The published record on creatine as the supplement of choice for recreational and professional athletes who want to increase strength and size is long and profound. However, while creatine's popularity continues to grow among the serious lifting crowd, many athletes less interested in bulking avoid it for fear of getting too big. That's a big mistake!
Research on creatine suggests that it does much more than help you build muscle and strength. While it can help you set PRs in the gym, creatine can also have positive effects on bone mineral density, reduce oxidative stress, and even boost memory. In short, creatine has something to offer nearly everyone!
Here are six reasons creatine should be a part of your daily regimen.
1. Creatine Improves Aerobic Performance and Recovery
There are hundreds of studies highlighting creatine's ability to improve strength, power output, body composition, and training volume, but contrary to what most people think, you don't have to be a strength or power athlete to reap the benefits of this remarkable supplement. Creatine can also be beneficial for endurance athletes.
Most endurance athletes are familiar with carb loading to help top off glycogen stores before a race, but adding creatine into the diet can further enhance glycogen stores. Researchers from Louisiana State University found that when creatine was taken five days before a typical carb-loading protocol, glycogen content increased 53 percent over baseline levels.1 Because of the strong relationship between high glycogen stores and performance during prolonged exercise, creatine could be quite beneficial in endurance activities.
For endurance athletes, creatine has also been shown to reduce inflammation and cell damage following intense, prolonged exercise. A study published in Life Sciences found that athletes who supplemented with creatine five days before a 30-kilometer race had significantly lower markers of inflammation and muscle soreness following the race.2 And despite the myths about creatine, none of the runners in the study experienced any side effects such as cramping or dehydration.
Another study showed creatine can help maintain both body temperature and hydration status when exercising in hot and humid temperatures.3 All in all, creatine offers a number of benefits to endurance athletes.
2. Creatine Increases Bone Mineral Density
It's never too early to start thinking about your bone health. Worldwide, osteoporosis—or the loss in bone mineral density—causes more than 8.9 million fractures each year.4 Of particular concern, one in three women over the age of 50 will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis, as will one in five men over that threshold.5,6 Still, mortality after a hip fracture is higher in men than women, right around 20 percent.7
For years now, strength training has been recommend as a means to increase bone mineral density and prevent osteoporosis. If you're already a frequent visitor to the weights, give yourself a pat on the back. But if you're not adding creatine to your daily routine, your bones may not be reaching their full potential. When combined with a resistance-training program, creatine supplementation has been shown to lead to greater increases in bone mineral content compared to resistance training only.8
How is this possible? An increase in bone mineral content may be related to increases in muscle mass. More muscle increases the strain on your bones, providing the perfect stimulus for them to get stronger! While you may not be too concerned with your bone health now, building strong, healthy bones in your early years may help prevent osteoporosis from occurring down the road.
The takeaway? Keep lifting weights—just make sure you're adding creatine to your shaker cup!
3. Creatine Improves Glucose Metabolism
Type-2 diabetes is a chronic disease affecting more than 27 million Americans. For decades now, physical activity—along with diet and medication—have been considered the major cornerstones for fighting type 2 diabetes. And while exercise alone has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, creatine can enhance the effects of exercise and help type 2 diabetics control their blood glucose levels even better!
Research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found a significant improvement in glycemic control when participants with type 2 diabetes combined creatine supplementation with an exercise program9 These findings suggest the supplement could emerge as a valuable addition to diabetes treatment.
Creatine supplementation has been shown to increase glycogen synthesis and glucose tolerance, particularly when combined with exercise training in healthy individuals.
On top of that, creatine supplementation has been shown to increase glycogen synthesis and glucose tolerance, particularly when combined with exercise training in healthy individuals.10 Together, these findings provide rationale for the use of creatine in a therapeutic role in diabetic patients.
How exactly does the same supplement that helps to boost strength and muscle mass also improve glucose metabolism? Creatine has been shown to increase the concentration of GLUT-4, a protein that transports glucose into and out of your muscle cells. Higher concentrations of GLUT-4 mean improved insulin action and glucose disposal, as well as enhanced glycogen storage following exercise.
