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Supplements can be a complicated and uncertain topic for most people. Can I trust online sources about supplements? Which ones should I be taking? What are the side effects if I take to much? There are a lot of supplements out there that avid gym goers have heard of if not tried, but the most common supplement for fitness enthusiast is creatine. In this post we are going to answer the important questions about creatine. What does creatine do? Do I need creatine? and most importantly, is creatine safe?
WHAT IS CREATINE?
Creatine is a natural organic compound that supplies energy to the body through the ATP-PC system (more on this later). Generally, you will not have a creatine deficiency because it is actually naturally made in the human body, as well as found in our diet through red meats, fish and poultry. Creatine is essential for immediate energy in high intensity exercise, such as weight lifting or sprints.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I TAKE CREATINE?
When you take creatine, most of it goes to the skeletal muscle where it is used to create phosphocreatine and utilised for movement. You will not feel immediate effects of creatine because there is a period of time where the increased amount of creatine in the body's systems has to saturate. Some people accellerate this saturation process by including a loading phase. This essentially means a 2-4 week period taking a slightly higher dosage of creatine, usually 5g a day, before reverting back to the standard dosage of 3g.
However this is not essential. If you have never taken creatine before or if you haven't done so for a while, we recommend just taking 3g a day from start to finish and skipping the loading phase.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CREATINE?
Supplementing creatine will increase the body's phosphocreatine quantities. Phosphocreatine is used for short bursts of immediate energy and when there is more in the body, these short bursts can blast longer and be of greater intensities. Below are some more of the influential effects of creatine
Increased muscle mass. Studies show that taking creatine results in an extra 3-5% increase in lean tissue over a 12 month period.
Effective muscle recovery. Creatine helps activate satellite cells involved in the muscle recovery process.
Increased water content in cells. Better hydration in cells can promote recovery and flexibility.
Boost anabolic hormones. Anabolic hormones are involved in the muscular repair system and include human-growth-hormone, testosterone, insulin and oestrogen.
HOW MUCH CREATINE SHOULD I TAKE?
Creatine supplementation is unique to each individual. Please consult a doctor or medical professional if you are unsure about taking creatine or how much you need. This just advice.
We have already mentioned above about the optional 'loading phase' some people choose to take when supplementing creatine. The loading phase speeds up the saturation process of creatine. Some advice online mentions taking 5g a day for 2-4 weeks, whilst others recommend taking up to 10g for 7 days. We recommend skipping the loading phase all together. Excessive creatine in the body doesn't result in many side effects, but it can just be excreted through urine if there is too much. To not waste your time and money, we recommend taking 3g a day for 6-8 weeks.
Whilst the loading phase isn't necessary, de-loading off creatine is a recommended practice to avoid over saturation. We recommend only being on creatine for 6-8 weeks before taking a 2-4 week break. Whilst there are not many recorded side effects of taking creatine for extended periods of time, over-saturation can lead to less effective results from creatine.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF CREATINE?
Creatine is a relatively safe and well researched supplement, but keep an eye out for these potential side-effects.
Weight gain because of water retention.
Dizziness.
Nausea and vomiting.
Diarrhoea.
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).
Should you experience any of these side effects we recommend you stop taking creatine before consulting a doctor or health care professional.
HOW SHOULD I TAKE CREATINE?
Creatine comes in few different forms, from powder to tablets and even creatine gummies. Generally it doesn't matter how you take your creatine and it doesn't matter what time of day you take it. One key thing to look our for is how much creatine is in your dosage.
Powders - Powders usually come with a scoop that is the size of the correct dose which means you just need to take one scoop a day. Add it to your morning coffee, juice or just mix with water.
Tablets - Tablets are commonly 1g each, meaning you should take 3-5 per day. The tub should tell you the recommended dosage for that brand of creatine.
Gummies - Just like tablets, gummies are individual to the supplier. Consult the side of the tub to understand the correct dosage.
TAKE AWAYS
Please remember to consult a doctor or healthcare professional if you are unsure about taking creatine. This post is meant as a guide for the common individual.
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