Creatine is the number-one sports activities efficiency complement obtainable.
But regardless of its research-backed advantages, some folks keep away from creatine as a result of they’re afraid it’s unhealthy for well being.
Some declare it causes weight acquire, cramping, and digestive, liver, or kidney issues.
This text gives an evidence-based evaluate of creatine’s security and unintended effects.
What Are Its Purported Aspect Results?
Relying on who you ask, the instructed unintended effects of creatine might embrace:
Moreover, some folks wrongly declare that creatine is an anabolic steroid, that it’s unsuitable for girls or youngsters, or that it ought to solely be utilized by skilled athletes or bodybuilders.
Regardless of the damaging press, the Worldwide Society of Sports activities Vitamin regards creatine as extraordinarily secure, concluding that it is without doubt one of the most helpful sports activities dietary supplements obtainable (1).
Main researchers who’ve studied creatine for a number of a long time additionally conclude that it is without doubt one of the most secure dietary supplements in the marketplace (2).
One examine examined 52 well being markers after individuals took creatine dietary supplements for 21 months. It discovered no antagonistic results (2).
Creatine has additionally been used to deal with numerous illnesses and well being issues, together with neuromuscular problems, concussions, diabetes, and muscle loss (1, 3, 4, 5).
What Does It Do in Your Physique?
Creatine is discovered all through your physique, with 95% saved in your muscle tissue (6).
It’s obtained from meat and fish and may also be produced naturally in your physique from amino acids (7).
Nevertheless, your food plan and pure creatine ranges don’t usually maximize muscle shops of this compound.
The common shops are about 120 mmol/kg, however creatine dietary supplements can elevate these shops to round 140–150 mmol/kg (8).
Throughout high-intensity train, the saved creatine helps your muscle tissue produce extra power. That is the principle purpose that creatine enhances train efficiency (9).
When you fill your muscle’s creatine shops, any extra is damaged down into creatinine, which is metabolized by your liver and excreted in your urine (8).
Does It Trigger Dehydration or Cramps?
Creatine alters your physique’s saved water content material, driving extra water into your muscle cells (10).
This truth could also be behind the idea that creatine causes dehydration. Nevertheless, this shift in mobile water content material is minor, and no analysis helps the claims about dehydration.
A 3-year examine of faculty athletes discovered that these taking creatine had fewer instances of dehydration, muscle cramps, or muscle accidents than these not taking it. In addition they missed fewer periods because of sickness or harm (11).
One examine examined creatine use throughout train in scorching climate, which may speed up cramping and dehydration. Throughout a 35-minute biking session in 99°F (37°C) warmth, creatine had no antagonistic results in comparison with a placebo (12).
Additional examination through blood assessments additionally confirmed no distinction in hydration or electrolyte ranges, which play a key function in muscle cramps (12).
Probably the most conclusive analysis has been carried out in people present process hemodialysis, a medical remedy which will trigger muscle cramps. Researchers famous that creatine decreased cramping incidents by 60% (13).
Primarily based on the present proof, creatine doesn’t trigger dehydration or cramping. If something, it might shield towards these situations.
Does It Trigger Weight Acquire?
Analysis has totally documented that creatine dietary supplements trigger a fast enhance in physique weight.
After one week of high-dose loading of creatine (20 grams/day), your weight will increase by round 2–6 kilos (1–3 kg) because of elevated water in your muscle tissue (1, 14).
Over the long run, research present that physique weight might proceed to extend to a higher extent in creatine customers than in non-creatine customers. Nevertheless, weight acquire is because of elevated muscle development — not elevated physique fats (15).
For many athletes, the extra muscle is a constructive adaptation which will enhance sports activities efficiency. As it’s also one of many primary causes folks take creatine, it shouldn’t be thought-about a facet impact (1, 14).
Elevated muscle can also have advantages for older adults, overweight people, and people with sure illnesses (16, 17, 18, 19, 20).
How Does It Have an effect on Your Kidneys and Liver?
Creatine can barely increase ranges of creatinine in your blood. Creatinine is often measured to diagnose kidney or liver issues.
Nevertheless, the truth that creatine raises creatinine ranges doesn’t imply that it’s harming your liver or kidneys (21).
To this point, no examine of creatine use in wholesome people has offered proof of hurt to those organs (1, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26).
A protracted-term examine of faculty athletes discovered no unintended effects associated to liver or kidney operate. Different research measuring organic markers within the urine additionally discovered no distinction after creatine ingestion (27).
One of many longest research so far — lasting for 4 years — equally concluded that creatine has no damaging unintended effects (24).
One other in style examine typically cited within the media reported kidney illness in a male weightlifter who supplemented with creatine (28).
Nevertheless, this single case examine is inadequate proof. Quite a few different components, together with extra dietary supplements, have been additionally concerned (26, 28).
That stated, creatine dietary supplements ought to be approached with warning when you have a historical past of liver or kidney points.
Does It Trigger Digestive Issues?
As with many dietary supplements or drugs, extreme doses might trigger digestive points.
In a single examine, the 5-gram really useful dose brought about no digestive issues, whereas a 10-gram dose elevated diarrhea threat by 37% (29).
Because of this, the really useful serving is about at 3–5 grams. The 20-gram loading protocol can also be break up into 4 servings of 5 grams every over the course of a day (1).
One main researcher reviewed a number of research and concluded that creatine doesn’t enhance digestive issues when taken at really useful doses (30).
Nevertheless, it’s attainable that components, elements, or contaminants generated in the course of the industrial manufacturing of creatine can result in points (21, 31).
It’s subsequently really useful that you simply buy a trusted, high-quality product.
“is creatine good or unhealthy for you”