I read a really interesting article about the safety of this very common muscle building supplement today, and I wanted to pass along the findings to you. Let me preface this by saying that this article is very one-sided; it is based on a single research study, so I would definitely recommend doing your own outside research as well because there are plenty of people who would disagree with these results.
The two questions commonly posed about creatine safety are:
- Does creatine dehydrate you?
- Does creatine cause kidney damage?
A common criticism of creatine is that while it increases the water concentration in your cells, it is believed to decrease the fluid levels outside of these cells. If this is true, it is dangerous for your body and can cause dehydration. However, according to this article, creatine actually helps to hydrate your body! Not only does it increase the fluid levels inside your cells, but it appears not to negatively impact the water outside of your cells (extracellular water). According to the study, creatine actually helps to keep you hydrated (as long as you are drinking enough water) rather than having a negative effect.
Another often heard concern with creatine is that it can damage your kidneys because the substance must pass through them after it is processed in the stomach and before it leaves your body. This article cites a research study in which participants were given either 10 grams of creatine or a placebo daily for three months, and the effects on the kidneys were measured. None of the measures of kidney functioning used in the study were negatively affected by creatine consumption, so they concluded that creatine is not dangerous to your kidney functions.
I would point out that the study only lasted three months, not nearly long enough to determine any long-term consequences. However, based on this information and everything else I have read, I would say the general consensus is that creatine is relatively safe if you take it in cycles. That is, if you take it for two consecutive months, then you should take two months off before your next cycle.
To read the original article, click here
June 13th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I tried Creatine years ago ‘back in the day’. I can’t say I was a big fan of it. I’m now of the mind set, if I can’t get it through my own normal diet, I don’t need it.
I’m getting old. LOL
June 13th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
A lot of people are like that and it is perfectly fine, especially since the safety of creatine is still under question in many people’s minds. However, some necessary nutritients (such as protein) are very difficult to get enough of in our normal diet if we are trying to pack on muscle. So I would caution against thinking you don’t need anything you can’t get in your normal diet…unless you are eating a TON of steak, chicken, eggs and fish every day!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I found that I got better results with protein shakes and diet than creatine and diet. Maybe I just didn’t use it for long enough but I just didn’t get the results.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Unfortunately, supplements don’t all work the same for everyone. Creatine may help one person add 5 pounds of muscle and get noticeably stronger, while leaving another person $40 poorer with no results to show for it. As with any supplement, your chances for success are better if you take it consistently, following the instructions on the label, in addition to your intense workout program.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 54…
Monday is Blog Carnivals Day. A Blog Carnival is basically a collection of articles or blog posts, all relating to a similar subject, that are gathered together for your viewing pleasure. You can quickly and conveniently see a list of Article Titles a…
June 21st, 2008 at 10:19 am
Cheers for the post. Although it is not a long term study it is good to hear something positive about creatine when the majority of stuff I read about it is usually negative. I usually do an 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off cycle just to be on the safe side.
I think the big problem with creatine for many people is the perception. A lot of people think it is a magic supplement which will provide greater strength and greater muscle mass with little additional effort. In fact many people I’ve spoke to think it is like a legal steroid without any of the unwanted side effects.
I have found that creatine does give me a little more stamina and does give me that little extra energy boost I often require to push on to the next weight level. However, it does not make gaining muscle significantly easier. I still have to push myself hard during the workout only notice a small improvement which I can attribute to the creatine. However, this small improvement is often one that I struggle to make when I am not taking creatine. For example, one of the exercises I do for my biceps is the alternating, incline bicep curl. Now I was stuck on 12.5kg per arm for absolutely ages. I got to a point where I could do over 10 reps on 12.5kg per arm but no matter how much I tried, I could only get out 1 or 2 reps on 15kg (the next available dumbbell weight). Since I have been taking creatine I can now do I get 6 to 7 good reps on 15kg for my final set. Not a huge improvement and there’s still work to do before I get to my usual 3 sets of 8 reps BUT creatine gave me the little push I needed.
Now a lot of people will question the value of paying for a supplement that gives such a small benefit. I think it’s worth it because there was no other way I could get past this barrier. I tried doing my bicep workout on different days, placing this exercise at different points in my workout, eating different things before my workout and much more…nothing else would work.
Whatever, your opinion on creatine I think you need to look at it realistically as a normal supplement. Taking multi-vitamins does not suddenly fill you with energy. Taking protein shakes does not allow you to recover from your workout instantly. Likewise, taking creatine does not increase your strength and muscle size straight away. However, like these other supplements it does help.
P.S. Strong One, creatine is present in certain foods (http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/creatine-supplements-common-questions-answered.html) but it is very impractical to get significant amounts through diet alone.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Creatine has over 300 peer reviewed studies on it and is a very well researched and safe supplement. Nice write-up!
I’ve only been able to find one study that showed kidney damage from the use of creatine and the subject had a pre-existing kidney problem and took upwards of 40g per day! (not really a shock if you can’t follow directions)