going to be the way to burn off the fat effectively and efficiently? In short...no. Not at all. It's essentially just a marketing tactic, and unfortunately it works and it sells. Here's a quick breakdown of the myth of the fat-burning-zone setting.

The phrase "fat burning zone" (sometimes called a "cardio zone," etc...something along those lines) is really just describing the intensity of a workout. The intensity of your workout determines the fuel source your body will use for energy needed to exercise. (See this post about exercise metabolism & energy to understand the three systems your body uses for energy - and for what types of exercise the different systems are or are not used.) Regardless of what we're doing, our bodies use fat and carbohydrate calories to power activity. The intensity of our workouts determines the RATIO of fat calories vs carbohydrate calories used (burned) to power activity. In the most basic sense...your body burns more fat calories RELATIVE to carb calories at lower intensities of exercise, and progressively burns more carbohydrate calories RELATIVE to fat calories as the intensity of your workout increases. As such, the "fat-burning-zone" setting on a treadmill, elliptical, etc is truly just a setting to promote a low intensity workout. (So...wouldn't that be right? Again, NO. ;) Let's continue...)

Although it is true that the body burns more FAT calories at lower intensities, you're talking about burning more fat calories RELATIVE to carbohydrate calories...overall, you'll still be burning far less calories altogether when compared with higher intensity exercise! And burning less calories overall will obviously NOT get you where you want to be. Yes, a higher intensity workout means your body will shift towards burning more carbohydrate calories relative to fat calories, but this is a ratio -- you will still be burning drastically MORE CALORIES OVERALL during a high intensity workout.

So what should you care more about? The whole "fat-burning-zone" term leads us to believe that's what's most important to weight loss/body composition change, so, is it?...or is burning more calories overall more important? Well, put simply, if the ratio was the most important thing (meaning burning more fat calories RELATIVE to carb calories)...then sitting still would be pretty darn effective since the body chooses fat calories for energy during low intensity activity. And we know that won't get the job done. ;) Case and point: the fat-burning-zone setting is a myth because it is referring ONLY to a relative ratio, and of course burning more calories overall is what is really going to start changing your body composition. You do still want to burn fat calories though, so how do you go about balancing out all this to make the MOST of the time invested in working out...getting the best results...sooner? High intensity INTERVAL training. (HIIT). And get yo' lift on - that too, obviously (hopefully obviously, anyway.) As the saying goes, what do you do for exercise? Lift. What do you do for "cardio?" Uhh, lift faster. ;) TBC on that front. In the meantime, hope that this clears up this treadmill setting myth, and you can be one less person to fall victim to it at the gym.


1.  Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.
     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012.

Mapping Out The Mindset FIRST: EFFECTIVE Goal Setting & Anticipation of the Journey to Come

SMART: SPECIFIC. MEASURABLE. ATTAINABLE. REALISTIC. TIMELY.

Want to get fit, but don’t know where to start? It’s not just about following a physical exercise program and scribbling down a new diet, which may or may not yet make sense to you anyway. Before you even begin to dive into any of that, whether it be the working out component or the nutrition or both simultaneously – you need to mentally map out your route to success in a few less obvious, less publicized, but extremely important ways. Half (if not most of) the battle for the fit body you want, but (presumably, if you're reading this) have not had or had in some time...will be fought in your mind. So, it’s extremely important to form a mindset and mental plan that will help you reach and sustain success! DO NOT UNDERVALUE YOU THIS! It's not as cheesey as it appears, and I know people from your average Jane/Joe to elite athletes, Olympic athletes, powerlifting competitors - you name it, all of whom will tell you that at SOME point they did this. Most revisit it frequently. Men and women alike. SO, step 1? Get yo' mind right. :) Here's how:

#1: Effective Goal-Setting, S.M.A.R.T. & An Awareness of What's To Come
One of the most important factors that will determine your success is taking the initiative to set appropriate and attainable goals. The surest way to set yourself up for frustration or even quitting is to have unrealistic goals, an unrealistic plan, or both. Be aware from the start that anything worthwhile and sustainable will not be easy (it's usually  not completely linear, either, and will involve some amount of trial and error. Be open to that and remain flexible and aware.) Any workout or nutrition program that claims otherwise is giving you a run for your money – it’s fact. It’s also the reason those companies and so-called ‘programs’ stay in business…if they worked the way they claim to work (fast, easy, little-to-no lifestyle modification involved) they would go out of business. You should be aware that working out will feel GOOD, and rewarding – even more so as you go – BUT working out will also be HARD. Know in advance that on some days you will have more or less energy and drive than on others; overcoming that and working out anyway will only build your confidence and drive further – you’ll know of what you’re capable. It is always more than you'd have previously thought. You also need to balance that out with allowing yourself to be human, and forgiving yourself if from time to time you've slipped up here and there. Don't just quit. (If you scratch your phone, would you then say, "Oh, hell, now it's imperfect anyway so I think I'll go smash it to pieces with a hammer?") ;) Set yourself up for success by recognizing that very few people, if any, ever accomplish results in one, consistent line of progression: you will experience weight loss, potentially a bit of what may feel like a plateau or slowed progress (though that should not actually remain stagnant – another topic in and of itself), and you will likely experience some weight gain in the form of muscle – which particularly for girls, you MUST learn to be HAPPY about. You will LOOK better (aside from the fact that you will function better) with muscle. Men don’t typically fear this, but MANY women do. Women, get PAST any scale obsessions you may have BEFORE you begin a workout routine! Being fit (within reason) is NOT about a number. Many of the people you likely notice as being in supremely great shape, weigh more than those whose physique you would view as being less attractive or fit. Being healthy, toned, “smaller” all-around, and streamlined means building lean muscle while losing the bad fat. And because muscle burns fat, building muscle works double time for you, in that you’re burning fat while working out, and burning more fat/calories while at rest as you build more muscle to do it. 

