The Facts May Surprise YouThe use of creatine has been widely debated and often critised since its increase in popularity in the early 1990’s. I’m sure that you will have read at least a few of the supposedly dangers of creatine. Some authors have compared creatine abuse to that of anabolic steroid abuse over the years. Nevertheless, it is widely used amongst athletes and recreational trainers and is thought to improve their ability to train with higher intensity for longer periods of time.Although creatine has been widely accepted as been safe there are still common myths regarding the dangers of creatine that float around fitness forums, blogs and magazines.
They are:All weight gained during creatine supplementation is water retentionCreatine causes renal (kidney) troublesCreatine causes dehydration, cramping and electrolyte imbalancesMore recent creatine formulas are more beneficial than creatine monohydrate and cause fewer side effectsIt’s unethical and/or illegal to useDespite scientific evidence to dispute these common dangers of creatine myths, unfortunately we are all still exposed to inaccurate information from the media. As creatine is one of the most common forms of supplementation it is important for us to review the available evidence and discuss the effects it has on our body.By then end of this article I will provide you with up-to-date, researched based recommendations for creatine supplementation. I will also attempt to de-mystify the so called dangers of creatine.What is Creatine?Chemically, creatine is known as a non-protein nitrogen. It is produced in the liver and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine.Roughly speaking, 95% of creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle of the body. In the muscle the majority of creatine it is stored as phosphocreatine (PCr) and the rest as free creatine.The total amount of creatine stored in skeletal muscle is approximately 120 grams for a 70kg individual. Having said that, the average person has the ability to store up to 160 grams under certain conditions.The body breaks down approximately 1-2 grams of creatine into a substance called creatinine per day, which is excreted in urine. Your creatine count can be replenished through diet or by synthesis of glycine, arginine or methionine.Creatine can be gained from eating large amounts of fish or meat. Whereas consuming creatine through supplementation provides you with an inexpensive, convenient and cheap way of boosting your creatine count without consuming excessive fat.Why is Creatine Important?To put it simply, the energy supplied to turn adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during intense exercise is largely dependent on the amount of phosphocreatine in the muscle. ATP is an essential component to muscular contraction.During intense exercise creatine stores within the muscles start to reduce. As a result the energy availability also decreases. This is due to the inability to re-synthesise ATP at a rate required to sustain high intensity exercise. You therefore become increasingly tired and weak.It is thought that an increased availability of creatine within the muscle cells may influence the amount of energy generated during high intensity exercise. Therefore, increasing muscle creatine through supplementation may increase the availability of creatine for ATP re-synthesis during exercise.How Much Creatine Should I Take?Many believe that to start proper creatine supplementation you should start by a phase called “loading”. The “loading” phase alone is well debated, confusing and is accused as been one of the dangers of creatine. The research would suggest the following recommendations for “loading” phase:Consume approximately 0.3 grams per kg of body weight per day for 5-7 days (e.g 5 grams taken 4 times per day)Consume 3-5 grams per day thereafterSome research suggests that you may only need to “load” for 2-3 days for it to be beneficial; particularly in you are taking it with protein or carbohydrate.On the other hand some creatine supplementation protocols stray away from the “loading” phase, which may be a good option if you are still worried about the dangers of creatine. Some studies state that creatine supplementation of 3 grams per day for 28 days is sufficient and no loading phase is required. However, with this method of supplementation the increase in muscle creatine stores is slower and the effects of creatine do not occur as quickly.It is also recommended to “cycle” creatine supplementation to increase and maintain a higher level of creatine in your muscles. Researched suggests to “load” for 3-5 days every 4-6 weeks.What Type of Creatine Should I Take?There are many forms of creatine on the market, which can make it confusing when choosing the right product. Some are well scientifically researched but many are not and could contribute to the dangers of creatine myths. Here is a list of some of the forms of creatine you might find:Creatine phospateCreatine and β-hydroxy-β-methlybutyrateCreatine and sodium bicarbonateCreatine magnesium-chelateCreatine and glycerolCreatine and glutamineCreatine and β-alanineCreatine ethyl esterCreatine with cinnulin extractThere are studies that show the different effects and benefits of some of the above formulas. However, most of these formulas have been tested and found no more beneficial than traditional creatine monohydrate for improving strength or performance.Therefore, based on the current scientific evidence it is fair to say that good old creatine monohydrate is as good as any in improving strength and performance.How Will Creatine Help Me?There are many scientific studies out there that outline the many benefits to creatine supplementation. In brief, short-term adaptations to creatine supplementation has been shown to:Increase cycling powerImprove total work performed on the bench pressImprove total work performed on the jump squatImprove sprinting performanceImprove swimming performanceImprove soccer performanceThe long term adaptations when combined with training are as follows:Increased muscle creatine storeIncreased phosphocreatine contentIncreased lean body massImproved strengthImproved sprint performanceIncreased powerLarger muscle diameterRoughly twice as much body mass increase during 4-12 weeks of training compared to those who do not supplementWhat Are The Dangers of Creatine?There are claims that there are many dangers of creatine supplementation and can cause side effects including; dehydration, cramping, kidney and liver damage, musculoskeletal injury, gastrointestinal distress and anterior leg compartment syndrome. The scientific literature largely disagrees with these claims and suggests that people, with healthy kidneys, who supplement with creatine, have no greater risk of these symptoms than those that do not.The dangers of creatine fears have been generated by the media taken from a single case study of a 25 year old male who demonstrated changes in his renal glomerular filtration rate following creatine supplementation. The same 25 year old male had already presented with kidney disease prior to taking creatine. There have been other studies that report detrimental effects of creatine on renal function. However, there is no evidence to support that normal, recommended intake of creatine (less than 25g per day) in healthy adult’s cause’s renal dysfunction.The other complaint about creatine supplementation is that the long term effects are no yet known. However, over the last few years researchers have started to release results from long term safety trials. So far there have been no long term side effects.Take Home MessagesCreatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement available to increase high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass when training.Creatine monohydrate is safe when taken within the recommended guidelines and there are virtually no dangers of creatineThere is no scientific evidence to suggest creatine monohydrate is detrimental to short term or long term health in healthy individuals.Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and clinically effective form of creatine to improve muscle uptake and ability to increase high intensity excise capacity.7The quickest method of increasing muscle creatine is said to be by consuming 0.3 grams of creatine per kg per day for at least 3 days followed by 3-5 grams per day thereafter.Creatine supplementation is the most convenient way to increase creatine stores within the muscles.Avoid Dangers of Creatine. 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