What Is Creatine? What You Should Know

You've likely heard of creatine, especially within the health and wellness community, but what is creatine?

Creatine is a popular supplement among athletes and fitness enthusiasts as it can help build muscle mass and improve endurance. However, its benefits extend beyond the gym. 

Let's look at the health benefits of creatine and understand important considerations for its use.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is found in small amounts in certain foods and can be synthesized by the human body. It's composed of three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. 

The majority of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle cells, with smaller amounts found in the brain and other body tissues.

"Creatine is essential for energy metabolism, particularly in muscle cells, especially during high-intensity, short-duration activities. It's a key component of the phosphocreatine system, allowing you to recycle or recover adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s main energy currency," Dr. Berg explains.

Watch the video below to learn more about creatine and how it can benefit your health.

How does creatine affect muscle growth? 

Creatine enhances muscle growth primarily through its role in ATP regeneration. 

During intense exercise, ATP is broken down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi), releasing energy necessary for muscle contractions. As ATP levels drop, muscle performance and endurance diminish. 

Stored in muscle cells as creatine phosphate, creatine donates its phosphate group to ADP, rapidly regenerating ATP. This quick replenishment of ATP promotes a steady energy supply, allowing muscles to sustain high-intensity exercise for longer periods.

Creatine can help increase training intensity and volume by maintaining higher energy levels during workouts, which is critical for building muscle mass.

Benefits of creatine for exercise performance 

Due to its ability to rapidly regenerate ATP, creatine is a powerful dietary supplement for enhancing exercise performance. Research has shown that taking creatine supplements can increase muscle mass and strength when combined with resistance training.

According to research published in Nutrients, "Creatine is an efficient supplementation for increasing muscle strength, muscle mass, and athletic performance in the healthy young population with adequate training in a variety of dosage strategies and athletic activities."

Moreover, creatine helps enhance recovery between sets and workouts. This means athletes can train harder and more frequently, leading to greater muscle growth and strength gains.

Other health benefits of creatine

In addition to its positive impact on exercise performance, research suggests that creatine supplementation may affect clinical health markers beyond muscle performance.

The benefits of creatine for muscle function may offer relief from symptoms such as chronic pain and muscular fatigue related to conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

According to a study published in Cureus, “Following [creatine monohydrate] supplementation, the patient reported significant benefits in their muscular fatigue symptoms, allowing them to engage in daily activities and exercises more effectively.”

Creatine has also been shown to play a crucial role in brain function. 

Evidence published in Nutrients highlights creatine's role in supporting brain energy metabolism, which is crucial given that the brain consumes up to 20 percent of the body's total energy.

The study suggests that creatine supplementation may enhance cognitive processing, particularly under stressful conditions such as sleep deprivation or during complex mental tasks. 

In addition, research published in Nutrients found that “there is some evidence suggesting that creatine may help individuals manage some types of depression and/or anxiety disorders, particularly when combined with choline.”

Moreover, creatine shows promise in mitigating the effects of mild traumatic brain injury and potentially aiding in recovery from concussions.

Safety and downsides

Not only is creatine a compound that is naturally created in the body but it has also been extensively studied for safety.

Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that ”Short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 g/day for five years) is safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals and in a number of patient populations ranging from infants to the elderly.”

That said, it’s not uncommon to experience water retention and temporary weight gain during the first few days of starting creatine supplementation.

However, this doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern, as evidence published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found no significant increase in total body water content after ten weeks of creatine supplementation. 

A study published in Research in Sports Medicine did report the potential for temporary mild gastrointestinal discomfort at high doses, including symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach upset, and belching. 

Notably, these effects weren’t significantly different from those reported by placebo groups. 

Overall, creatine is considered safe when taken in recommended amounts, with gastrointestinal distress being more common at higher, single doses.

However, it's always advisable to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions or are taking prescription medications. 

Creatine supplements and dosage

The common dosage regimen starts with a loading phase, where individuals consume 20 grams of creatine daily, divided into four five-gram servings, over 5 to 7 days. This phase is designed to rapidly saturate the muscles with creatine.

Following the loading phase, a maintenance phase of 3 to 5 grams per day is recommended to sustain creatine concentrations in muscle cells. 

