Creatine
Does it help increase strength or muscle mass? Is it safe to take as a supplement, any neg side-effects? Is it worth the money and which is the best form/brand to take? I'm interested in starting taking creatine as a supp for my strength training to possibly help with gains and recovery and will be also taking my usuall protein shakes, does any one have any experience of creatine supplementation? cheers

IMO body building supplements fall into two groups, 1) the effective (but illegal) and 2) the non effective. I say this as many of the thousands of products advertised in magazines and on websites etc are usually pretty useless and a waste of money, the brilliant claims of how effective they are are normally made by someone who has a stake in the sales of that product or get paid to sponsor/review it. However there are one or two products that don’t fall into the two categories, such as protein supplements and branch chain amino acids etc. Creatine is one of the few products that fall between these two categories and can be an effective supplement when used correctly. That said, all of these things can be found from the typical RNI recommended nutrient intake and most peoples typical UK diets don't need these ergogenic aids especially as the average UK diet is usually high in protein anyway. I see these supps as just additional nutrients that can be useful for individuals not obtaining enough from their diet or for individuals participating in frequent intense resistance training. Creatine, although some are still not sure about it is actually the most researched supplement in bodybuilding. Creatine occurs naturally in humans and is used to supply the muscle with energy for contractions. However stores are quickly deplenished within around 10 seconds, basically this is why supplementation helps replenish the stores and can increase the possible work rate/duration of your muscles - therefore indirectly adding to strength and muscular size. Look into ATP/ADP system for more details of how creatine works. Creatine is poorly absorbed and often destroyed in the stomach so the new formula usually called something like 'creatine extreme' is best as it is protected to enhance absorption, a well reviewed brand of creatine monohydrate would be recommended. Most scientific journals show evidence of creatine being an effective supplement with little to no side effects. Just do a Google search to read the evidence for and against it and see what you think