- Creatine is naturally produced in the body but you can add more via certain supplements.
- Supplementing with just 2 to 5 grams of creatine per day may improve strength and muscle mass.
- Creatine is considered safe to consume but short-term water retention and weight gain are common.
The list of supplements you think you need to take is probably as long and overwhelming as your Hinge match queue.
While we can't help you navigate the latter, we can suggest a supplement worth considering adding to your supplement stack: creatine.
Creatine is a well-studied supplement, and researchers have found it can help build muscle mass, strength, and much more.
Ahead, exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy T. Sims, founder of the online course Creatine Microlearning Course and author of "ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life" answers all your creatine questions like: What is creatine, exactly? What are the benefits of supplementing with it? And are there any drawbacks?
What is creatine?
Creatine is a molecule in the body made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. The vast majority of it is stored in the skeletal muscles, according to Sims. Though, a small amount of it is also stored in the intestines, heart, brain, and other tissues.
So, what does creatine do exactly? Its main job is to give muscles quick energy to move, contract, and relax, Sims says. Basically, it works the same way fuel does for a car.
Moreover, preliminary studies are exploring creatine as a potential way to help relieve symptoms of depression and lessen the effects of traumatic brain injury, Sims says.
Together, your liver, pancreas, and kidneys naturally produce 1 gram of creatine per day. However, the body utilizes about 2 grams a day, according to Sims. "The rest of the creatine your body utilizes each day needs to be ingested through animal proteins like red meat and seafood, or through supplementation," she says.
As it goes, creatine supplementation is big business. Creatine supplements are thought to rake in upwards of $400 million per year. Further, Global Market Insights predicts that the creatine supplement market is going to see stellar growth between 2022 and 2027.
Creatine health benefits
Curious if creatine deserves a spot in your supplement stack? Ahead, we dive into the research-backed benefits of supplementing with creatine.
1. Boost energy during workouts
Getting enough creatine may help you exert more energy during your workouts. To understand how you need a little biology lesson. Ready?
Sims explains: Your body stockpiles creatine in your muscles in a form of creatine known as creatine phosphate. When you need extra oomph, like during intense exercise, your body naturally goes into action separating the phosphate molecule from the rest of the compound, which it can then use as an ingredient to create an energy molecule known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
So, through this series of events, creatine helps increase the amount of available energy to your muscles so you can bring a little extra va va voom to your high-intensity workouts, Sims says.
2. Supports muscle strength
What you've heard is true: Creatine really can help you get stronger when paired with regular strength training, according to Sims.
But unlike a supplement like coffee or beta-alanine which offers immediate body-buzzy and face-tingling benefits after just one dose, results won't come immediately.
For example, you might be able to lift an extra rep at a given weight, Sims says, but you're certainly not going to start lifting ten or twenty more pounds instantaneously.
While one extra rep may not sound like a lot, over time it will help you build more muscle and tone than you otherwise would without that extra rep. Just how long do you have to wait to notice results?
One small study of athletes found noticeable results after four weeks. The athletes who took 20 grams of creatine a day for 6 days, then 2 grams for an additional three weeks — while also performing a series of strength training exercises — were stronger and faster after four weeks compared to athletes who performed the same exercises but took a placebo, instead.
3. Increases muscles size
Creatine doesn't just increase muscle strength when paired with a proper strength training routine, it can also increase muscle size to a certain extent. "It modestly increases lean muscle mass," says Sims.
One study, for example, found that those who supplemented with creatine for eight weeks developed larger, more toned upper-body muscles compared to those on the same lifting regime who did not supplement.
Moreover, one 2022 review found that supplementing with creatine is "efficient" at increasing muscle size, even in those who do not regularly strength train.
Creatine side effects
A common complaint of creatine is that it can make you — in particular, your face — look bloated for the first few days of supplementation.
Actually, the phenomenon is so common it's earned a nickname, "the creatine bloat". But while creatine supplementation can lead to a slightly bloated appearance, it does not always — and if you dose the supplement properly, you can avoid this unwanted symptom altogether, Sims says.
Typically, when people start taking creatine they undergo something called a "loading phase". This involves taking 20 to 25 grams per day for 7 days. While research suggests this can increase creatine stores in your muscles, it can also create bloat because creatine pulls water into your muscles, resulting in additional water mass and subsequent water weight.
One small study found that when 13 soccer players supplemented with .01 grams of creatine per body weight for one week, they gained an average of 2.3 pounds each.
While a little bloat and extra weight are no big deal, you can avoid these unwanted symptoms by forgoing the loading phase altogether and simply start supplementing with the recommended 2 to 5 mg per day, Sims says.
A little bloat aside, creatine is generally considered safe to consume at any time of day, with or without food in small doses. When taken regularly at high doses, creatine supplementation may cause kidney damage — though exactly how much creatine you need to take to overdose is unclear.
Insider's takeaway
All in all, creatine can help certain people looking to build strength and muscle tone, but it's not a magic bullet for everyone.
Talk to your personal trainer and healthcare provider to determine if a creatine mix-in is for you and the proper dose to avoid bloat and kidney damage.
Dit artikel is oorspronkelijk verschenen op z24.nl