A quick important aside: as far as anything related to forming this new fitness regimen, unless you are very well versed in exercise science and physiology, etc,  it will be VERY worth your while to at the very least – even if you decide to go it alone - simply CONSULT a credentialed professional first to help you establish healthy goals (and a plan for reaching them) in their most explicit forms. Then decide how you wish to proceed and/or what you can financially accommodate as far as personal training, etc. Personal trainers bring more to the table than simply being “slave-drivers.” And not all trainers are equal, just as not all certifications are equal. A good trainer will work with your body AND mind, train you holistically to prevent injuries and allow you to continue to workout, and help hold you accountable as you transition into a new phase of life. Change is hard! Knowledge is power. Your goals need to be short term AND long term, and you need to have physical and mental goals for which you learn to hold yourself accountable. START with long term goals. What do you want to have accomplished in 6 months…1 year…5 years? And so on. From there, you’ll create short-term goals to compliment the longer term ones already identified. This can get overwhelming, which is another reason professional assistance will be extremely helpful. Generally speaking, your goals need to be SMART. But this time, we’re talking S.M.A.R.T: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Then you’ll develop an action plan, which will be incredibly explicit and will detail target dates to complete various components of your goals, resources you may need to do so (this could potentially include money, time, equipment, people, etc), daily necessities to stay on track for goal completion…and so on. 

As far as the actual exercises you’ll perform at a gym or elsewhere, form, progressive difficulty, etc…those are all things that will be completely specific to you and will need to be designed within this framework, accordingly. And remember, you don’t just set goals and then never revisit them again. No way. You will reflect constantly and consistently as you go, and you will MAKE ANY NECESSARY CHANGES as you go. Your goals will remain the same, but the steps to reaching them may require adjustment as you go and that’s fine - remain flexible. It’s also normal, and common. What you don’t want to do is to continue any part of your action plan if it is no longer projecting you forward. If and when that happens, you’ll need to readjust and get back on a productive path.





#2: Know YOUR PERSONAL Motivation - Do it For YOUR Reasons & Know You CAN DO IT.

Just being interested in the idea of starting an exercise regimen is NOT enough to keep you going long enough to truly reach your goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle and body – especially on those mornings or evenings when you’re tired, “too busy,” or just otherwise want to revert to old habits. And EVERYONE has those mornings – fitness gurus included. The difference between those who stick it out and overcome those periodic mentality setbacks, etc, and those who don’t – is being CONSCIOUS of your reasons for working out. This means EXPLICITLY and SPECIFICALLY detailing the reasons YOU are making these CHANGES and determined to WORK HARD. Choosing significant reasons that will have a significant impact on your life, and reiterating those reasons to yourself as you go, will make the difference between giving in to the temptation of old ways, versus beating that temptation and continuing on your new route to reach your new you. Everyone has different motivation, and there isn’t usually a such thing as a “bad” or “wrong” motivation to get fit (unless you’re working out for someone else; it should ALWAYS be for YOU. Not a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, parent…YOU.) Whether you want to begin training to be able to participate in a race, look good in a bathing suit to help build your own confidence and project it to others, be better equipped for sports you love, improve your general overall heart health (etc), simply be able to be more active with your kids without tiring out too quickly, or even try your luck in fitness modeling…the potential reasons YOU may want to workout are endless and will be specific to YOUR PERSONAL goals in your life. It can be easy to be influenced by other people’s reasons for getting fit, even when you don’t intend to do so. It’s great to have in common with someone that you want to be fit, but your reasons for doing so need to be your own. Not your friend’s goals, not your spouse’s goals. YOURS. You need to be clear on what those goals are BEFORE you begin, because those are the things that are going to KEEP you going, when it isn’t easy and you need to remember “why” you should keep sticking to it. No one can determine those goals but you, and once you do, you’ll be hard if not impossible to stop. ;)

