Creatine is one of the most consumed supplements among athletes. Some studies show that it can increase muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance. In addition, it provides a number of other health benefits, such as protection against neurological diseases.
However, some people believe that creatine is unsafe and has many side effects, but these are not supported by science. In fact, it is one of the most proven supplements in the world and has an outstanding safety profile.
What is it?
Creatine is made up of three amino acids : L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. It makes up about 1 percent of the total human blood volume. It is transported through the blood and used by parts of the body that have high energy demands, such as skeletal muscle and the brain.
Creatine is a substance that is naturally found in muscle cells. Helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high intensity exercise. Taking creatine as a supplement is very popular with athletes and bodybuilders to gain muscle, increase strength, and improve exercise performance.
Chemically speaking, it shares many similarities with amino acids. The body can make it from the amino acids glycine and arginine. Several factors affect the body’s creatine stores, including meat intake, exercise, amount of muscle mass, and levels of hormones such as testosterone and IGF-1.
Approximately 95% of creatine is stored in the muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is in your brain, kidneys, and liver.
When we take supplements, we increase phosphocreatine stores. This is a form of energy stored in cells, as it helps the body make more than one high-energy molecule called ATP. ATP is called the body’s energy currency. When we have more ATP, the body can function better during exercise.
Creatine benefits
It is one of the most popular supplements in the world, especially among athletes. It is also the most common supplement found in sports nutrition supplements, including energy drinks. It contains numerous positive effects on health, so it is normal that it is so consumed.
Improve performance
Athletes often use supplements because there is some evidence that they are effective in high intensity training. The idea is that creatine allows the body to produce more energy. With more energy, athletes can train more and achieve more.
For some, increasing the body’s store of creatine appears to improve performance. Studies have shown that you can improve performance with short periods of extremely powerful activity, especially during repeated episodes. Among the benefits found by science are:
- Increases the effects of resistance training on strength and body mass
- Increases the quality and benefits of high intensity intermittent speed training
- Improves endurance performance in aerobic exercise activities lasting more than 150 seconds
- Can improve strength, power, fat-free mass, daily life performance, and neurological function
- Appears to be useful in short duration, high intensity intermittent exercises
Increase in body mass
Increased creatine content in muscles has been associated with greater body mass. However, according to some researchers creatine does not build muscle. The increase in body mass occurs because creatine causes the muscles to retain water.
The observed body weight gains are likely due to water retention during supplementation. It’s also possible that muscle mass develops as a result of working harder during exercise. In addition, they can help prevent muscle damage and improve the recovery process after we have suffered an injury.
Creatine can also have an antioxidant effect after an intense resistance training session and can help reduce cramps. It may have a role in the rehabilitation of brain and other injuries.
Muscular dystrophy
Creatine can help improve strength in people with muscular dystrophy. Studies show that people with muscular dystrophy who took creatine experienced an 8.5 percent increase in muscle strength compared to those who did not take the supplement.
Short- and medium-term creatine treatment improves muscle strength in people with muscular dystrophies and is well tolerated. Using it every day for 8 to 16 weeks can improve muscle strength and reduce fatigue in people with muscular dystrophy, but not all studies have produced the same results.
Improve depression
People with depression have also been shown to add a 5-gram creatine supplement to their daily antidepressant. Their symptoms had improved from 2 weeks, and the improvement continued through weeks 4 and 8. Creatine treatment may be a promising therapeutic approach for women with depression and comorbid methamphetamine dependence. However, more research is needed.
Cognitive ability
There is evidence that creatine can improve mental performance. After taking a 5-gram supplement each day for 6 weeks, people seem to do better on tests of working memory and intelligence, specifically tasks performed under time pressure, than other people who took a placebo.
Creatine supplementation aids cognition in the elderly. The participants took a 5-gram supplement four times a day for a week and then took some numerical and spatial tests. Those who took the supplement fared better than those who took only a placebo.
Creatine monohydrate, the best
Different forms of creatine are used in supplements, including creatine monohydrate and creatine nitrate . The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved any creatine supplements for use. Most scientists who study supplements believe that monohydrate is the best version. Here are some science-backed reasons why this is the best type.
The safest
Many studies have shown that creatine monohydrate is very safe to consume. There is no convincing scientific evidence that short-term or long-term use of creatine monohydrate has harmful effects. Studies have reported that monohydrate consumption for two to five years appears to be safe, with no documented adverse effects.