Incidentally, an increase in GLUT-4 expression also helps you maintain muscle mass and strength during immobilization. Yes, supplementing with creatine while you're injured can even help keep you from losing all your hard-earned gains!11,12
4. Creatine Improves Brain Performance
Creatine works on the brain in a manner very similar to the way it works in your muscles. Both use creatine phosphate (PCr) as an energy source; if not replenished, PCr levels can decrease during periods of activity. Just as your muscles get tired after 9-10 reps, your brain can fatigue during intense mental tasks, like mathematical calculations. In this sense, supplementing with creatine will not only help fuel your workouts, but also fuel your brain!
And don't think that just because you're a meat eater, you don't need to supplement. Although vegetarians and vegans will see the greatest improvements in working memory and processing speed, six weeks of creatine supplementation in meat eaters has been shown to increase creatine levels in the brain by nine percent.13 What does this translate into? More brain power!
Research has shown that even five days of creatine can significantly reduce mental fatigue and increase oxygen utilization in the brain.14 It's pretty clear: Creatine has powerful effects on enhancing and maintaining cognitive function!
5. Creatine Reduces Oxidative Stress
Endurance athletes aren't the only ones who experience oxidative damage from free radicals caused by intense training. In fact, any athlete who trains intensely will generate these byproducts. Coupled with poor recovery strategies, you're looking at some serious road blocks on your trip to Gainsville.
Free radicals can hamper everything you're trying to avoid if your goal is to increase strength and size. What's the easiest way to prevent this? Take creatine!
Free radicals can have a significant impact on muscle fatigue and protein-turnover rates, and they can slow down the rate of muscle growth. Basically, free radicals can hamper everything you're trying to avoid if your goal is to increase strength and size. What's the easiest way to prevent this? Take creatine!
Several studies have displayed creatine's antioxidant effects. One study in particular, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, showed significant reductions in DNA damage and oxidative stress following a single bout of resistance training in trained men.15 These reductions can promote better recovery and allow you to train harder for a longer period of time.
6. Creatine Can Protect Against Traumatic Brain Injury
If there's one new area creatine really shines, it's in protecting the brain from injury.
Recent experimental findings have demonstrated that creatine provides significant protection against traumatic brain injuries. While the majority of the studies in this area have been conducted in animal models, initial results are extremely promising.
Early studies conducted in animal models have shown that chronic administration of creatine lessened the extent of brain damage following trauma to their heads by as much as 36 percent in mice and 50 percent in rats. Additionally, levels of reactive oxygen species, which are responsible for increasing oxidative stress in the brain, significantly decreased.16
In a follow-up study, researchers found that the animals who were given supplemental creatine for two weeks prior to a head injury had lower levels of lactate and free fatty acids, suggesting greater protection following a traumatic brain injury.17 These results support the idea that a creatine-enriched diet can provide substantial brain protection in part by suppressing secondary brain injury, the condition responsible for brain swelling, inflammation, and death.
Creatine can even be used as a recovery treatment post-head injury. Researchers from the University Hospital of Heraklio (Greece) supplemented children and adolescents with creatine following a traumatic brain injury and found that it improved recovery time and communication, and decreased dizziness, fatigue, and the number of headaches.18,19 All of this without presenting any negative side effects from the creatine administration!
Creatine Research on the Horizon
Today, creatine is being tested on a number of neurological diseases. So far, we're finding in a growing number of studies that creatine may play a therapeutic role in age-related neurological diseases like Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer's disease.20 It appears the supplement may be able to prevent the loss of motor neurons and reduce oxidative stress while restoring cognitive performance in individuals suffering from these diseases.
The list of benefits of creatine continues to grow, much like the strongmen and bodybuilders who were the supplement's original proponents. At this point, the question isn't why should you take creatine, but why wouldn't you?
The list of benefits of creatine continues to grow, much like the strongmen and bodybuilders who were the supplement's original proponents. At this point, the question isn't why should you take creatine, but why wouldn't you?
References
- Nelson, A. G., Arnall, D. A., Kokkonen, J., Day, R., & Evans, J. (2001). Muscle glycogen supercompensation is enhanced by prior creatine supplementation. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(7), 1096-1100.
- Santos, R. V. T., Bassit, R. A., Caperuto, E. C., & Rosa, L. C. (2004). The effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race. Life Sciences, 75(16), 1917-1924.
- Lopez, R. M., Casa, D. J., McDermott, B. P., Ganio, M. S., Armstrong, L. E., & Maresh, C. M. (2009). Does creatine supplementation hinder exercise heat tolerance or hydration status? A systematic review with meta-analyses. Journal of Athletic Training, 44(2), 215.
