What Are the Pros and Cons of Creatine?

Creatine is a nutritional supplement that can improve exercise performance and promote muscle growth. However, taking creatine above recommended amounts may lead to bloating and increased markers of kidney damage.

Creatine is a natural compound your body uses for a variety of functions, including providing quick bursts of energy.

Your body produces some creatine, but it also occurs naturally in animal proteins like beef and fish.

Benefits

Creatine is one of the most popular and effective supplements for enhancing exercise performance.

It has also been studied for its other potential health benefits, such as healthy aging and improved brain function.

May increase muscle size and strength

Taking a creatine supplement provides your muscles with extra fuel, allowing you to exercise harder for longer.

This extra energy has been shown to increase muscle size, strength, and power. It may also reduce muscle fatigue and enhance recovery.

For example, a 2021 review of studies suggests that taking creatine can increase exercise performance capacity by 5- 10% according to a source.

Creatine was previously thought to be most effective for high-intensity exercise. However, new evidence indicates it may also have benefits for lower-intensity activities, like long-distance running.

May prevent muscle loss in older adults

Creatine may help slow sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle strength and function that often occurs naturally with aging.

Sarcopenia affects 10% - 27 % of adults age 60 years and older worldwide. It is linked to physical disability, poor quality of life, and an increased risk of death.

Several studies in older adults suggest that taking this supplement in combination with weight lifting may benefit muscle health. Taking creatine supplements may also help older adults build more muscle mass.

A 2017 study looked at study participants who took creatine supplements and resistance-trained 2 to 3 times per week for 7 to 52 weeks. On average, participants gained 3 pounds (1.4 kg) more lean muscle mass  than those who weight trained alone.

May improve brain function

Most of the creatine in your body is stored in your muscles. However, it also plays an important role in brain function.

Low brain creatine is linked to muscle weakness, movement disorders, and developmental issues.

According to a 2021 study, current evidence suggests creatine supplementation may help:

• reduce mental fatigue
• improve cognition
• improve working and long-term memory

Because brain function can naturally decline with age, these effects may be especially beneficial for older adults.

It’s important to note that while several studies support the positive effects of creatine on brain function, more research is still needed.

Safety and concerns

Creatine is one of most well-studied supplements. However, people may still have concerns about its use.

Is creatine bad for your kidneys?

When taken in recommended amounts, creatine is generally considered safe for most healthy people.

However, previous case reports and animal studies have raised concerns that creatine may cause kidney damage.

A 2013 review suggests that concerns of kidney damage from creatine may be due to increased markers of kidney disease in urine. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean kidney disease is present.

Also, kidney symptoms may be due to excessive creatine intake above recommended amounts and other factors like intense training routines and steroid use.

May cause bloating

A common complaint associated with creatine supplements is discomfort due to bloating.

Creatine can pull water into your muscle cells, leading to water retention and bloating. Although, this may only occur with higher doses of creatine over a short period of time, known as a “loading” phase.

A typical creatine loading phase may involve taking as much as 20 grams (g) per day for 6 consecutive days. However, a 2021 review suggests that smaller doses over a longer period may produce similar results.

You can avoid bloating while taking creatine by keeping your dose to 10 g or less per day

How to take it

Creatine supplements are most commonly available as a powder. You can take creatine by mixing the powder into a drink, like a shake or juice.

While a short-term creatine loading phase may be beneficial before an athletic performance, a maintenance dose of 3-5 gm per day is effective for most people.

There are several types of creatine supplements available. However, creatine monohydrate is the most well-studied and most efficiently absorbed by your body.

The bottom line

Creatine is a popular nutritional supplement that can enhance exercise performance and recovery.

Other benefits of creatine include promoting healthy muscle aging and improving brain function.

When taken at higher than recommended doses, creatine may cause water retention and increase your risk of kidney damage.

Taking 10 g of creatine or less per day is safe for most people.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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