The Benefits and Side Effects of Creatine Supplementation
Written by Christopher Ioannou, BSc (Hons) Sports & Exercise Science
Reading Time: 5 minutes
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Creatine is the most studied supplement on the planet, with countless papers on its effects in different exercise protocols. Because of the abundance of information on this supplement, I also came across some contradicting evidence on its safety and efficacy, which is natural with such a well-researched topic.
In such cases, you have to try to find a common trend or theme behind all the noise.
This is what I was able to decipher:
Is Creatine a Steroid?
Figure 1 - Creatine is naturally found in Meat and Fish
No, Creatine is not a steroid!
It is actually a compound naturally found in meat and fish protein and does not have direct anabolic effects. If this were so, it would be banned in competitive sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and removed from supplement store shelves [8][9].
Here is the list of current banned substances by WADA.
What is Creatine?
Figure 2 - Creatine fuels anaerobic activities, such as, olympic weightlifting, sprinting, powerlifting and golf
Creatine is first and foremost an energy source. It fuels the Phospho-Creatine pathway, which is the energy system we use in short, high-intensity exercise [2].
Let's think Olympic weightlifting, sprinting, powerlifting and any other pure anaerobic activity. Even the golf swing can be fuelled by creatine.
The Benefits of Creatine
How creatine works, in high-intensity physical activities, is by saturating the muscles with this fuel, so that they have enough energy for continued contraction and are, consequently, less likely to fatigue [8].
Secondary to this, Creatine has been found to decrease muscle soreness and increase recovery time, even in endurance athletes [3].
One of the ways it does this is by protecting certain cells from oxidative stress and cell death; when we exercise, especially really hard, our cells die off, and we then have to make new ones. This is a slow process and means that we need time, between exercise sessions, for recovery.
So creatine lessens cell death, which means that we need less recovery time.
But, before you go buy your tub of creatine, there is a side effect to all of this though.
The Side Effects of Creatine
Figure 3 - Creatine was found to exacerbate ashma symptoms in mice
In a study done on mice with induced asthma, creatine was found to exacerbate their symptoms as opposed to improve them, like the researchers hypothesised [1].
This was interesting because creatine‘s cell-protecting ability was detrimental in this case.
The inflammatory prone cells were able to live longer and continue damaging the lungs' ability to function properly.
So, basically you end up with the case of: ‘too much of a good thing is bad.’
Now, granted, this study was only done on mice, and may not directly relate to humans. But, when you look at the prevalence of asthma in the general population, it sits at around 10%. Whereas, that percentage increases up to 50% in professional and non-professional athletes of certain sports [4].
Creatine also happens to be one of the most popular sports supplements among athletes…
It would be foolish to say, with certainty, that the higher levels of asthma in athletes is directly related to the increased usage of creatine supplementation, but the parallel is certainly noteworthy.
So, those are the facts and based on them, I’m sure many people want to know if creatine is still the right fit for them and their training.
How to use Creatine
I would like to offer my opinion on this. I feel that, when it comes to health, nutrition, and exercise, everyone’s needs are unique and different.
Gone are the days of a one size fits all approach.
So, here are my recommendations, based of the research (Please consult with your certified nutritionist before making any dietary changes).
Creatine for a Vegan or Vegetarian Diet
Figure 4 - Creatine can be highly beneficial for Vegetarians/Vegans.
In the case of creatine, we know that meat and fish are our main natural food sources.
If, for example, someone is following a vegetarian or vegan type diet, chances are they may have lower than normal creatine levels by default.
In this case, supplementing with a synthetic form, like creatine monohydrate, could be highly beneficial [7].
Creatine for Elite Athletes
Figure 5 - Creatine may bring benefits to Elite Athletes.
Let’s take a high-level Olympic weightlifter who is training twice a day and struggles to maintain that type of exercise volume.
In that case, added creatine, through supplementation, may give the athlete the fuel he or she needs to handle such an intense regime.
However, these high level athletes are few and far between.
Creatine Use for the Masses
The typical fitness enthusiast follows a balanced 3-5 day per week exercise program, eats plenty of meat and fish as well as takes regular rest days when you feel beat up.
I honestly don’t see the need for creatine supplementation with this type of lifestyle.
In fact, I could see the risk of over-nutrition, in this regard.
The term ‘over-nutrition,’ basically refers to consuming excessive amounts of a specific nutrient. This paradigm has gained a lot of traction recently and some scientists have even compared its adverse effects to malnutrition [5][6].
The most common example of this is in the case of type 2 diabetes, where excessive consumption of sugars and other refined carbohydrates cause the body to become insulin resistant.
Excessive being the key word here.
Should you Take Creatine?
Remember, supplements are highly concentrated forms of a specific substance or compound. Their primary purpose is to treat deficiencies by ‘supplementing’ the under nitrified diet.
Therefore, if you are getting enough from your diet for your specific exercise needs, consuming more, through supplementation, may end up hurting your health.
But those are just my thoughts, I would love to hear yours. So leave a comments below and let's start a conversation!
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