- Johnell, O., & Kanis, J. A. (2006). An estimate of the worldwide prevalence and disability associated with osteoporotic fractures. Osteoporosis International,17(12), 1726-1733.
- Melton, L. J., Atkinson, E. J., O'Connor, M. K., O'Fallon, W. M., & Riggs, B. L. (1998). Bone density and fracture risk in men. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 13(12), 1915-1923.
- Melton, J. L. (1995). Perspectives: how many women have osteoporosis now?. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 10(2), 175-177.
- Center, J. R., Nguyen, T. V., Schneider, D., Sambrook, P. N., & Eisman, J. A. (1999). Mortality after all major types of osteoporotic fracture in men and women: an observational study. The Lancet, 353(9156), 878-882.
- Chilibeck, P.D., Chrusch, M.J., Chad, K.E., Shawn Davison, K., & Burke, D.G. (2005). Creatine monohydrate and resistance training increase bone mineral content and density in older men. Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging, 9(5), 352-3.
- Gualano, B., de Salles Painneli, V., Roschel, H., Artioli, G. G., Junior, M. N., Lucia de Sa Pinto, A., ... & Lancha, A. H. J. (2011). Creatine in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(5), 770-778.
- Gualano, B., Novaes, R. B., Artioli, G. G., Freire, T. O., Coelho, D. F., Scagliusi, F. B., ... & Lancha Jr, A. H. (2008). Effects of creatine supplementation on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in sedentary healthy males undergoing aerobic training. Amino Acids, 34(2), 245-250.
- Op't Eijnde, B., Ursø, B., Richter, E. A., Greenhaff, P. L., & Hespel, P. (2001). Effect of oral creatine supplementation on human muscle GLUT4 protein content after immobilization. Diabetes, 50(1), 18-23.
- Johnston, A. P., Burke, D. G., MacNeil, L. G., & Candow, D. G. (2009). Effect of creatine supplementation during cast-induced immobilization on the preservation of muscle mass, strength, and endurance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(1), 116-120.
- Dechent, P., Pouwels, P. J. W., Wilken, B., Hanefeld, F., & Frahm, J. (1999). Increase of total creatine in human brain after oral supplementation of creatine-monohydrate. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 277(3), R698-R704.
- Watanabe, A., Kato, N., & Kato, T. (2002). Effects of creatine on mental fatigue and cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation. Neuroscience Research, 42(4), 279-285.
- Rahimi, R. (2011). Creatine supplementation decreases oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation induced by a single bout of resistance exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(12), 3448-3455.
- Sullivan, P. G., Geiger, J. D., Mattson, M. P., & Scheff, S. W. (2000). Dietary supplement creatine protects against traumatic brain injury. Annals of Neurology, 48(5), 723-729.
- Scheff, S. W., & Dhillon, H. S. (2004). Creatine-enhanced diet alters levels of lactate and free fatty acids after experimental brain injury. Neurochemical Research, 29(2), 469-479.
- Sakellaris, G., Kotsiou, M., Tamiolaki, M., Kalostos, G., Tsapaki, E., Spanaki, M., ... & Evangeliou, A. (2006). Prevention of complications related to traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents with creatine administration: an open label randomized pilot study. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 61(2), 322-329.
- Sakellaris, G., Nasis, G., Kotsiou, M., Tamiolaki, M., Charissis, G., & Evangeliou, A. (2008). Prevention of traumatic headache, dizziness and fatigue with creatine administration. A pilot study. Acta Paediatrica, 97(1), 31-34.
- Smith, R. N., Agharkar, A. S., & Gonzales, E. B. (2014). A review of creatine supplementation in age-related diseases: more than a supplement for athletes. F1000Research, 3.
Hi,
Thanks for a very informative article. I am 5' 9" and am underweight (135 lbs). I want to build muscle mass. I am going to the gym and am taking whey protein, BCAA supplements. I can see some gains over the past 2 months. My trainer is asking me to also add creatine monohydrate to my regime. However I am worried about damage to the kidneys/liver. Can you address my concerns ?
thanks, Brian
I'm considering supplementing with either BCAAs or Creatine, (likely in powder form for presumed solubility) but cannot currently afford both simultaneously - also getting my toes wet with the whole supplementing business. Which would be pertinent to begin with?
