WHAT IS CREATINE AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Creatine is a molecule that is naturally found in the body. Some individuals have naturally higher levels than others do. It's also found in a variety of food sources such as steak, fish, and eggs. Although creatine is naturally found in the body and in various protein sources, we can increase our creatine content by supplementing with it. But why would we do this?

Well, simply put, when we lift weights, we use ATP which is the main energy source for our muscles. As we lift, those ATP energy stores deplete, to the point where we fatigue. This is part of what prevents us from performing more reps after we reach a point of exhaustion. This is where creatine comes in. It improves strength gains by enabling a faster regeneration of ATP. This ultimately allows us to perform that extra rep or two when we’re lifting weights. This may not sound like a lot, but in the long run, week after week, month after month, this can all lead to increasing strength gains and muscle growth.

Creatine supplements come in a number of forms: Creatine Monohydrate, Creatine HCL, Creatine Kre-Alkalyn, Creatine Nitrate, and usually in either powder or pill form.

WILL CREATINE WORK FOR YOU?

It’s important to know that the studies have found that there are responders and non-responders to creatine. Some people respond well to creatine, whereas others, not as much. Studies seem to suggest that responders typically have a high percentage of type 2 muscle fibers and a low initial creatine content. Conversely, non-responders typically have a low percentage of type 2 muscle fibers and a high initial muscle creatine content. This implies that there is an upper limit with regards to creatine and its effects since further increasing creatine content was not beneficial for non-responders. As for whether to tell if you’re a non-responder or not, in a non-clinical setting its pretty difficult to do. But if you are a responder studies show that your weight should increase more than usual after a month or so of supplementation due to the water being pull into and retaining in the muscle cell themselves.

So, try it out and monitor how your strength and weight changes over the next few months and subjectively assess if this increase is greater than usual.

HOW SHOULD YOU TAKE CREATINE?

Although you may hear a lot of people say it doesn’t matter when and what you take your creatine with, studies prove otherwise. Muscle creatine levels are elevated to much greater extent when creatine is taken with carbohydrates or with carbohydrates and protein than if taken alone. Studies recommend taking creatine with around 47g of carbs and 50g of protein for enhanced creatine retention. So ideally you want to take it with a large meal consisting of adequate carbs and protein to get the most benefit from your creatine. Next thing - Do you need to cycle your creatine? There are generally 3 protocol approaches for taking creatine.

1) You can load creatine by first taking around 20g per day for 5-7 days. And then you ingest 3-5 grams a day after that to maintain the elevated creatine stores.

2) You can take 3-5 grams of creatine everyday right from the start.

3) You can cycle on and off creatine for a few weeks at a time.

Research shows that both protocols 1 and 2 provide the same effect in terms of raising muscle creatine content. However, the loading protocol does it faster. Therefore, a loading phase might be best since it provides faster ergogenic effects. The third option doesn’t appear to be superior to the other methods. Nor is it necessary, since studies show that your natural creatine stores don’t seem to decrease or compensate in anyway with long-term supplementation of creatine. Thus, don't waste your time cycling!

CREATINE SIDE EFFECTS

Finally, let’s talk about potential side effects. With all the benefits of creatine there must be a catch, right? Well, researchers have noted that in some individuals, stomach cramping can occur when creatine is supplemented without sufficient water. They also noted that diarrhea can occur when too much creatine is taken at once. Although these cases were rare, we suggest ensuring you are staying hydrated and that you space out your creatine intake throughout the day, especially during the loading phase, if you experience any stomach discomfort. Now for the big question: Can creatine cause hair loss? This whole idea came about from a 2009 study that showed creatine supplementation increased the levels of the hormone DHT. Since DHT can accelerate hair loss, it’s thought that perhaps creatine may accelerate this for those who are susceptible. But understand this whole idea is based on just this one study which is yet to be replicated or even shown to influence male pattern baldness at all. This may be something you might want to consider, but again the evidence really is inconclusive at the moment. All in all, creatine has been proven time and time again to be an effective and safe supplement for those of all ages. However, if you're concerned about any potential side effects, checking with your doctor is always a smart idea.