#3: Imagery, Imagery, Imagery.
Appreciate positive imagery in a tangible form...

which means yes, you need to write down this stuff. Whether or not you feel cheesey, it will make a difference so don’t cut corners here. You don’t have to frame it and hang it on your wall; you can keep it to yourself somewhere, but the process of writing it down will benefit you – anyone. Even the most intense male powerlifters (and bodybuilders, but there is a major difference between the two domains and my focus in general/throughout this blog is NOT bodybuilding, but powerlifting/ers, which is also the category in which my friends and colleagues fall) who many would think are “too macho” for things like this, do it. And they’ll tell you they’ve done it, too. You need to constantly envision yourself where you want to be, and try to feel how it will feel to get there (AND YOU WILL GET THERE. There is no question about that, assuming you’ve reached out for the right assistance to set the right goals, and have mapped out an appropriate plan for reaching them.) It’s not just about thinking about the end result when you start…and then working working working until you suddenly reach it. It won’t work that way. It’s about imagining AS you go, throughout the ups AND downs of your lifestyle changes, all of the thoughts, feelings, sounds, tastes, sights, abilities, etc that will accompany reaching your goal. That will help make the difference between giving up and continuing to push yourself when the going gets tough, and here and there it will.  It’s supposed to. YOU are just supposed to get stronger too – mentally and physically. ;) You're as strong as you decide to be. It's in YOUR control. You need to constantly remind yourself of the positive feelings that will inherently accompany the goals you’re working towards – that light at the end of the tunnel.  And, remember that when it comes to sustaining fitness, the tunnel doesn’t end…it just might remain a little less intense in a lifelong capacity.

Now for Anticipating the so-called "Negative Imagery"

Brainstorm every possible excuse you can foresee yourself potentially making. Write down all of these excuses. Seriously – anything that comes to mind. Want to sleep in, want to go to bed early, want to do something else with a friend instead, don’t feel like getting sweaty, “too busy,” the weather, too tired……………you name it. Think of anything. AND THEN, think of how you’re going to get past those things. What goal-achieving thoughts are you immediately going put in place of those goal-defeating ones? How will you get yourself out of bed? Maybe just remembering that you “knew” that would happen at one point or another, will be enough to help you realize what’s happening & that you anticipated it, and get your butt up and moving anyway.  Maybe you need to tape a little picture of something that has to do with your goal, to your alarm clock. Maybe you need to tape something to the fridge to remind you not to totally blow it with your nutrition. (No matter how hard you workout, if you don’t prioritize nutrition your hard work WILL NOT show, end of story. There is NO way around that. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy certain things every so often, but it’s about what you do the MAJORITY of the time, and HOW you indulge, if and when you do.) All in all, setting yourself up for success is all about anticipating setbacks and preparing for them. You can’t begin working out, with a goal of truly changing your physique and your health, if you anticipate it being all fun and games. It will be fun! It will be super rewarding. It will also be hard, and at the end of the day you TRULY have to have motivation from within.

#4: Support Systems

This is KEY. Not every single one of your friends or family members needs to have the exact same or even similar goals as you, but the people in your life DO need to be supportive of the goals you set for yourself and the plan you create and implement to achieve them. If you find that you get grief from friends in any form as a result of prioritizing your workouts or your nutrition – GET BETTER FRIENDS. Those people aren’t your friends. Friends support you in working towards what matters to you. That doesn’t mean they have to follow in your footsteps (although they might!) but it DOES mean that they should NEVER hold YOU back. Make sure you have positive support systems. Extending on that, IF your friends and/or family members don’t share similar lifestyles to the one you wish to begin creating, and aren’t fitness oriented…you’ll do yourself a major favor to expand your circle of friends to include new faces who share common goals. There is nothing as difficult as “going it alone” without anyone who can relate – both to the ups, and to the downs! That doesn’t mean you can’t keep friends who don’t workout or don’t care about this stuff, but it does mean that you should ADD friends who do! They will ONLY help keep you on track, just by their presence. You’ll feed off each other in the best ways. ☺ Surround yourself with people who in some way, lift you higher and support what you want for yourself.
Note: Also, to reiterate, this is again where you will consider the informational and instrumental supports you'll need in place to succeed! Exercise science can be complex, confusing, and misleading if you don't have assistance from someone who can break it down and make it "YOU-specific." Exercise also can't occur if you have extraneous obligations that need to be but aren't considered and accommodated to allow you to workout. Eg: maybe you'll need to brainstorm childcare options, etc. Get those things sorted out. They matter! Don't put off those things until you are "starting" and then voice frustration that you don't have time, resources, and so on. Plan a way to work with what you've got. It might not be everything, but whatever you can do is a start and better than nothing.

Cool? Cool. Now, go be your badass self. XO.

Your only competition is yourself.

As long as you're a better you today than the you of yesterday, you're winning. Focus on that.

