Creatine works. I’ll just come out and say it. Athletes, coaches, professors, and even the supplement marketers (who can be somewhat deceiving) know this.
But I’m never one to tell you that you have to take something. It’s always important to look at the risk and benefits before you decide to start consuming something.
In a California Study, they found that creatine help your muscle build phosphocreatine which is essential for shorter and intense strength building exercises. Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma, said, “If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger.”
So if you are an athlete, which you must be if you are reading this, and you perform high-intensity training and explosive movement like weightlifting and sprints. Or you participate in sports that call for explosive short bursts of effort like football and baseball. Then creatine could be beneficial for you.
Now if you are an endurance athlete who focuses more on building up the aerobic energy system, then creatine may not be as beneficial for you.
Guys, you may want to consider this point, because it is known that after the age of 30 your testosterone levels begin to decrease %1 every year. That means decreases in energy, sex drive, muscle building, strength, and mental alertness. Sorry, that’s some serious stuff. But another study found that a 10 week strength training program that was supplemented with creatine, significantly increased their testosterone levels.
One of the big questions and worry is that some of the weight gain is water weight. Creatine does call for the absorption of water into the your muscle cells which increases protein synthesis. So yes, there is some sort of water gain. There are various studies in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal that showed that muscle fibers grow when an athlete supplements with creatine.
In order to take full advantage of creatine you must participate in a consistent strength training program that has explosive and strength building movements. Otherwise, the weight you gain will just be water weight. That’s what you don’t want.
What’s the Flipside?
You have heard many people tell you that creatine is bad for the kidneys or liver and more. I like to ask them, where is the research? Out of all of the sports supplements out there, creatine is by far the most researched one.
Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England, shared in his years of research that he never comes across the cramping that many people believe creatine causes. In fact he said, “If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now.”
Through all the research on creatine there has been unreliable reports of kidney damage, cramping, muscle tears, along with other negative side effects. Just like anything, too much of a good thing can cause some sort of negative effect. Taking too much Vitamin C can cause diarrhea and too much Iron can cause stomach pains.
But is creatine a must? Not quite. While it is beneficial for strength and power athletes, some scientists and physicians feel it should be avoided. Jim King, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, saids, “I wouldn’t recommend doing anything that would show minimal improvement and possible risk. Weigh the negatives and the benefits before you try it.”
Creatine should be avoided by individuals under 18 because their bodies are still developing and growing. Plus for boys around that age, their hormone levels are going crazy so that should be enough to help them with gaining muscle and strength. While there has been many studies on the positive effects for strength athletes, there really hasn’t been any research done on the impact it has during the growth and development phases of kids.
Should You Use Creatine?
If you are a healthy individual, who has no kidney problems, eats a healthy diet, and exercises consistently with high intensity strength movements, then you can consider.
If not, then I really see no purpose in you doing it. I like to weigh out things. Do I want to spend X amount of dollars on a supplement when I can spend the same X amount of dollars on good whole foods?
The whole foods always wins in my case and the case of many of the athletes we train. If you can’t get a hold of a healthy eating lifestyle and create a habit of exercise, then you have no purpose in thinking of supplements.
Now if you do have everything in check, some researchers say that there are some people who don’t respond to supplementing with creatine. They say to give yourself a week, and if your volume and weights are going up then it’s working for you.
I have a problem with that statement because if you have sound programming you should see an increase in volume and weights already. But, I guess it’s just another opinion to throw in the pot.
What Sort of Creatine Should I Use?
We like creatine monohydrate. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester are unstable and break down in your blood system but the marketing of those supplements are great for drawing in individuals who are after the fast fix.
A good way to figure out which creatine powder is good, is by how well the powder dissolves in liquid. If there is a bunch of residue on the bottom and it has a grittiness feel when you drink, then there is a good possibility the quality is poor. I guess you get what you pay for right?
In the end, don’t expect any mind blowing effects from creatine. There is more of a gradual increase and it serves as a supplement to a healthy diet, not the foundation.
