Creatine 101
You might’ve heard all about creatine being the new on-trend supplement to start taking. So here is my summary of all things creatine to date so that you can make a super informed decision and avoid all of the misinformation that you may see online.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a non-essential nutrient (meaning you don’t need to eat it to survive). You can make it in your body and also ingest it through food. Despite what you might hear online, it is not a steroid. Although it does have potential to cause a lot of “gains.”
Where is creatine found?
Creatine is stored within the muscles of the body. But this storage is very limited, as there’s only really enough for about 10 seconds of absolute maximum exercise intensity. A small amount is also in the brain but that’s a whole other topic.
Because creatine is stored in muscles, it makes sense that the highest dietary source is animal meat. So next time you hear a concerned mother worrying that creatine is a steroid, tell them that it is found in food!
What does creatine do?
The reason people are getting excited about creatine as a dietary supplement is because it can increase the amount of creatine found in your skeletal muscles and therefore can improve the performance of high-intensity exercise. There’s research suggesting benefits with lots of different exercise types including high intensity exercise, strength training, sprinting and more.
But there’s also benefits for people who aren’t competing in athletic events. Because supplementing creatine alongside strength training is likely to improve muscle strength, endurance and hypertrophy.
It’s also important to note that some people are likely to see more benefit from creatine supplementation than others. For example, a vegetarian will have low muscle creatine due to not eating meat. So therefore, they have a larger potential for the supplement to show positive results.
How to find a decent creatine supplement?
Creatine monohydrate is the type that has almost all of the scientific research behind it. You might see some supplements sell “creatine” but it’s a different type, claiming it has more absorption. But don’t buy into that lie. Always check the ingredients for “creatine monohydrate.”
Check that the Informed Sport logo is on the package. This means the supplement has been third party batch tested and you can view the batch certificate to make sure there’s no additional substances in the packet. All supplements have potential to be contaminated with substances that could product a positive drug test. Read more on this here https://sportintegrity.nz/integrity/anti-doping/substances/supplements
How much do I need?
The maintenance dosage of creatine is about 3-5g/day, but this has to be consistently taken in order to build up creatine levels in the body. Meaning, you won’t notice a difference if you take it once or if you take it irregularly.
Research suggests that consuming 5g of creatine monohydrate, 4 times per day, for around 5 days will increase muscle creatine. However, this is called “creatine loading” (similar to carbohydrate loading) and might not be needed for everyone. What I mean by this is that if you’re running a marathon, you would be considering carbohydrate loading beforehand. But if you’re not running, then you wouldn’t be doing carb loading. Similarly with creatine, if you’re competing in sprints then maybe consider loading, but otherwise there’s no huge benefit.
How do I take it?
The supplement version of creatine is a white powder (kinda suspicious, I know) that can be combined with a liquid and then consumed as a drink.
The uptake of creatine in the body is actually mediated by the hormone insulin. This means consuming creatine with a meal, which causes insulin to rise, might produce better results. So consuming it after a balanced meal including carbs and proteins is the best way to go.
When do I take it?
There is not a lot of evidence to say having creatine is preferable before or after exercise. But I do tend to recommend my clients to take creatine with their post training meal, because this can help to install good recovery practices.
Are there any bad side effects?
There are two main negative points to taking creatine (outside of it being an extra financial expense). These are weight gain and stomach issues. Increased creatine consumption is associated with increases in body water. This is likely to be insignificant for recreational athletes, but at elite levels where small changes in weight have significant impacts on performance, it might be an issue. Stomach issues can result from any new supplements. There’s lots of anecdotal evidence to say creatine might cause GI issues. It’s just something to be aware of! Maybe don’t start taking it when a competition or event is close by and practice its use in your off season.
Remember, you don’t have to be using any dietary supplements. The use of them is entirely your choice. It’s just important to make sure you’re educated by proper accredited sources (i.e me) when you’re trying to make a decision.