Stubborn Knees: Where Pain and Preventable Injury Usually Originate

Unless there is something structurally wrong in the actual joint, which is much less common, almost all knee issues (about 98%) are caused by problems with the ankles, hips, and by an imbalance of strength between the quads and hamstrings: overactive quads and underactive hamstrings. (This can result in explicit injuries as severe as ACL tears, or it will simply serve as the cause of general, relentless, frustrating, and all too common patellofemoral pain – usually just referred to under the blanket term, “Runner’s Knee,” and which includes anterior knee pain syndrome, patellofemoral malalignment, and chondromalacia patella.) But you don’t need to worry about those phrases. Bottom line: your knee area hurts, and it is usually easily attributed to a combination of issues we’re about to START to discuss in this post. There is no way I'll cover all of them here, and this particular subject (knee issues) is a MAJOR one when it comes to fitness in general...so I will just briefly begin touching on it and scratching the surface in this post and will continue to elaborate via subsequent posts. :) These knee issues albeit being common, are also usually just as curable and major injuries preventable...IF you learn about what causes the pain in the first place and how to embrace preventative stability, flexibility, and strength training. Far too many people resort to surgery too soon, or end up in a position where surgery IS required, because they either didn’t know or didn’t place enough value on proper form and training for effective neuromuscular control and function. Remember, pain happens as the body’s way of telling you that you are doing something wrong! Or using the wrong equipment - eg - bad shoes for your particular feet! - listen to your body, and make changes accordingly. You'll either listen now or you'll be forced to listen when you are taken out of commission by inhibiting injuries. I would be the latter, which is why I am now being smarter. I advise others to do the same. 6 months of casts and crutches was not an enjoyable thing, let me just tell you. ;)

Within the human body, several muscles will work synergistically to produce force, stabilize the body, and reduce force upon impact, etc. Because most people tend to be quad-dominant, they subsequently have underactive hamstrings and a much higher susceptibility to numerous types of injuries as well as general and ongoing knee pain. Increasing balanced co-activation between the quads and hamstrings has been shown to significantly decrease general knee pain as well as the risk of ACL tears and significant knee injuries that usually result from a lack of proper joint stabilization and in turn, increased knee adduction. How to go about doing that will be discussed in future posts. :)

Provided that you haven’t torn an ACL (connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the knee), PCL (also connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the knee), MCL (connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the medial – or inner – side of the knee), or LCL (connects the thigh bone to the fibula, the smaller bone of the lower leg on the lateral – or outer – side of the knee), along with any meniscus or other boney structure in the knee, it is usually a safe bet to say that your issue is in your hips, ankles, and/or hamstrings and has to do with overactive/underactive coupled muscles which over time enhance faulty movement patters and poor weight/force distribution on the knees. The sooner you identify your specific issues actually leading to the formation of pain, and address those issues by embracing the power of healthy and correct muscle synergies (how your muscles and muscle groups need to work together to function appropriately), the sooner you rid yourself of pain and hopefully prevent or heal injuries that will otherwise result almost inevitably, at least at one point or another. Remember that everything affects everything else, which is why we think of our body and its movement patterns as functioning within a kinetic chain through which very few muscles work in isolation; it would be extremely difficult and rare to have an issue with, for instance, your hips…and not have that issue in some way translate into additional issues with your knees and ankles.

When it comes to muscle function and activation, the human body naturally wants to take the path of least resistance. So when the body recognizes that one muscle is far stronger than another in its synergy for any given function, it is going to fire and make the stronger muscle to do all the work, leaving the weak muscle out of the equation - which also means leaving the weak muscle's intended JOB left unfilled. To clarify that, for example, one of the most predominant causal factors of ACL injuries in runners and other athletes is an imbalance of strength between the quad and hamstring – which I’ve already mentioned in some capacity – but here’s why. One of the hamstring’s important jobs is to keep the tibia (shin bone) from sliding forward upon impact and/or as you come to a quick stop. When you have an imbalance in strength between the quads and hamstrings (meaning you have overactive quads due to weak and underactive hamstrings) it means the hamstring isn’t strong enough to do its job…so put simply, it doesn’t! This is because the quad wants to be super nice and “help it out,” except that doesn’t help you. ;) The quad basically says, “hey, no worries! I know you’re not strong enough for this, you can just chill and relax and I’ll cover everything for you!” Except that’s not possible, and thus the protective jobs of the hamstring don’t actually get performed, leaving you with far less protection (if any) against unwanted turning motions upon motions of impact, and subsequent tears, etc. It also drastically increases the likelihood that you will simply experience to no avail, ongoing general pain and discomfort, or at the very least, seemingly endless ‘cycles’ of such pain.

