Dispelling Creatine Myths
Print
The most effective supplements always seem to have some sort of media backlash against them. Creatine has traditionally received much criticism because of myths that have overshadowed its use since the beginning. For various reasons and motivations, media sources enjoy creating controversy about dietary supplements, especially those that are actually proven to work. Fortunately, science has the final say on the true effects of creatine supplementation. Throughout this article we will debunk the top six creatine myths and set the record straight on the wide array of benefits that creatine supplementation can provide.
Myth No. 1: Creatine Causes Kidney Damage
THE FACTS: The truth is that creatine has absolutely no proven negative effects on the kidneys. Many studies have been conducted, and all of them show this. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has even sponsored laboratory studies to explore the effects of creatine on the kidneys, only to find that it is absolutely safe. In addition, short-term (five days), medium-term (nine weeks), and longterm (up to five years) studies of oral creatine supplementation have been conducted, with none demonstrating any negative effects on kidney function. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, resistance-
training athletes were given 20 grams of creatine per day for five days, and then 5 grams per day thereafter for a total of 12 weeks. In addition to this, test subjects were also on a high-protein diet (averaging 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day) for the entire 12 weeks. Compared to the group receiving a placebo, there were no significant differences in kidney damage markers. More specifically, therewere no changes in creatine clearance, serum and urinary urea, electrolytes, proteinuria, and albuminuria. In another study, creatine was administered to diabetic patients. Again, blood and urine samples collected after 12 weeks of supplementation demonstrated that the test subjects had higher muscle creatine levels with no changes in key markers of kidney damage, compared to the placebo group.
“As a competitor, I schedule routine check-ups with my doctor to test kidney function and liver function. These are usually scheduled every six months or so. I’ve supplemented with creatine for approximately five years and use it for six to eight months of the year and have never had any abnormal tests. In fact, my doctor has told me that I am well within all healthy levels of key kidney damage markers. He's even started supplementing with creatine for better physical performance,” explains CBBF National Bodybuilding Champion Paul Teixeira.
Myth No. 2: Creatine Causes Muscle Cramps
THE FACTS: Many studies have been performed on the effects of creatine, and most of these studies involve megadosing, yet they still don’t point to any muscle cramping. In one popular study, the myth of cramping was put to rest in the most convincing of ways. A three-year study was done on NCAA football players in which players received either a creatine-containing or a non-creatine supplement following workouts and practices. Those that took creatine were given 15.75 grams for five days, and then continued with five grams per day thereafter for the entire football season. After every game and practice, players had to rate the status of their health in relation to the following categories: cramping, heat/dehydration, muscle tightness, muscle strains/pulls, non-contact joint injuries, contact injuries, illness, number of missed practices/games, and number of treated injuries. After all data was collected over all three seasons, there were no significant differences in the percentages of each category mentioned between the creatine group and the non-creatine group. In fact, there were actually lower rates of muscle cramping associated with the group supplementing with creatine!
Myth No. 3: Creatine Is Not Natural
THE FACTS: Many media sources have attempted to convince the public that creatine supplementation is unnatural. Some have even gone as far as comparing it to anabolic steroids! These claims are simply false as creatine is a natural compound in every aspect. Essentially, creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in the bodies of vertebrates. Its primary function is to supply energy to cells in the body, with its main effects on brain and muscle cells. In fact, it directly increases the muscles’ store of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which supplies muscle cells with the necessary energy to increase work capacity. By increasing ATP, muscles increase in strength while simultaneously increasing the rate at which they can work at this heightened strength capacity. This can do wonders for performance athletes. About half of creatine found in the body is produced in the body by the liver, pancreas, and kidneys via the use of essential amino acids. The other half has to be obtained through diet. Wild game meat (such as rabbit, buffalo, deer, elk, and boar) is the richest source of creatine. On average, one pound of red meat contains approximately 2 grams of creatine. Fish (herring, salmon, tuna, and haddock) is an another excellent source of creatine. The added benefit that fish sources have is that they have adequate levels of the necessary amino acids that the body needs to naturally produce creatine. This delivers a dual effect by providing the body with creatine as well as the essential components the body requires to produce its own. Before creatine supplementation was widespread, bodybuilders would increase their intake of creatine-containing foods as a means of achieving heightened levels of strength and endurance. Thankfully, sport supplements have created a much more efficient way of benefiting from all the positives of creatine.
Myth 4: Creatine Reduces Definition & Causes Bloating
THE FACTS: If you’ve been involved in the health and fitness industry to any capacity, surely you’ve heard the debates about what causes the loss of definition and bloating. The truth is, bloating is completely related to sudden increases in sodium and carbohydrate intake, and not creatine. While creatine does cause some water retention, this happens in an intracellular fashion. In other words, the muscle cells actually pull the creatine and some water inside the muscle cells so it can be used to increase muscle energy and boosting muscle fullness. This fullness causes muscles to expand and “fill out,” which works to make muscles look extremely hard and defined—the complete opposite of bloating! This increase in intracellular space also triggers the cells to increase protein synthesis, which is another great benefit of creatine. The reason that there are so many claims about creatine causing bloating is that many bodybuilders and athletes use it in conjunction with a “gainers diet,” and then assume that it’s the creatine that’s causing the bloat. In reality, a diet that’s geared toward gaining weight is notorious for high calorie, carbohydrate, and sodium content. This is a real recipe for bloating. Excessive carbs and sodium intake forces the body to accumulate more water weight subcutaneously between the skin and the muscle, creating a bloating effect.
