Top Supplements: Creatine
Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body that plays a critical role in the storage and use of cellular energy. There are many myths surrounding creatine, but the first study on it was published in 1926 and the research has only grown. It is by far one of the most studied supplements that we have.
In the body, creatine is naturally made in the liver by combining specific amino acids together. On average, this accounts for about half of the needed amount and the other half comes from diet. Now what does creatine actually do in the body? In the body, creatine functions as part of what is known as the creatine phosphate system. Cell metabolism (energy use) uses a chemical called ATP. This chemical loses a P as it produces energy. Creatine gives a P back to it and allows for more energy. Yes, this is a dramatic simplification of a complex series of biochemical pathways, but the important idea is that creatine acts as a reserve for cellular energy and having more of it in our body can allow us to do more stuff.
The most common application of creatine is for the muscular/performance benefits. It helps provide cellular energy to help an individual do a few more seconds of maximal activity. This increase in training load leads to increases in muscle mass, bone density, strength, and endurance. It also helps muscle recovery. These increases in turn lead to improvements in metabolic health, decreases in age related muscle loss, and changes in blood lipid markers.
In recent years, creatine has been looked at for neural effects. They have found increases in cognitive performance, it can help offset sleep deprivation, neuroprotective effects for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS or Parkinsons, and it can even help offset some of the effects of traumatic brain injuries aka concussions.
When it comes to supplementation, many companies will boast that they have a superior form of creatine and that theirs has better effect. However, almost all of the research on creatine has been done using creatine monohydrate so if you decide to supplement with creatine, use the monohydrate form, it is the most available, has the best data and is the most affordable.
The next question is usually how much should I take? This can depend on what the individual is after. There is some data around a loading phase where an individual takes 5 grams four times per day for 4 to 7 days then reduces to 5 grams per day to maintain blood levels. Some sources advocate for 5 grams per day without a loading phase saying over time you will hit optimal levels. For some of the sleep deprivation effects, those individuals took around 20 grams spread out across multiple doses in a day. For some of the metabolic effects, individuals took about 15 grams. To offset concussions, individuals took .4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. In an effort to sum up the data, in the long run, for daily use, 5 grams per day works. In the short term to offset an event, a higher dose can be more effective.
There are also many questions that people have about the safety of creatine. To date, there have been no known severe side effects of creatine supplementation. Some individuals had some GI issues like an upset stomach with high doses of creatine. There was one study published in 2009 that showed an increase of DHT in males with creatine. The concern was that DHT can contribute to male pattern baldness. However, that result has not been seen since, and efforts to duplicate that result have failed. It is now largely accepted in the scientific literature that creatine does not contribute to increasing DHT levels. The other most common side effect is weight gain. This comes from the associated increase in muscle mass and that creatine can help muscle cells hold more water. As long as you aren’t competing in a sport that requires weight classes, this probably doesn’t matter for you.
Hopefully this helped clear the air around creatine some. As always, stay healthy, stay happy.
