What is Creatine?

Creatine is a substance found naturally in our muscle cells. About half of your body’s creatine stores come from the food you eat, especially from animal sources like red meat and seafood, and the rest is made in your liver and kidneys from amino acids. It’s also one of the world’s most tested supplements and has an excellent safety profile with no negative effects. Studies show it may help improve brain function, and increase muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance.

Why does Creatine Have These Benefits?

Creatine is stored in the muscle as phosphocreatine. When you supplement with creatine, you’re increasing your stores of phosphocreatine, which is like increasing a form of stored energy. Creatine helps your body produce more ATP, which is your body’s energy currency. The more ATP you have, the more energy you have.

Creatine can help you gain muscle by enabling more total work or volume in a single training session and improving the cell signaling that occurs during muscle repair and growth. Because our bodies also store phosphocreatine in the brain, creatine supplements may also promote brain health and improve symptoms of neurological disease, such as Parkinsons.

Who Should Take Creatine?

Creatine is safe and effective for both men and women. It may be helpful for the following conditions:

• Increasing muscle mass

• Enhancing recovery from exercise

• Improving exercise performance

• Improving cognitive function

• Supporting some neurodegenerative diseases

Studies demonstrating creatine’s effect on decreasing blood sugar and glycemic response in patients with Type 2 Diabetes are inconclusive, so further research is needed. Some claims have been made regarding creatine’s ability to aid in weight loss. Most of the studies showing evidence that creatine supplementation reduces fat mass are done on the aging or elderly population and include exercise or some form of resistance training. Therefore, creatine alone cannot be attributed to weight loss, but when combined with exercise, creatine can be helpful in decreasing fat mass while increasing muscle mass.

How do I Supplement with Creatine?

Some people choose to start supplementing with creatine using a loading phase, which can lead to quicker increase in muscle stores of creatine and therefore, results. To load with creatine, take 20 grams per day for 5-7 days. It’s recommended to split the 20 grams into four 5-gram servings throughout the day. Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells, so it’s important to stay hydrated when taking creatine.

After the loading phase, the recommended dose is 3-5 grams per day to maintain high levels within your muscles. Some people experience gastrointestinal issues during the loading phase. If you choose to skip the loading phase, simply start with 3-5 grams per day. It may take your body 3-4 weeks to maximize your creatine stores if you skip the loading phase.

As a Registered Dietitian (RD), I work with my clients to create supplement protocols to meet their unique needs. If you’re interested in determining if creatine is appropriate for you, you can learn more about my nutrition services and what it’s like working with an RD!

Reference:

1.     Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. Published 2017 Jun 13. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z