There is of course a TON more to all of this, as well as lots more contributing factors to knee pain and injury. In posts to follow, I'll elaborate on each of many main concepts that pertain to effective exercise and injury prevention, including:
-muscular force
-length-tension relationships
-force-velocity curve
-force-couple relationships
-muscular leverage
-arthrokinematics
-muscular synergies
-effective proprioception
`sensorimotor integration

We will then get into the MANY modalities of training that will get you progressing to being in INJURY-FREE great shape, all of which fall into the categories of stability, flexibility, strength, and endurance training...among other divisions.

There are a million terms and muscle activation concepts to understand, as well as scientific explanations for the immense importance of posture and how poor posture and poor form results in pain and injury. However, it would be impossible to get into all of that in one blog post. SO – for the purposes of this post, let’s stop here and I will elaborate more specifically on various causes and implications in subsequent posts. Also, my NEXT post to come soon – within the next couple of days or so – will provide you with a general overview of some specific exercises and ideas you can try within stabilization, flexibility, and strength training so that you can begin NOW on your path to prevention, or treatment, and/or alleviation of this knee pain or knee related injuries. As always, make decisions based on your individual needs and capacities.

Ref's

1.   Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.
      Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.

2.  Gregory D Myer, Kevin R Ford, Jane Khoury, Paul Succop, et al. Biomechanics laboratory-based
     prediction algorithm to identify female athletes with high knee loads that increase risk of ACL injury. Br J Sports Med 
     2011;45:4 245-252 Published Online First: 17 June 2010.

3.  Kovaleski JE, Gurchiek LG, Spriggs DH. Musculoskeletal Injuries: Risks, Prevention, and Care. In: American College
     of Sports Medicine, ed. ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 3rd ed.
     Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1998:480-87.

Clarifying CREATINE: A work generator, NOT a direct muscle builder

If you’re using or considering using any type of supplement, you need to understand how it works and know exactly why you are using it, as well as HOW to use it appropriately and effectively. Creatine can definitely be beneficial, but only when used correctly and depending on what your personal idea of a "benefit" would be. For instance, creatine will definitely cause some type of weight gain (whether it is "good" or "bad" depends on how you use it, to be further discussed below) but some people may not want this weight gain for any reason (eg competitors who need to cycle out before a competition, athletes with weigh ins, etc) and thus these types of people would NOT want to use creatine supplementation.  Or they'd need to cycle on/off it. That aside, generally benefitting from the use of creatine supplementation is entirely dependent on someone's specific fitness goal, and subsequently, the type of exercise(s) [intensity & duration] he or she is performing to reach that goal. If misunderstood and/or used incorrectly, creatine will do nothing or may work against you by causing pure water weight gain without any desirable gains to accompany it. You do not want that.

Before reading the rest of this post (or really any posts within my blog, for that matter) did you check out the exercise metabolism post in the exercise science section? If not, PLEASE quickly go back and read this post about exercise metabolism, which provides you with a fast and simple mini lesson about exercise metabolism & bioenergetics - and if the terminology sounds complicated, worry not...I highlight in that post only the most critical and pertinent information, which I promise I have written in simple, easy to understand terms. :) Once you go back and read that post, you will understand how the body generates energy, which happens in one or more of three ways . The specific energy system(s) used by the body during exercise (and thus the different nutrients required) totally depends on the intensity and duration of exercise you're performing. Understanding how that works is not just "extra" knowledge; it is KEY to getting in shape because it is key to fueling yourself correctly for your workouts. You need to be fueling yourself differently according to your specific workout modality, intensity, and duration. This knowledge will set the foundation for you, so you can continue to learn how to maximize your nutrition---->maximize your workout----> maximize your results and get in killer shape in the most efficient way. :) So now that you promise to have already read this FUNDAMENTAL post before continuing (otherwise some of this may seem like it is written in a foreign language and you are doing yourself a major disservice) it's time to get to the point and break down the most important components to understand about creatine. Ready, aaaaand GO:

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the body, specifically in most skeletal muscle. In very simple terms, its function relative to exercise is to increase the body's ability to produce energy FAST, which is why it is relevant and can be effective for high weight/low rep weight training (low rep being about 1 -3 reps), sprinting, explosive exercise (plyometrics), etc. Anything requiring high-intensity, short duration bursts of energy and power. 

In essence, creatine works to extend the ATP energy production cycle, replenishing used up energy quickly so as to extend someone's high-intensity efforts. As stated above, creatine is produced in the body, but the body only produces so much creatine on its own, which is where supplementation starts to come into play. (Creatine is also found in meat and fish, but not in a heavily concentrated enough way to practically serve the training purposes discussed in this post.) When used correctly, creatine supplementation has the potential to be very beneficial. (Again, depending on one's personal definition of a benefit. For instance, if you don't want to gain any water weight, do not take creatine supplements or cycle off of them as necessary if you are an athlete or competitor who deals with weigh ins, etc.) Creatine supplements are ergogenic, meaning they are work generating and enhance one's capacity for more/improved athletic performance. When combined with the right strength-training program creatine supplementation can increase muscle mass, strength, and anaerobic performance. (Note: CREATINE IS NOT an androgenic anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids mimic testosterone, and have been shown to have MANY adverse side effects, as well as are banned from all major sports organizations.)