MYTH No. 5: Creatine Needs To Be Cycled
THE FACTS: Most supplement companies state on their creatine product labels that creatine should be cycled for optimal results. This is simply not true. In fact, supplement companies simply do this because of legal and regulatory reasons, and not because of any scientific proof demonstrating that cycling increases its effectiveness or is needed for safety reasons. The use of creatine in supplement form began in the ’60s. Its popularity, however, greatly increased in the ’90s, and no negative side effects have been associated with long-term use. In fact, many scientific studies done on the effects of creatine have taken place over long periods of time. Some studies have looked at consistent use of creatine (1.5 to 8 grams) on a daily basis for up to five years in healthy athletes. A healthy human naturally produces 1–2 grams of creatine per day. In addition to this, meats and fish provide creatine as well. If creatine had to be cycled, then periodically, all humans would have to quit eating meat and fish. Clearly this is not a reality, and the body is quite capable and used to processing creatine on a regular basis. It’s a natural function of the body and is actually required for proper and effi cient muscle function, especially in those who train hard on a regular basis.
Myth No. 6: Creatine Is Unhealthy
THE FACTS: Not only is creatine healthy for the body—it’s needed. Without it, muscles couldn’t work properly and brain function would be rendered impossible. Much literature is only focused on the muscle strength and endurance aspects of creatine, but neglects its many other health benefits. Creatine is used in the brain as a means of providing a temporal and spatial buffer for cellular brain energy, and its supplementation has actually been shown to increase brain performance in multiple studies. In one key study, test subjects administered creatine scored significantly higher on a variety of cognitive tests compared to the placebo group. Cholesterol is another health parameter that can be positively affected. In a study conducted on 34 subjects, creatine was tested as a potential lipid-lowering agent. The experiment focused on subjects with total cholesterol concentrations in excess of 200 mg/dL. The creatine subjects
received 5 grams per day for 56 weeks. The results showed a significant reduction in plasma total cholesterol and triacylglycerols. This study and other similar ones point to the beneficial effects of creatine for reducing bad cholesterol and supporting a healthy cardiovascular system. Creatine is now being used more than ever to treat muscle-wasting diseases as it helps neutralize the negative effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This is very good news for people suffering from muscle myopathies. Several studies have shown that creatine supplementation can have positive effects of those suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. By supplementing with creatine, Alzheimer’s patients are able to benefit from heightened brain function and actually delay the progression of the disease, with creatine working as a neuro-protective substance. Creatine is also beneficial for dermatomyositis, a condition that leads to inflammation in the muscles and skin. Studies show that when combined with physical activity, creatine can greatly benefit those that suffer from this condition. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common and detrimental diseases that affect the elderly, often leading to major mobility-related issues. Creatine has been proven to increase strength, power, and muscle mass, allowing the muscles to take pressure off of joints and help the body to relieve itself of the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Creatine is Right For Everyone
This is simply just a small glimpse into the benenets of creatine supplementation. Ongoing clinical trials continue to explore these and other benefits, and this will allow researchers to deter mine even more ways creatine can be used for therapeutic purposes. Creatine really is a remarkable ingredient that can be used by young, healthy and elderly people, no matter what their level of health or physicalfitness is. Creatine can provide some benefit to just about every
one on earth!
REFERENCES
1. Bender A, Koch W, Elstner M, et al. Creatine supplementation in Parkinson disease: a placebocontrolled randomized pilot trial. Neurology. 2006 Oct 10;67(7):1262-4.
2. Earnest CP, Almada AL, Mitchell TL. High-performance capillary electrophoresis-pure creatine monohydrate reduces blood lipids in men and women. Clin Sci (Lond). 1996 Jul;91(1):113-8.
3. Greenwood M, Kreider RB, Melton C, et al. Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Feb;244(1-2):83-8.
4. Gualano B, de Salles Painelli V, et al. Creatine supplementation does not impair kidney function in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011 May;111(5):749-56.
5. Kim HJ, Kim CK, Carpentier A, Poortmans JR. Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1409-18.
6. Kley RA, Tarnopolsky MA, Vorgerd M. Creatine for treating muscle disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Feb 16;(2):CD004760.
7. Lugaresi R, Leme M, de Salles Painelli V, et al. Does long-term creatine supplementation impair kidney function in resistance-trained individuals consuming a high-protein diet? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 May 16;10(1):26.
8. Menezes LG, Sobreira C, Neder L, Rodrigues-Júnior AL, Martinez JA. Creatine supplementation attenuates corticosteroid-induced muscle wasting and impairment of exercise performance in rats. J Appl Physiol. 2007 Feb;102(2):698-703.
9. Passaquin AC, Renard M, Kay L, et al. (2002). Creatine supplementation reduces skeletal muscle degeneration and enhances mitochondrial function in mdx mice. Neuromuscul Disord. 2002 Feb;12(2):174-82.
10. Poortmans JR, Francaux M. Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med. 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70.
11. Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 22;270(1529):2147-50.
12. Reardon D. Creatine is a bodybuilder’s weapon for muscle mass, power and performance—but could it also help improve your health? Available at: muscle-insider.com/features/creatine-prescription. Published March 19, 2013. Accessed July 15, 2013.
13. Tarnopolsky MA. Clinical use of creatine in neuromuscular and neurometabolic disorders. Subcell Biochem. 2007;46:183-204.
14. University of Maryland Medical Center. Complementary & Alternative Medicine Guide. Supplement: Creatine. Available at: umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/creatine. Last reviewed April 9, 2011. Accessed July 15, 2013.