Furthermore, I am curious, with supplements such as these, is it best to begin a workout with them in an empty stomach or taken with food? I typically make a 2-scoop Whey shake about an hour before my heavy lifting day routines begin.
Long post, thanks in advance to anyone who's willing to peradventure a little extrospection!
Start with creatine, and you can take it anytime...before, during, or after training. The most important thing is to be consistent with it. It takes about 4 weeks to maximally saturate your cells with creatine stores.
No, not everybody should take creatines. No athlete whose overall weight is critical - like rock climbers - should.
Creatine do increase the water in your muscles, making you bigger - and heavier. Any extra weight (in water!) is a damnation to every mountaineer and rock climber.
That's only with Creatine Monohydrate
Can anybody comment on side effect like dry mouth(even with ample hydration), muscular spams,tics and TMJ? I have experienced all the above on creatine monohydrate and the symptoms have disappeared shortly after discontinuation.
Hi!
I have taken creatine for about a year now and the only side effect I ever felt is that my stomach can get alittle upset but I can control that by eating healthy. Maybe try creatine from another supplier? I use Legion athletics and I never had any of your side effects. I take creatine 15-30 minutes after training just after my protein powder shake on days i work out and on days I don't work out I take it after a meal.
I keep hearing different stories about when to take creatine, before/during/after your workout or even right before going to sleep? Whats the most effective time to take creatine?
Great question, and one that I get a lot! Creatine is not time-dependent, meaning you can take it at any point during the day (and you don't need to time it around your workout). I personally add it into my BCAAs, but that's just to help me remember to take it. Every time I take my BCAAS, which for me is in the morning, I take my creatine. The main thing is just being consistent...taking it once or twice a week won't benefit you, you need to take it every day!
I am sure Im in the vast minority but I cannot supplement with creatine due to elevated creatinine levels in my urine. After years of testing my doc says its my baseline but can indicate my kidneys have difficulty processing the stuff. Otherwise Im healthy as a bull. Just an FYI that there ARE reasons why someone should not take it.
Sweet article. Some questions tho. Whats the effect on the body if you stop taking them? Can I take creatine forever? Since it pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis, what happens to the body if the creatine saturation drops significantly?
Thank you for reading the article! In response to your first question, if you stop taking creatine you can expect your creatine stores to drop back down to what they were pre-supplementation in about 6 weeks. Your body will continue to make a small supply of creatine, but it will also continue to excrete a small amount of creatine every day as well. You can take creatine on a daily basis without ever cycling off. That is what I actually recommend for people to do. There is no reason to cycle off of creatine or to stop taking it. Creatine bringing water into the cell doesn't actually cause protein synthesis to occur. Creatine helps increase muscular strength and size by increasing energy stores which allow you to increase training volume. The increase in training volume is the stimulus for protein synthesis...not the actual creatine. Hopefully this is making sense! If you stop supplementing with creatine you will lose some of those energy substrates that are used for muscular contractions and which could negatively impact your lifts and performance in the gym.
Excellent article with great information, thank you. I have two questions if I may; first my creatine does not mention preloading. Would you still recommend doing so? Second, should I cycle off? Years ago we would go hard and then when done competing we would stop taking creatine for about a month. Your article suggest to me that may not be necessary. Your thoughts? Thank you Terry
Thank you for reading the article! I personally don't think you need to load with creatine, unless you have a competition or strength event coming up in a week. Otherwise, I would just tell you to stick with a low dose (5g of creatine a day). And no, you don't need to cycle off creatine. I take 5g every day and have been for the last 6 years.
All of these are really great benefits and make creatine a worthwhile consideration for people outside of the traditional bodybuilder looking to bulk up. But I think it bears noting about the rise in creatine levels supplementing with creatine can cause and what healthy levels for individuals are. I think a lot of general practitioners, even at the world class hospital I visit, are not familiar with a bodybuilding lifestyle and creatine supplementation so when I had a physical the creatine levels in my blood were elevated beyond even what was to be expected of someone with my level of muscle mass and taking supplements and then had to undergo a further battery of blood and urine tests and even a kidney ultrasound, to ensure it was functioning normally. Too much creatine can be harmful to the kidneys and increased creatine in the blood and urine can be an indication of kidney failure, so people should also be aware of these potential side effects.
My 14 year old son wants to start a creatine cycle. It was suggested to him by his football teammates. Thoughts? Concerns?