This supplement also appears to be safe in higher doses. Although a typical daily dose is 3 to 5 grams, people have taken doses of up to 30 grams per day for up to five years with no reported safety concerns. The only common side effect is weight gain. However, this should not be seen as a bad thing. Creatine increases the water content of muscle cells and can also help increase muscle mass
Has better exercise performance than other forms
Creatine monohydrate exerts a variety of health and performance effects from exercise, including increased strength, power, and muscle mass. Creatine monohydrate appears to be better than ethyl ester and liquid forms of creatine. One study found that monohydrate increases creatine content in blood and muscles better than the ethyl ester form.
However, some small initial studies have suggested that buffered creatine and chelated forms of magnesium may be as effective as monohydrate in enhancing exercise performance. Specifically, these forms can be equally effective in increasing bench press strength and energy production during cycling.
It is the easiest to find and cheap
Some new forms of creatine are only available in multi-ingredient products, such as pre-workout supplements. Also, these other ingredients are often unnecessary and don’t have the same scientific backing as creatine.
Other forms of creatine, such as hydrochloride and ethyl ester, can be purchased as a single ingredient. However, these are only available from a small number of online sellers or in stores. On the other hand, the monohydrate form is easy to buy as a single ingredient.
Not only is monohydrate the easiest form of creatine to find as a single ingredient, it is also the cheapest. There are a few possible reasons why. Since monohydrate has been available longer than other forms of creatine, it can be cheaper to produce.
How does it work?
Creatine can improve health and athletic performance in a number of ways. In high intensity exercise, its main function is to increase phosphocreatine stores in the muscles. The extra reserves can be used to produce more ATP, which is the key energy source for weight lifting and high intensity exercise.
Creatine also helps you gain muscle in the following ways:
- Enhanced Workload – Allows for more work or total volume in a single training session, which is a key factor in long-term muscle growth.
- Enhanced Cell Signaling : It can increase satellite cell signaling, which helps with muscle repair and new muscle growth.
- Increase in anabolic hormones : Studies indicate an increase in hormones, such as IGF-1, after taking creatine.
- Increased Cell Hydration – Increases the water content within muscle cells, leading to a cell volumizing effect that can play a role in muscle growth.
- Reduced Protein Breakdown : You can increase overall muscle mass by reducing muscle breakdown.
- Lower levels of myostatin : Elevated levels of the protein myostatin can slow or totally inhibit the growth of new muscle. Creatine supplementation can lower these levels, increasing growth potential.
What damage does it cause?
In high doses it is still safe. Although it is expected that it can affect the liver, kidneys or heart, although these effects have not been proven. Other possible effects are stomach pain, nausea, muscle cramps, or diarrhea. People with kidney disease are advised not to use creatine, and caution is advised for people with diabetes and anyone taking blood sugar supplements.
The safety of creatine supplements has not been confirmed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so women are advised to avoid them at this time.
Using creatine can lead to weight gain . Although this may be primarily due to water, it can have a negative impact on athletes targeting particular weight categories. It can also affect performance in activities where the center of gravity is a factor.
More research is needed on how high doses of creatine can affect other bodily functions. Although experts advise caution, noting that creatine could lower blood glucose, which could affect people with diabetes or hypoglycemia; and raise blood pressure, affecting people with hypertension.
They also recommend caution for people with deep vein thrombosis, electrolyte disorders or imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders, arrhythmia, kidney stones or liver disease, migraines, low blood pressure on standing, or bipolar disorder.
When and how much should it be taken?
A person needs between 1 and 3 grams of creatine per day. About half of this comes from the diet and the rest is synthesized by the body. Food sources include red meat and fish. Creatine can supply energy to parts of the body where it is needed. Athletes use supplements to increase energy production, improve athletic performance, and allow them to train harder.
Athletes who train intensely may need to consume 5-10 grams of creatine per day to maintain their performance. People who cannot synthesize it due to a health problem may need to take 10 to 30 grams a day to avoid health problems.
At recommended doses, creatine is considered safe to consume. Supplements can be safe for most people, in small amounts, but it is always best to get your nutrients from natural sources.
Many people who take supplements start with a loading phase , which leads to a rapid increase in creatine stores in the muscles. To load creatine, take 20 grams per day for 5-7 days. This should be divided into four 5 gram servings throughout the day. Absorption may be slightly improved with a carbohydrate or protein based meal due to related insulin release.
After the loading period, we will take 3 to 5 grams a day to maintain high levels within the muscles. As there is no downside to consuming creatine, this dosage can be continued for a long time. If we choose not to do the loading phase, we can simply consume 3 to 5 grams a day.
Since creatine attracts water to muscle cells, it is advisable to drink it with a glass of water and stay well hydrated throughout the day.
