Should You Supplement with Creatine?
The world of supplements, especially for women can feel overwhelming and simply filled with snake oil! How can you decide which supplements are necessary for you and worth your money? (always check with your medical professional, I am not your medical professional 😉)
This clip is from an episode of the Strong and Simple Podcast and I discuss all things creatine:
What is creatine?
What does creatine do?
Why might someone want to supplement with creatine?
Is this a good supplement for women?
How do you take creatine?
What are the side effects of creatine supplementation?
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What is creatine? Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched and evidence based supplements on the shelves! It is found naturally in our bodies, mostly in muscle cells. Contrary to many myths and misinformation out there, it is NOT a steroid. We can get from eating red meat, pork, and fish and can make it in our liver and kidneys.
What does creatine do? Simply speaking, when we supplement with creatine we are increasing our supply of phosphocreatine, which is a form of stored energy in our cells. These stores help us produce more ATP, the body’s energy currency for high intensity, short duration exercise - like sprints and heavy (1-3 reps) strength training! The more ATP we have, the more energy we have to get that extra rep or go heavier during our strength sessions which in turn allows us to create more muscle tears that can then repair and recover into stronger, bigger muscles! ATP is depleted after about 10 seconds, so if we are able to produce more ATP, we can perform at that intensity level a few seconds longer - who doesn’t want that?
Why might someone want to supplement with creatine? Anyone who is looking to build muscle, strength, and power might want to consider supplementing with creatine. Emerging and promising research/evidence is also demonstrating benefits for brain health, blood sugar regulation, memory, and muscle function in older adults! While we can get get creatine from foods we eat, it can be difficult to eat enough meat and fish to get the optimal amount of 3-5 g a day. This is also why it tends to be a good supplement for vegetarians who are strength training.
Is this a good supplement for women? Research does demonstrate that supplementing creatine is effective for strength and power gains in women, especially as we age. Do your research, consult with your medical professional and make an informed design for you! Some women are reported to be “nonrepsonders” to creatine supplementation.
How do you take creatine? Taken as a powered mixed in some water or fruit juice is an effective way to supplement. Take 3-5 grams a day and you should be fully “loaded” in 3-4 weeks. There is no known benefit to cycling on and off and all long term studies agree that there is no known negative side effect from long term supplementation. Creatine monohydrate is pretty cheap - don’t fall for any expensive blends - this is usually just well marketed and overly priced unnecessary fillers and/or unproven supplements combined with the creatine. Get a flavorless power and just add to your smoothie, water or juice each day.
Some folks do “load” creatine at the start of supplementation by taking 20g/day, spread out as 5g servings 4 times a day for 5-7 days. The thought behind this is to get that maximum load as soon as possible instead of waiting for the build up over 3-4 weeks. It’s really not very necessary - just be patient.
What are the side effects of creatine supplementation? There’s a ton of misinformation and myths out there about creatine.
Creatine is not a steroid and research shows no evidence of kidney or liver harm.
Because creatine does pull water into your cells and muscles you might retain a pond or 2 of water (similarly to when women start a strength training routine!), but it’s mostly muscle swell if anything. Myths of excessive weight gain and bloating are unfounded. You are not gaining fat. This water weight is very likely to dissipate after a few months of supplementation as well. And if you’ve been here long enough, you can guess that my advise here is to throw that scale in the back of your closet anyhow.
Dietary distress has been another side effect some folks have said to have experienced; however according to studies on this side effect, if we stick to the recommend dosage, dietary distress should not be an issue. So, stick to your 3-5 grams a day, stay hydrated and perhaps not choose to do a loading week and this should not be a problem for you.
Does everyone respond to Creatine? There is some research that some women are “nonrepsonders” to supplementation. This is thought to be because women tend have a naturally occurring higher level of creatine than men so therefore might need to increase their dose to see/feel the impact of supplementation. If you don’t feel like “it’s working”, be patient and give it at least 2 months. Be sure to be taking at least 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight as your minimum daily dose. Try taking with a simple carb like juice or fruit. Tossing a scoop in your smoothie is a great method!
So, should you take creatine? Ultimately this is up to you (and in consult with a medical professional as with all supplements!) It is the most researched and evidence based supplement and demonstrates great results for increased strength and power as well as numerous other health benefits such as brain health, memory and muscle function as we age. There are no known long term or even harmful short term side effects - so overall, this is a winer of a supplement in my book!
Happy Lifting!