If you’ve ever set foot on the weight room floor, you’ve probably heard guys touting the muscle-building benefits of creatine. Maybe you’re even thinking of experimenting with it yourself.
No one should put anything on their body without first weighing the benefits and risks. That goes for everything from beer to ice cream to the amazing amino acid creatine. Here’s what you need to know about taking creatine: what it is; What does; and what are the side effects.
Index
What is creatine?
Typically purchased in flavored powder and mixed with liquid, creatine increases the body’s ability to produce energy quickly. Creatine exists naturally in our bodies and helps fuel our muscles, which is why some people take it as a supplement to increase their performance in the gym.
“You should feel good about your creatine supplementation,” says Michael Roussell, Ph.D., Men’s Health nutrition advisor. “Take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate with your training shake to help you grow and get stronger.”
What are the benefits of taking creatine?
According to MedlinePlus from the US National Library of Medicine, creatine is rated “possibly effective” when it comes to improving muscle strength.
“There is a lot of mixed research on creatine’s ability to improve muscle strength,” says the government website. “However, the analyzes of this research show that creatine appears to modestly improve upper body strength and lower body strength in young and older adults.” Creatine has also been shown to improve the performance of athletes in rowing, soccer, and jumping height.
Although some research has pointed to the efficacy of creatine for explosive high-intensity exercises like sprinting, the overall results have been mixed.
Will creatine make me gain weight?
One thing is almost certain: if you take creatine, you will gain weight.
“Creatine is a quick way to add muscle, but not without a little water weight too,” Carolyn Brown, RD, Foodtrainers nutritional advisor, previously told MensHealth.com. “Most people gain between two and four pounds of water retention in the first week.”
But that water weight is good, says Roussell: “The creatine will attract more water to the muscles, making the muscles bigger and fuller.” After that initial retention, subsequent gains are due to the increase in workload you can handle, according to Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England.
Some think that if they take creatine and it doesn’t work, they will get fat, but Roussell says that is not true. “Creatine contains no calories and has no impact on fat metabolism,” he explains. “So taking creatine and not exercising just won’t lead to anything.”
What is the best creatine?
Not all creatine supplements are the same. “If you’re adding a supplement, make sure it’s creatine monohydrate,” Brown said. “Many other supplements will have a lot of junk that you don’t need and will be much more expensive.”
Dust is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in the blood system. Don’t bother with them.
Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma, recommends 100% pure creatine powder. Some companies add electrolytes and other ingredients, but tests indicate they do little to improve performance.
“Save money and buy powdered creatine and mix in fruit conjugate,” says Kerksick. Fruit juice? That’s right, the sugar in the juice increases insulin levels, which helps increase creatine absorption into the muscle.
About 70 grams of simple sugars are needed for every five grams of creatine, Greenhaff says. He suggests looking for a drink or supplement with 60 grams of carbohydrates for every 100 grams of product.
You will know that the powder is of poor quality if it is difficult to dissolve and there is residue at the bottom of your glass after drinking it. You want the powder on your muscles, not on the glass. If this happens, try a different brand.
Will my kidneys be ruined by using creatine?
Researchers are constantly studying creatine for its effectiveness and safety. This is why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine – studies indicate that it is safe.
“Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements out there,” says Kerksick. “And there is no published literature to suggest that it is not safe.”
There have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. But the key word is anecdotal.
“I’m not saying that people don’t experience cramps, but I don’t think it can be very common,” says Greenhaff. “If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now.”
Some of these conditions can be caused by consuming too many vitamins, says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea and too much iron can cause stomach problems,” he says.
To be safe, he recommends using creatine only if you are healthy and do not have kidney problems. That’s because your kidneys excrete creatinine, a breakdown product of creatine.
Dr. Samantha Robson ( CRN: 0510146-5) is a nutritionist and website content reviewer related to her area of expertise. With a postgraduate degree in Nutrition from The University of Arizona, she is a specialist in Sports Nutrition from Oxford University and is also a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