When it comes to high-intensity muscular efforts, a person can typically go "all out" for about 5-10 seconds before his or her strength & stamina drops off because the body's ATP stores are depleted. Creatine phosphate is required to convert to more ATP again, and once available is converted into ATP (energy) VERY quickly! Thus, put very simply, adding creatine helps extend the ATP energy cycle by several seconds, which as you might assume, means that you can put more effort into getting a few more reps in a set and so on. Subsequently, this additional exertion on your muscles means something very simple: you can get stronger, faster. So again because this cannot be overemphasized, this makes creatine supplementation ideal for people who require short bursts of energy during weight training, explosive plyometrics, sprinting, and so forth. All of those activities involve short bursts of power rather than long term endurance (such as, for example, running a marathon.) Creatine has not been shown to provide any benefits for longer duration endurance training of any kind.

If you do not train hard via explosive types of exercises, then creatine will do little if anything for you and in fact, depending on the result you are seeking, WILL likely work against you! (Especially true for women, as women are usually not trying to bulk up, etc.) So...don't use creatine (or any supplement for that matter) just because someone else uses it! Others may have different goals in mind. With taking creatine inherently comes a certain amount of water weight gain, because creatine pulls water into the muscles as part of its means to provide that rapid energy production (which ties into protein synthesis, but I'll spare you that for simplicity's sake.) So if you are not taking advantage of the 'added energy' generated via creatine supplementation, you'll just puff up from water weight. Creatine DOES NOT build muscle on its own. It indirectly aids in building more muscle mass, faster, by providing YOU the additional energy that YOU will require to add MORE reps and DO MORE WORK to build that added muscle/strength as quickly as possible. The key is that you absolutely still have to do that extra work. Simply taking creatine will in no way make you gain muscle mass. If you take creatine, and don't engage in high intensity activities such as high-weight/low rep weight training, you will just gain puffy looking water weight without any real benefit to go alongside that.

How is creatine supplementation generally taken?

There are different views on best practices for benefitting from creatine supplementation. The most widely supported view on how to go about it deals with a loading phase and a maintenance phase. (Though you can absolutely just do a one phase approach, which would be the maintenance phase. It would simply take longer to "kick in.") Though dosing should be specific to the person and will vary, a typical creatine regimen will begin with a loading phase lasting about 5 - 7 days and which consists of consuming the supplement at about 20 grams per day to rapidly increase and build up muscle creatine. Then follows the maintenance phase of about 2 to 5 grams per day to sustain maximal muscle creatine levels. Consuming creatine supplements with carbohydrates - such as fruit juice - has been shown to be most effective, as this increases the body's insulin levels and in turn helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.

Also - one very common risk when taking creatine, is dehydration. (As the water is taken up by the muscles, it is not available for other important functions such as regulating your body temp via sweat, etc.) So - stay HYDRATED!

Ref's

1.  Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.

     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.

2.  Branch JD. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport

      Nutr Exerc Metab 2003;13:198-226.

3.  Brosnan JT, Brosnan ME. Creatine: endogenous metabolic dietary, and therapeutic supplement. Annu Rev Nutr

      2007;27;27:241-61.

4.  Green AL, Simpson EJ, Littlewood JJ, et al. Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine

      feeding in humans. Acta Physiol Scand 1996;158:195-202.

5.  Kreider RB. Creatine. In: Driskell JA, ed. Sports Nutrition: Fats and Proteins. Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2007:165-86.

Exercise Metabolism & Bioenergetics SIMPLIFIED

Basic relationship between intensity and duration of exercise (1).

Just as a car will not drive without fuel, our bodies will not perform without it. Thus, getting in shape requires working out and the right nutrition for fueling our energy production, and the meaning of 'right' nutrition is dependent upon the intensity and duration of the exercise in which you will be engaging. Put simply, this is because our bodies use different energy systems for different types of exercise. That said - take a few minutes to learn the basics! I promise in this post I have made complex concepts very simple for you to understand, and you WILL save yourself a very large amount of time, money, and frustration both now and in the long haul by simply investing a few minutes now. Understand how things work and you'll be able to make solid choices for yourself, regardless of the situation. It will just "make sense." For your body to perform work and function on any level, it

Energy metabolism (1).

needs fuel (food) which goes through a chemical process to provide you with energy. ATP is a molecule that serves as a primary source of energy to be used during exercise, among other things. Your body processes nutrients and provides you with energy by generating this ATP in three different ways. It is NOT a one-rule-for-all gig and the energy systems used are very dependent upon the types & subsequent demands of exercises performed! In the most basic sense, the intensity and duration of whatever type of exercise you’re performing will determine which energy supply system/process(es) your body will use. So, it’s important to understand your nutrition requirements as they relate to YOU specifically - in other words, what you need more and/or less of and when, to compliment the energy system your body will use (and thus how much you will "get" out of your workouts) depending on the level of intensity + duration of whatever exercise(s) you specifically are performing. This is critical if you are to see the results you set out to achieve. My guess is if you are working your ___ off at the gym or elsewhere, you want it to pay off and you don't want to work against yourself or get in your own way. ;)

Here are the basics regarding the three energy systems.

