Should you take creatine?
Creatine has been one of the most increasingly popular, effective and researched supplements which has led to some pretty exciting claims. This week I’m going to go through what creatine is, what some of these benefits are and ultimately why (or if) you should be having a creatine supplement daily.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in our skeletal muscle and the brain that we get from meat and fish as well as being naturally produced by the body.
It is very difficult to eat enough whole food to significantly boost and maintain high levels of stored creatine for performance benefits as you’d likely have to eat at least 1kg of beef or fish per day, every day..
Through supplementation – we can increase our creatine stores until they’re saturated. This looks like have 3-5g/day ongoing (no research to say you need to have a deload phase). If you want to saturate your stored faster you can do a loading phase (20-25g/day for 5-7 days) and then 3-5g/day after that.
What are some of the benefits of taking creatine?
With constantly growing research, here is what we can currently say about creatine:
- Increases ATP production: ATP = energy. The more creatine that is available, the more energy that is able to be produced. This means better performance when doing high-intensity exercise through faster recovery between reps and sets. This also means getting fitter and stronger which can equate to muscle growth.
- Improves cognition: There is increasing research to support that creatine supplementation can improve cognition and memory, especially during sleep deprivation and with ageing.
- Reduces muscle wasting: If you’re stuck at home injured or sick, maintaining creatine saturation in the muscles can help reduce the rate of muscle breakdown while you’re off training so you wont lose all your ‘gains’.
- Very minimal side effects: Creatine is a relatively safe supplement with minimal side effects, as long as it’s taken in appropriate quantities. The main side effects are initial weight gain which is related to the creatine molecules drawing in water into the muscle cells. Over time the body adjusts and this water weight goes down. Weight gain might also be related to increased muscle mass.
- Relatively cheap: You can find creatine for as cheap as $19 AUD per kg. Look for ‘creatine monohydrate’ as this is the most common/ studied form of creatine.
So should I be taking it?
To summarise, creatine is not an ‘essential’ nutrient – the body can produce it, and you are also likely getting some from dietary sources if you include meat in your diet
So it is not 100% necessary to supplement creatine BUT there is a potential performance benefit to be gained for strength training with pretty much no risk/ no significant side effects and minimal cost.
That being said, if you are unsure about creatine or if any other supplement is suitable to you, it’s always a good idea to sit down with myself (an Accredited Practicing Dietitian) that can help personalise your nutrition program. Link to book a consult can be found at the top of this page :))