Alternatively, other supplementation protocols suggest a steady intake of 3 to 5 grams daily from the start, which will also saturate muscle creatine stores over a longer period, typically around 28 days. 

However, personal factors such as baseline creatine levels, exercise frequency, and gender should also be considered when determining the optimal creatine dosage.

What happens when you stop taking creatine?

When individuals cease creatine supplementation, muscle creatine levels gradually return to their baseline pre-supplementation levels. 

According to research published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, "withdrawal from creatine had no effect on the rate of strength, endurance, and loss of lean tissue mass with 12 weeks of reduced-volume training." 

This indicates that while muscle creatine concentrations decrease, the strength and lean tissue gains from prior resistance training and creatine use are largely maintained.

However, the study noted a significant reduction in muscle endurance following cessation of creatine supplementation.

This shows that while stopping creatine supplementation reduces muscle creatine levels and might affect muscle endurance, it doesn’t significantly impact overall strength or lean muscle mass gains. 

Foods high in creatine

The best food sources of creatine are animal products such as red meat, pork, poultry, fish, and dairy.

However, it's worth noting that cooking meat can convert some of the creatine to creatinine, which is less useful for muscle function. 

Additionally, the amount of creatine you can obtain from food alone is typically much lower than what you'd get from supplementation. 

For example, you would need to eat several pounds of meat or fish to consume the equivalent of a typical five-gram creatine supplement dose. Therefore, taking oral creatine supplements is a more practical approach for those looking to maximize their creatine intake.

Key takeaways

What is creatine? This naturally occurring compound, synthesized from amino acids, is a critical player in cellular energy metabolism as it regenerates ATP, the body's main energy currency, especially during high-intensity, short-duration activities.

Creatine enhances muscle performance by allowing for increased workout intensity and volume, supporting muscle fiber growth and strength gain. 

Beyond its well-known effects on muscle function, creatine has also shown promise in supporting cognitive function and offering neuroprotective benefits. 

FAQ

1. Are creatine supplements recommended for athletes? 

Yes, athletes widely use creatine supplements to enhance performance, particularly during high-intensity, short-duration activities like weightlifting and sprinting.

Additionally, creatine is considered safe for both short-term and long-term use in healthy individuals, making it a popular choice among athletes seeking to enhance their training and performance.

2. What does creatine do for your body?

Creatine primarily helps regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's primary energy currency, during high-intensity activities. 

This can lead to improved strength, power, and muscle mass and may promote brain functions, including enhanced cognitive performance and neurological health.

3. Is taking creatine good for you?

Yes, creatine has been shown to offer several health benefits, including enhanced post-exercise recovery, injury prevention, thermoregulation, rehabilitation, and neuroprotection. 

Additionally, creatine may also benefit individuals with conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, brain and heart ischemia, and adolescent depression. 

4. What are the pros and cons of creatine?

Taking creatine supplements has several advantages, including improved exercise performance and potential cognitive benefits. 

However, it’s important to note that creatine supplementation may cause temporary water retention and potential mild gastrointestinal discomfort in some individuals. 

5. Does creatine have any side effects?

While most people experience no significant side effects, some individuals may experience initial water retention or mild gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly when taking large doses of creatine.

6. When should you take creatine?

You can take creatine at any time of the day, but many people prefer taking it before or after their workouts to replenish creatine stores and aid muscle recovery.  

To maximize creatine benefits, it’s crucial to take it consistently to maintain elevated muscle creatine levels. 

7. Should I take creatine every day?

Yes, it’s recommended to take creatine daily to maintain optimal creatine levels in muscle cells. 

8. Are creatine gains permanent?

Even if supplementation is stopped, the muscle mass gained while taking creatine can be maintained with continued training and proper nutrition. 

However, the performance benefits directly related to increased creatine stores will gradually diminish when supplementation is stopped.

9. Does creatine cause kidney disease? 

No, creatine doesn’t lead to kidney disease when taken in recommended dosages. For the past two decades, extensive research has consistently shown that creatine supplementation doesn’t impair kidney function in healthy individuals. 

Although creatine can cause an increase in blood creatinine levels, a marker used to evaluate kidney health, this rise doesn’t signify kidney damage.

Sources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8949037/ 

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11154074/ 

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7916590/ 

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7910963/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/

7. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438620701693280

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15263100/