Creatine Supplements

Creatine has been at the top of fitness enthusiasts supplement list for years. Creatine’s popularity has spawned hundreds of products since its introduction by EAS over 10 years ago. There is no doubt that it is one of the most effective performance enhancing compounds on the planet. Everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors use creatine on a daily basis.

The Benefits of Creatine

Creatine absorbs water and pulls this water into muscle cells. This creates a swelling effect in the muscles and creates more leverage, which in turn enhances strength. Creatine also helps replenish your body’s energy stores during intense exercise. Creatine works best during explosive, anaerobic exercises. It allows your body to recover much quicker in between these bouts which makes for a more productive and efficient workout.

One thing to remember. Creatine already exists in the body. The average human body has anywhere from 150 to 200 grams of creatine at all times. The amount is dependent on the size of the person. When a person uses creatine supplements, they are not introducing something into the body that is toxic….it already exists.

Creatine Studies

All of that being said there has been lots of debate over the years of the safety of creatine. You will often hear: “creatine causes liver damage” or “creatine destroys your kidneys”. Some argue that longer term studies should be done to prove that there are no ill effects from prolonged use. The longest studies have been around 5 years in length. Those studies showed no permanent damage to the body(1). Countless other short term creatine studies have shown positive effects on the human body. More studies can be found here.

Creatine side effects

Creatine can cause bloating and has the potential to cause cramping and diarrhea. As mentioned earlier, creatine absorbs water. It will pull water from tissues within the body, which is what generally causes the side effects.

The easiest way to combat these side effects is to consume your creatine supplements with lots of water…the more, the better. If you do this, the side effects will be minimized.

Another suggestion to minimize creatine’s side effects is to use a minimal dosage. A dose anywhere from 2 to 5 grams per day. Any more than that and the risk of bloating and cramping are increased.

Creatine Tips

The best time to take creatine is post workout. If creatine is used pre workout, I would suggest ingesting extra fluids to offset the potential for dehydration. These days it doesn’t really matter when you take it, as long as you take it every day.

Take only as much creatine as you need…..2 to 5 grams per day should suffice.

Do not load creatine. It is a waste of money.

As mentioned above, take creatine every day.

Use creatine for short bouts of intense exercise. It offers minimal, if any, benefits to endurance athletes. One study showed that creatine can actually make distance runners slower. Scientists concluded that it was the increased body mass that contributed to this.

Cycling creatine is recommended. I like to take creatine supplements for 8 weeks, then discontinue for 3 to 4 weeks.

Who makes the best creatine?

This is a toss up. Just make sure that you purchase your creatine of choice from a reputable company. Generally the bigger companies like GNC, Optimum Nutrtion, or BSN offer the best quality controls. When used wisely, these supplements can give great results. Another thing to remember about creatine products is that companies now include other ingredients in hopes that they will be more effective. It’s rare for a company to have a straight creatine powder, but there are some out there (Optimum, GNC, and Musclepharm are a few that do).

References:
1 Poortmans JR and Francaux M. Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Medicine and Science of Sports and Exercise 31:1108-1110. 1999