You generate ATP(energy) in three ways:

1. ATP-PC system

2. Glycolysis

3. Oxidative/aerobic system

THE ATP-PC SYSTEM:
HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'IMMEDIATE' ENERGY SYSTEM
Just as quick background knowledge, this is an anaerobic system, and:
ATP = adenosine triphosphate
PC = phosphocreatine (notice the a word hidden in there?... phosphocreatine. ;) For those who may
          not be aware, this is the system that deals with creatine and in turn, using creatine
          supplementation.)
HOW IT WORKS:
ATP is used as energy. This happens when it splits off a phosphate group which is used as free energy. Once it is used, what's left over is ADP and one inorganic phosphate molecule called Pi. Don't let the long names intimidate you. It's really simple! The relationship can be thought of like this:
ATP <----> ADP + Pi + energy release
As you'd expect, something that is used up, is...well...used up! Makes sense. :) But wait! What happens when we still need more energy, and from this system? Well...what happens is this used up ATP has to be replenished before it can provide you with energy again. This is when PC comes into play. PC is another high energy molecule, and when combined with that left over ADP and Pi...boom! You have an ATP molecule for energy again. :) And that's the whole cycle and system, simplified. (Great, but who cares? You do. Particularly when strength training. Next, let's cover "who" cares and when to care about this system....)
WHEN IT IS USED:
Think of this as your short term, high-intensity energy system. What does that mean in the simplest form? WEIGHT TRAINING requiring maximum muscular output (maximum effort). This energy system is the simplest and fastest-delivering of the energy systems, which is why it is activated right away at the onset of your activity, and thus I will repeat...it is an essential means of energy production for high-weight/low rep strength training (weight lifting), explosive exercise (plyometrics), and other high-intensity/short-duration exercises that require quick, full effort bursts of power. It is also the system that deals with creatine. Creatine is very important to understand, and especially so in considering the benefits and drawbacks of potentially using creatine supplementation to enhance performance and energy production. So to fully understand how all of this works together, be sure to see this post about creatine/creatine supplementation. That post is very complimentary and important to understanding this one.

THE GLYCOLYSIS SYSTEM:

HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'SHORT-TERM' ENERGY SYSTEM

Just as quick background knowledge:

Aerobic = in the presence of oxygen

Anaerobic = in the absence of oxygen

HOW IT WORKS:
The glycolysis system isn't all that tricky to understand, but sometimes people get confused because this system itself can occur aerobically OR anaerobically. Let's quickly and briefly "uncomplicate" it. The glycolysis system as a whole produces ATP as energy for your body through the chemical breakdown of glucose or glycogen to pyruvic acid OR lactic acid. 
WHETHER GLYCOLYSIS HAPPENS AEROBICALLY (WITH OXYGEN) OR ANAEROBICALLY (WITHOUT OXYGEN) THE PROCESS IS EXACTLY THE SAME. :) THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IN AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS IS THE END PRODUCT!... Aerobic glycolysis produces pyruvic acid. Anaerobic glycolysis produces lactic acid. Simple!
WHEN IT IS USED:
This system can provide you with a significantly greater amount of energy than the ATP-PC system (for reasons I left out for the sake of simplicity.) However, although it lasts longer than the "immediate" ATP-PC system, glycolysis too is limited to only about 30 - 50 seconds of exercise duration. But! It is a very common - if not to say THE most common - system used in most general fitness workouts, because most fitness workouts embrace a typical range of 8 - 12 reps, which falls within this 30 - 50 second time range.

THE OXIDATIVE/AEROBIC SYSTEM:

HELPFUL HINT: THIS IS YOUR 'LONG-TERM' ENERGY SYSTEM

Just as quick background knowledge:

This system is also referred to as "oxidative phosphorylation." But who really cares about complicated and ridiculously long names for systems. I am just throwing in that term in case you ever see it referenced somewhere. :)

Substrates = the three main substrates are proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats)
Acetyl CoA = an IMPORTANT molecule in METABOLISM. Stands for "acetyl coenzyme A."

