The Do’s and Don’ts of Creatine

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most misunderstood nutritional supplements available.

It’s also one of the most beneficial and helpful for you.

It’s been said putting creatine directly into our water supply would benefit the collective health of us all.

 

While that may sound like hyperbole, it cannot be denied; creatine supplementation has next to no drawbacks, with loads of positives.

Today, we will discuss creatine monohydrate – what it is, what it isn’t, and exactly how you should take it.

 

 

What is creatine monohydrate and what does it do?

Creatine monohydrate is colorless, odorless, and tasteless powder.

Creatine is a byproduct of red meat.

 

When you eat red meat, your body creates creatine naturally in the liver by combining the amino acids in the meat.

It is not a steroid, nor is it an “unnatural substance”.

If you’ve ever eaten a cheeseburger, your body has had creatine inside of it.

 

Your body creates around 1 gram of creatine for every 1-2 pounds of red meat you consume.

Creatine works via a “saturation point”. This means that your body will make creatine until your skeletal muscles (the place where 95% of your body’s creatine is found) are fully saturated.

 

It’s been studied, and in order for your muscles to become flush with creatine, your body needs to create around 5 grams of creatine per day. Since your body creates 1 gram of creatine for every 1-2 pounds of red meat, you would need to eat 5+ pounds of red meat daily in order to get the required amount of creatine from your diet alone.

Even the most zealous carnivores would have difficulty eating that much red meat daily; as such, it makes more sense to ingest exogenous creatine to hit your recommended numbers.

 

Creatine is an essential compound with a useful purpose.

Creatine up-regulates adenosine triphosphate (ATP for short) in the body.

 

ATP is useful for us when performing activities which require strength; the more ATP our cells have in them, the better and more efficiently our bodies perform active tasks and endeavors.

When your cells are saturated with ATP, and you are faced with a difficult physical task, and you push yourself hard, you’ll be able to tackle the task just a little bit better with creatine than without.

 

In the gym during a tough strength training workout, this translates to be able to grind out a couple more reps per set than you would other wise be able to achieve. Over time, this will allow you to build more strength and muscle.

Because of this unique feature of creatine, creatine has been dubbed the “bodybuilder” supplement. But creatine isn’t just for bodybuilders looking to gain muscle; the benefits go much further than that.

 

The myths (and benefits) of creatine

There’s a few creatine myths we need to get out of the way before we discuss the rest of creatine’s benefits.

 

First, creatine is not a “steroid”.

Regardless of what your mother or grandmother may think, creatine does not build muscle in and of itself. It’s not illegal, nor is it dangerous to consume.

As stated previously, if you’ve eaten red meat in any form, your body already has creatine inside of it naturally.

 

Second, creatine is not damaging to the body, or to the kidneys.

Creatine is the most studied supplement on earth. Thousands of studies have been done regarding its effectiveness and safety. Creatine is 100% safe for human consumption.

If you have otherwise healthy, functioning kidneys, you don’t need to worry about supplementing with creatine. (If you have kidney disease or failure, please consult your doctor before taking any extra supplement, creatine or otherwise.)

 

Third, you do not need to “cycle” creatine.

It’s a common myth that you should “cycle” creatine, or “take time off” from taking the supplement.

This isn’t true; nor is it beneficial. Since creatine works via saturation, if you take time off from ingesting it, your muscular creatine levels will drop, rendering the supplement ineffective.

The benefits of creatine go far beyond performance in the gym as well.

 

Creatine helps to build strength and muscle over time.

While you may read this and say “I’m not interested in that”, keep in mind everyone should be interested in having more strength and muscle.

Strength and muscle are advantageous for everyone. It is incredibly difficult to build skeletal muscle on your body. Even the most dedicated (natural) gym goer will tell you how hard he/she has to work just to build a modest amount of muscle in the gym.

 

Sarcopenia (muscle loss) begins around age 30 if we aren’t strength training regularly. Over time, we steadily lose muscle unless we’re actively doing something about it. This leads to a lack of functionality, brittle bones, and frailty in our old age.

Creatine isn’t just for people who want to stretch out their shirt sleeves; it’s an essential supplement that will help you maintain a high quality of life and function as you get older.

 

Creatine helps to strengthen your bones, tendons, and ligaments as well.

As you strength train and build muscle, your body as a whole becomes strengthened.

Your bones get harder and there is less risk of a fall or break. Your tendons and ligaments become more robust, protecting them from injury.

 

Creatine may have cognitive benefits as well.

The majority of creatine studies have been done in reference to performance enhancements.

That being said, there is promising data that shows taking creatine may have cognitive benefits for you.

 

Creatine appears to reduce mental fatigue, particularly in stressful situations. Creatine may improve memory, especially for those who are creatine deficient (such as vegetarians or older adults). There is also preliminary evidence showing creatine may help depression and anxiety in those with depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.

More studies need to be done in this area, but these possible additional benefits seem powerful, and for an inexpensive, natural supplement with no adverse side effects, it’s clear taking creatine daily is a no brainer.

 

How to take creatine

Taking creatine is quite simple.

Look for creatine monohydrate powder.

 

It’s affordable and comes in a jug or a bag (purchase it on Amazon in bulk for the best deal).

 

There are lots of fancy forms of creatine. You will find capsules and “micronized” creatine as well. Disregard those, those brands are simply charging more for packaging; creatine monohydrate powder will work just fine.

 

Take 5-10 grams of creatine per day at the time of your choosing.

That’s it. That’s exactly how you take creatine. Nothing else needed.

 

It takes about 2 weeks for your muscles to be fully saturated with creatine. Because of this, some supplement companies recommend “loading” creatine and taking a lot of the supplement for the first week or two. This isn’t recommended and can cause stomach distress. Aim for 5-10 grams per day, every day, mixed with water, or into a protein shake.

 

The only potential drawbacks with creatine are it can cause stomach distress in some people. Pay close attention; if you have gastric issues with creatine, you may want to consider cutting back.

You also may find yourself thirsty when you take creatine. Stay hydrated and drink some extra water to give your body a bit of help in processing the new supplement. Your body should quickly adjust.

 

Lastly, it’s important to note that creatine hydrates your muscles. Because of this, you may see a slight bodyweight increase for the first few weeks of taking creatine. This is temporary and it will pass. Don’t let this small spike in scale weight deter you; creatine is too powerful of a supplement to stop taking it because of this.

 

No matter who you are – young or old, man or woman – you should be taking creatine.

This simple, affordable supplement has a myriad of benefits and next to no negatives to its consumption.

Start adding it to your daily routine today, and begin reaping its benefits.

 

For more information on creatine, visit Examine.com to read more about it.

Examine.com is the internet’s most trusted resource for supplementation information from unbiased researchers and practitioners. It’s my go-to for all things related to nutritional supplements.

 

 

Jason Helmes is a former Plymouth-Canton teacher who owns and operates Anyman Fitness out of his Canton home. Anyman Fitness is an online fitness coaching service that helps its clients reach their goals in a simple, straightforward manner. You can contact Jason at jason@anymanfitness.com, or visit his site here for more information.