If you are a little unsure about what to expect from using a creatine supplement don't worry, you aren't alone. Not by a long shot. Despite being the most purchased muscle building supplement of the last twenty years, as a trainer I meet gym users every day who don't know what this supplement is actually supposed to do for their muscle growth progress.

The majority of the bodybuilding supplement industry is based upon sales hype. Each product claiming to be better than the last, and so on. This often leads to a state of complete customer confusion, nobody knows what to buy or who to believe.

This supplement is no exception. How can a product with so much scientific fact behind it be so unclear to people? Because when money is involved things become unclear. Companies want you to buy their latest products after all. But when you get down to it, this supplement is really simple to understand.

This isn't a superhuman substance developed by scientists. In fact it is already inside your body right now, it's generated by the human body. So don't worry about it being illegal or steroid-like.

So what effect does it have on you, and who should be using this product?

This is the point where most people get completely lost, with supplement companies trying to out science each other to make you think you need to buy their product over the others on offer. None of that right here.

Next time you hit the treadmill try sprinting hard and see what happens. For the first fifteen to twenty seconds you'll be flying by at a great pace but then suddenly you will notice an overwhelming burning feeling creeping up on you through your legs. This is called lactic acid, and it's a sensation designed by your body to tell you you have to slow down temporarily.

Your body's natural resources of this supplement have ran out. You will be able to carry on running, albeit at a greatly reduced speed, while it builds back up in the background. After a few minutes you will probably be able to blast out another high intensity sprint when your levels of explosive strength have regenerated.

Using this supplement allows you to briefly increase that small period of explosive strength.

A better example would be in the form of a boxer. How many fights have you watched where one competitor appears to have run out of gas only to suddenly get another burst of energy, often referred to as a second wind, and win the fight?

Now put this into a gym situation. Having that little bit extra explosive strength to call upon can allow you to go a little bit harder for a little bit longer, and make literally all the difference when it comes to increasing your strength and building lean muscle mass.

Whether it's a heavier bench press or forcing out another rep on your weakest exercise, you will notice great gains here. Once you cut out all of the hype and sales talk, that's as simple as creatine is.