HOW IT WORKS:
This is by far the most complicated system to understand! But I will hopefully make it easy for you to understand. :) I will leave out much of the detail that you probably don't need to learn for the purposes of just developing a basic understanding of how these systems work for your body. The oxidative/aerobic system generates ATP for energy by using SUBSTRATES (see above 'background knowledge' on substrates) with the aid of oxygen. This system uses the substrates: CARBS AND FATS.
The Oxidative System works through three component systems, which happen one after the other:
1. Aerobic glycolysis (yep - the one we already mentioned. Aerobic glycolysis is really a component
   process of the Oxidative system; it uses oxygen. So it makes sense!)
2.  The Krebs Cycle
3.  The ETC (electron transport chain)
Here's the BASIC chain of events:
Aerobic glycolysis (which we already covered) occurs. It results in the production of pyruvic acid. 

The pyruvic acid is converted into Acetyl CoA (see above 'background knowledge' on this term.) Acetyl CoA then contributes substrates (carbs/fats) for use in the second process of the oxidative system: the Krebs Cycle.  The oxidation of Acetyl CoA gives you 2 units of ATP, as well as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Hydrogen ions are released during glycolysis and during the Krebs Cycle, they combine with other enzymes, and in the third process of oxidation - the ETC - provide energy to form the ATP. THAT IS A VERY VERY SIMPLE EXPLANATION! I've left out the complicated chemical processes because you shouldn't need to give yourself a headache trying to filter through all of that. This should give you the necessary foundation of understanding. Feel free to do your own research and you'll quickly see that if you found THIS to be complicated, it is nothing compared to the whole big-long-scientific background! Trust me...I took the headache for you in making it as simple and to the point as possible. ;)
WHEN IT IS USED:
There is NO simple way to detail the justification and science behind when it is used. Just look at how complicated the basic explanation was of how it works (and that was the really short version!) You may be able to make the correlations yourself between how it works and thus when it is used in the body. But regardless, I will simply state that this system is the one used for long-term endurance exercise/training such as long-distance running, etc.


NOW let's tie it all together in a clear and visual way, and you'll be DONE with this fundamental understanding of how and from where you get your energy during exercise. (AND IN TURN, YOU CAN BEGIN TO CONSIDER HOW TO MAXIMIZE AND EXTEND YOUR ENERGY/WORKOUT.) Below is an awesome visual representation of the relationship between the INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOUR EXERCISE ACTIVITY, and the SPECIFIC ENERGY SYSTEM OR SYSTEMS BEING USED AT THE VARIOUS POINTS WITHIN YOUR WORKOUT. To summarize the picture below, you should see that:
-As indicated by the "Immediate Energy Systems" line, very short duration exercises (eg. sprints/heavy-weight, low rep lifting) are fueled primarily by the ATP-PC energy system (thus the relevance of creatine/creatine supplements), but a small amount of energy still does come from anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic metabolism.
-As you increase the time spent on the exercising (the duration), up to about 2 minutes, the exercise is fueled from energy mainly produced through anaerobic glycolysis...some still coming from other pathways. 
-After many minutes of exercise, the oxidation of GLUCOSE AND FAT becomes the main energy system. (After about 90 minutes this too becomes depleted, however...
-One can conclude that through training and increasing carbohydrate intake, you could extend the duration of your exercise before becoming fatigued and exhausted. This is why marathon runners "carb load." ;) 

Energy during exercise (1).

References:
1.  Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian G. Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. 4th ed.
     Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012.

2.  De Feo P, Di Loreto C, Lucidi P, et al. Metabolic response to exercise. J Endocrinol Invest 2003;23:851-4.

3.  Gastin PB. Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise. Sports Med 2001;31:725
     -41.

4.  Glaister M. Multiple sprint work: physiological responses, mechanisms of fatigue and the influence of aerobic
      fitness. Sports Med 2005;35:757-77.

5. Grassi B. Oxygen uptake kinetics: old and recent lessons from experiments on isolated muscle in situ. Eur J Appl
     Physiol 2003;90(3-4):242-9.

6.  Johnson NA, Stannard SR, Thompson MW. Muscle triglyceride and glycogen in endurance exercise: implications for
     performance. Sports Med 2004;34:151-64.

7.  McArdle WD, Fl Katch. Exercise Physiology. Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance, 7th ed. Philadelphia:
     Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010: 134-69.

8.  McMahon S, Jenkins D. Factors affecting the rate of phosphocreatine resynthesis following intense exercise. Sports
     Med 2002;32(12):761-84.

9.  Wells GD, Selvadurai H, Tein I. Bioenergetic provision of energy for muscular activity. Paediatr Respir Rev 2009;
     10:83-90.

10.  Howley ET, Powers SK. Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance, 7th ed. New York:
       McGraw Hill, 2009:22-46.

One for the girls: NIKE WOMEN: MAKE YOURSELF.

NIKE - MAKE YOURSELF. MOTIVATION FROM ALLYSON FELIX, JULIA MANCUSO, AND SOFIA BOUTELLA..."THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING THAN KNOWING YOU GAVE 100% AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS."