The Dope Sheet: Creatine

No nutritional supplement has been more studied than creatine.  It has been used by high school football players, world class bodybuilders, endurance athletes and just about everyone in between.  It is also one of the sports performance aids that has been on the shelves the longest.  That definitely speaks to its popularity and effectiveness. 

There aren’t a lot of supplements that I would recommend to young athletes (at least 16 years of age) but creatine is one of them.  The claims made by the supplement companies are usually along the lines of improved muscle strength, increased muscle mass, increased speed, increased endurance, etc.  And many of these claims are based on research that touts creatine’s benefits. 

What It Does

When your muscles contract they use energy from the breakdown of a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).  When ATP is used it is turned into ADP (adenosine diphosphate).  Creatine takes that ADP and quickly turns it back into ATP for use by your muscles for energy.  This quick turnaround of ATP is what helps the muscles delay fatigue and keep functioning.

Creatine also promotes cell hydration.  Its osmolality pulls water into the cell with it.  A hydrated muscle cell is a requirement for cell repair and growth.  This is where the supplement company’s claims of gaining 5 pounds of mass overnight come in to play as creatine will pull water into the muscle cell.  The retained water is the 5 pounds you’ve gained.

There is also evidence that creatine acts as a chemical signal that couples increased muscle activity with increased mass.  That is, creatine tells the muscle to grow.

Is It Safe?

In a word: yes.  Creatine is one of the safest products on the market.  Based on the hundreds of studies that are done with human subjects creatine has passed the test of being safe for use. 

A study done on Division 1A football players over a 21 month period demonstrated that the players that took an average of 5 grams per day of creatine did not experience any adverse side effects compared to those who did not take creatine. 

Further analysis of the study also shows that the players taking creatine experience less episodes of cramping, dehydration, muscle tightness, muscle pulls and strains, non-contact joint injuries, contact injuries, illness, number of missed practices due to injury, players lost for the season, and total injuries and missed practices.

This isn’t to say that creatine is totally responsible for those figures, but it is definitely a significant part of the equation.

Athletes who do take creatine should pay extra attention to their hydration levels as creatine supplementation requires more than normal water intake.  In this area athletes should aim for about 60% of their body weight in ounces of water per day.  A 200 pound athlete would then need about 120 ounces of water per day.  That’s just under a gallon.

Who Should Take Creatine?

Because creatine acts mostly on the big muscles cells that produce big powerful contractions users that would most benefit from creatine supplementation are those athletes that are required to display quick bursts of speed and strength.  These sports include bodybuilding, weight lifting, power lifting, football, hockey, baseball, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, sprint/strength track and field events, sprint swimming and rowing.

If you are competing in a physique contest or don’t want the puffy look that sometimes comes with the water retention side of creatine use, continue to take creatine up to about two weeks before you need to look good.  The body will flush out the creatine that is already in your system along with the water it was holding in.

Athletes that wouldn’t see much benefit from creatine supplementation would be distance athletes such as runners, bikers, swimmers, and rowers.

How Much Should I Take?

Many companies that sell creatine say that a “loading phase” of 3-4 5g doses per day for five days is necessary to reap the full benefits of creatine supplementation.  There is limited evidence to suggest this is necessary.  5-10g per day without a loading phase should be enough for most athletes.  When taking creatine it is best to take it with a carbohydrate source (or a substance that will stimulate insulin release, BCAAs being one) as this will increase the amount that actually makes it to the muscle cells.  Mixing it in your morning oatmeal or in a post workout shake would be the best options.

When deciding on a specific creatine product, look for either “German” or “research grade” creatine.  These versions are much higher in quality and contain less additives and impurities than other creatine products.  If we’ve learned anything from the drywall industry it’s that you can’t trust the “Chinese” versions of similar products. 

Good old fashioned creatine monohydrate is going to be the best and most cost-effective way to go.  All of the other versions (like ethyl ester, etc.) are more hype than anything else.  Stick with what has been proven to work.

There are those that recommend cycling creatine.  That is, take it for 8-12 weeks, stop for four, do the loading phase and take for another 8-12 weeks, and on and on.  This is not necessary.  As long as you are not experiencing any negative side effects there is no need to cycle on and off.  Just take the maintenance dose of 3-5 grams and you’re all set.

Also, if you use caffeine you may not get the full or any benefit from creatine supplementation as caffeine negates creatine’s ergogenic effects.