Should I Take Creatine?
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes.
Before we dive into all the fun stuff about creatine, it’s important to remember that no nutritional supplement will make up for a poor diet or poor sleep. So first focus on eating high quality, nutrient-rich foods consistently, training regularly, and sleeping 7-8 hours per night.
What is creatine?
Creatine is made up of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and is found in red meat and seafood. Creatine is found naturally in the body with 95% of creatine in skeletal muscle and the remaining amount in the brain and testes. We obtain about half of our daily need for creatine from the diet. The remaining amount is made in the liver, and to a small extent the kidneys.
What does creatine do?
Creatine slows down how quickly we feel tired in a work-out because it helps to resynthesize ATP.
* Flashback to high school science: ATP is adenosine triphosphate, the main energy currency in our bodies.*
Creatine monohydrate works by loading the muscle with creatine so that the phosphocreatine energy system can be used repeatedly. This energy system only provides energy for about 10 seconds and relies on ATP found in the muscle to do so. After about 10 seconds, we use up most of the ATP and we have to shift to a different energy system (aerobic).
When you supplement with creatine, you increase the muscle stores of creatine phosphate so that ATP resynthesizes more effectively.
Creatine supplementation therefore is most helpful in sports and activities that rely on this short-acting energy system for repeated bursts of high intensity with little rest in between.
Sports & Activities that rely on the phosphocreatine energy system:
CrossFit
Weightlifting
Start-stop sports such as basketball, hockey, lacrosse, football, etc.
Sprints
There is little benefit for endurance athletes.
Essentially, creatine allows you to do more work before you get tired.
More Creatine → More ATP → More Energy →
More Reps → More Muscle Mass
Is it creatine safe?
Yes. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied nutritional supplements and it is absolutely safe.
Is it safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
It has been hypothesized that maternal dietary creatine supplementation during pregnancy could protect babies against hypoxic (low oxygen) events, however there is currently no research to date on the use of creatine during pregnancy.
Who should take creatine?
Athletes and active humans looking to increase power, strength and lean muscle.
Vegetarian and vegan athletes. Plant-based eaters obtain less creatine from their diet, and have lower intramuscular creatine stores. Therefore, plant-based eaters often see a strong benefit from supplementation.
Larger athletes that do intense training may need to consume 5-10 g/day of creatine to maintain optimal creatine stores which would be difficult to obtain from whole food sources.
Will it make me gain weight?
Creatine may cause you to gain water weight - BUT - this is purely water weight, not fat. Creatine draws water into the muscle cells and this volumizing effect may be one of the ways that creatine increases muscle strength. For most active humans this is great news and should not dissuade you from using creatine. This may matter more for certain weight-class athletes in weight lifting, wrestling or rowing where creatine should be used strategically.
When should I take creatine?
Whenever it fits in your schedule. It does not need to be taken post-workout to reap the benefits.
How much creatine should I take?
5 grams per day. Larger athletes may need up to 10 grams/day to saturate their muscle stores.
Do I need to take a loading dose?
No. Unless you’re in a rush to load your muscles with creatine, there’s no benefit to taking a loading dose for a week. You can simply take 5g/day and you will saturate your muscles stores in 2-3 weeks. This will also reduce the chance of any gastrointestinal issues that can arise from taking high doses in typical “loading doses”.
What else should I know about creatine?
Creatine may improve post-exercise recovery
Creatine supplementation may improve post-exercise recovery by improving glycogen loading and reducing inflammation. It has also been shown to assist in injury prevention and thermoregulation.
Creatine may provide cognitive benefits
Creatine has been studied in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. muscular dystrophy, parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease) and concussion and/or spinal cord neuroprotection.
Creatine supplementation can help reduce dizziness experienced by individuals with traumatic brain injuries with a daily dose of 400 mg/kg bodyweight. For example, a 60 kg individual would require 24 grams per day.
Creatine can improve depression symptoms
In a randomized controlled trial, individuals receiving creatine reported improved depression symptoms compared to placebo over an 8-week period. This improvement is likely related to serotonin as creatine supplementation appears to enhance SSRI therapy.
Creatine can improve glycemic control
Creatine monohydrate supplementation has also been shown to improve glycemic control in individuals with Type II Diabetes. In a 12-week randomized controlled trial, participants receiving a daily 5 g dose of creatine improved reduced their hemoglobin A1C (3-month blood sugar average) by 1.1%. This is on par with some oral diabetes medications!
So should I take Creatine?
YES
If you want to improve your strength or muscle mass
If you play stop-start sports (e.g. basketball, hockey, lacrosse, etc.) or do high intensity training such as CrossFit
If you play contact sports with risk of head injury, concussion or traumatic brain injury
If you are a plant-based athlete
NO
If you are an endurance athlete
If you have been advised not to by your family doctor
THE TAKE AWAY:
Creatine is one of the most popular nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes.
It is incredibly safe and well-studied.
Creatine helps with energy production during repeated, intense exercise sessions.
Creatine improves power output and increases muscle strength.
Creatine may improve post-exercise recovery, reduce inflammation, prevent injuries, assist in thermoregulation and protection from concussions.
Creatine may also be beneficial in a variety of clinical populations including those with neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, depression, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, brain and heart ischemia.
References:
Greider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:18. DOI:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Thomas DT & Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. JAND. 2016 Mar;116(3):501-528. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006
Lyoo IK, Yoon S, Kim TS, Hwang J, Kim JE, Won W, Bae S, Renshaw PF. A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral creatine monohydrate augmentation for enhanced response to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in women with major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;169(9):937-945. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12010009. PMID: 22864465; PMCID: PMC4624319.
Gualano B, DE Salles Painneli V, Roschel H, Artioli GG, Neves M Jr, De Sá Pinto AL, Da Silva ME, Cunha MR, Otaduy MC, Leite Cda C, Ferreira JC, Pereira RM, Brum PC, Bonfá E, Lancha AH Jr. Creatine in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 May;43(5):770-8. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181fcee7d. PMID: 20881878.