What is Creatine?

We recently just launched Creatine13 and a lot of people have been asking what it is!

Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical in every human being. It is stored in muscle cells and a small amount is stored in your brain and kidneys. Creatine is one of the most studied and tested supplements in the world. It's role is to help produce ATP in the muscle cells- ATP is energy used by the muscle. By taking creatine13, you can increase your body's ATP production. A higher ATP production in your muscle cells, fibers, and muscle bellies- you will increase your muscle strength, muscle endurance, etc. More strength = larger muscle cells = more gains. 

Some common FAQs of creatine:

When should I take it? 

There is no "best" time, you just need to take it consistently 

Does this replace PRE?

This not a pre workout but it can be combined with PRE

Will yours dissolve?

Yes it dissolves in water or added PRE

Will it aid in weight loss?

More muscle mass = more calories burned = weight loss. It will not create a calorie deficit in your body but if you are in a calorie deficit, adding creatine13 will not cause weight gain

Will it cause me to hold water?

Creatine13 helps pull water into your muscle which can give a puffy appearance. It is highly recommended to drink a gallon of water a day, especially when using creatine. If your body becomes dehydrated- one of the first lines of defense is to store excess water in your face- giving you a puffy look and feel. Again, this is easily avoided by drinking enough water throughout the day 

Can women take this product?

Men and women will both see amazing results from supplementing with creatine13 if you are weight training 

Order today: https://bowmarnutrition.com/products/creatine13

Traveling With Supplements- My Tips!

We travel- A LOT. In fact, I am writing this in 12D on my O’hare flight. I am on roughly 50-70 planes a year, 1-2 cruises, 5 months of roadtrips, and extended stays in foreign countries. As we all know- food varies- especially on international travel. It can also be difficult to keep up on your training. But you literally have no excuse to not remain diligent on your supplement regiment. 

If you are new to my blog, welcome. I have another blog post titled “supplement checklist” and it detailed when I take my supplements as well as a link to each product that further explains in detail what each one does as well as a link to order. 

Now that the formalities are out of the way- let’s get to the good stuff

As I stated- I am on almost 75 planes a year. Many of those trips I do not bring a checked bag so I am limited on space in my carry on. My clothes usually make up 1/2 my bag, shoes 1/4 and supplements the remaining 1/4. 

On Domestic flights- there are NO limits on powders. Literally none. You could bring 45lbs of powder through TSA if you were so inclined. I have NEVER had a powder taken from me from my carry on on either a domestic or international fight. There are very rare cases that a tub of product will trigger an alarm in which TSA will swab in and return it to you. This happens to me maybe 5% of the time I fly. There are very, very few instances in which they will take a product from you and that only is when the swab detects something on the outside of the tub (it could be a multitude of things ranging from soap, perfume, gun powder, etc). If you are worried about TSA, simply check your bag and put your supplements in there. For international fights- it is recommended you contact the airline directly to discuss powder restrictions for your specific itinerary. 

So, how do I pack my supplements? It depends on how long I am going to be traveling for. Our shaker cups come with containers that can fit 10 scoops of PRE in them. If I will be traveling for longer than 10 days, I will simply pack the entire container of PRE instead of packing multiple tiny containers. To save room on the way back, I will only pack the exact number of scoops I need if I am packing the entire container so I can recycle it when I am done with it instead of lugging it all the way back home. The same goes for all powders. Our pills (probiotics, fish oil, and Joint 16) can all fit in the pill container portion of our shaker cup containers). Some people also use plastic baggies but we are very committed to limiting our waste contribution so the reusable containers can really come in handy instead of using a ton of plastic baggies that will just be thrown away. 

For short trips, I will pick 1 flavor of protein and pack the 1lb tub and use only that flavor for the time I am traveling. For a trip that warrants a checked bag, i will either pick a 5lb tub or multiple 1lb tubs of different flavors. I also bring 1 bar per day that I will be gone- including travel. 

Now, let’s talk water. I highly recommend bringing an empty gallon through TSA or an empty shaker cup and filling it up by your gate. Flying can be extremely hard on your body and I recommend 10oz of water for every 1 hour you are in the air (as a general rule of thumb)

The same rules also apply for cruises- we pack all our supplements for the exact number of days we will be on our trip + travel! It is always recommended to contact the specific cruise line but I have been on just shy of ten cruises and have never had an issue- just might take an extra hour or two to get your bags!

I truly hope these tips helped with traveling with supplements!