Creatine… The Fiction and the Facts

Creatine is perhaps the world’s most widely known sports supplement, being used by bodybuilders and athletes for years as a way of improving speed, strength and power. But despite its global popularity there are still many myths surrounding its use. Here we explore the myths and truths of creatine based on solid scientific evidence:

The Fiction
Creatine is bad for your kidneys, liver and can affect your internal health

The Fact
There are no studies showing that creatine supplementation damages the liver or kidneys in any way, nor does the science or biochemistry of creatine usage suggest that they would harm your internal organs. At the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland Dr Kerry Kuehl sought to prove this theory and at the 2000 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine presented his findings which showed 36 healthy male and female athletes who consumed 10g of creatine per day for a sustained period of time showed no signs (both subjective and objective) of any problems with their kidney function.

The Fiction
Creatine causes you to bloat and hold a lot of water (water retention)

The Fact
Recent studies using the very latest in body composition measurement have found that even as much as 3 months of creatine usage did not result in an increase in body water but did, as expected, show greater gains in fat free-mass. A plausible explanation for the anecdotal evidence that claims you hold more water on creatine could be in the manufacturing process of cheaply manufactured creatine, since excess sodium is sometimes an unfortunate consequence of the manufacturing process of lower grade creatine.

The Fiction
Creatine must be taken at certain times to work

The Fact
Whilst it has been proven that taking creatine with a high glycaemic index carbohydrate to raise insulin levels can improve its uptake, there’s no real evidence to show there is a best time to take it. Since creatine basically works by increasing the body’s pool of creatine and therefore favourably enhancing the body’s phosphagen system. So whether you take it in the morning with your breakfast, in your post workout shake or even before training, studies seem to suggest it makes no difference.

The Fiction
You get enough creatine in your diet from food

The Fact
On average you probably get about 1g of creatine in your diet per day and even this is subject to you eating enough sources such as beef, cod, salmon, and herring. Furthermore the creatine present in these foods can often be destroyed during the cooking process.

The Fiction
More creatine means more speed, strength and size

The Fact
Scientists at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia found that at 0.1 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, male athletes excreted 46% of the ingested creatine within 24 hours. For a 220 pound lifter, this means that if he consumes 10g of creatine, 46%, or 4.6g of creatine, is wasted. In another study performed at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University, scientists confirmed that lower doses of creatine monohydrate (5g/day) are effective, and that results can even be achieved without a loading phase.