The Benefits, Drawbacks, and More of Creatine

Summary

In the body, creatine is a naturally occurring molecule. Seafood and red meat also include it. It is frequently used to increase muscle growth and workout performance.

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The synthesis of muscular energy involves creatine. Skeletal muscle contains around 95% of it. Creatine is a common ingredient in sports supplements sold in the US. Individuals who begin taking creatine with lower levels of creatine than those with greater levels appear to gain more from it.

Creatine is frequently used by people to gain more muscle mass and perform better during exercise. In addition, it is claimed to treat depression, exhaustion, multiple sclerosis (MS), cramping in the muscles, and a host of other ailments; however, the majority of these applications lack strong scientific backing.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the International Olympic Committee both permit the usage of creatine.

Uses and Efficiency

Potentially Beneficial for

sportsmanship. Oral creatine supplementation appears to enhance soccer, rowing, and jumping performance. It’s unclear if it improves tennis, swimming, cycling, or sprinting.

problems with the transport or metabolism of creatine. In children and young adults with disorders referred to as GAMT deficit or AGAT deficiency, taking creatine orally on a regular basis can raise the amount of creatine in the brain. However, in children with a condition involving improper creatine transport, creatine supplementation does not appear to raise brain creatine levels.

Strength of muscles. Oral creatine supplementation appears to enhance muscular strength in both younger and older persons to some extent. It’s unclear if topical creatine aids in the situation.

decrease of muscle with aging (sarcopenia). In older persons, oral creatine supplementation for up to 12 weeks appears to increase muscular strength. It appears to function best when combined with exercise to increase muscle mass.

Potentially ineffectual for

Lou Gehrig’s illness, often known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Oral creatine supplementation does not appear to slow the course of the illness or increase survival rates in ALS patients.

a hereditary brain condition known as Huntington disease that impacts thinking, emotions, and mobility. Oral creatine supplementation did not alleviate symptoms in Huntington disease patients.

Osteopenia: low bone mass. Oral creatine supplementation does not appear to slow down or lessen osteopenia patients’ bone loss.

Many more uses of creatine are being investigated, but not enough solid data is available to determine if these uses might benefit from it.

Adverse Repercussions

For the majority of people, creatine is probably safe when taken orally. It has proved safe to take doses up to 25 grams per day for up to 14 days. It has also been successfully used to utilize lower dosages of up to 4-5 grams per day for up to 18 months. Long-term use of creatine may not be harmful. It has proven safe to utilize doses up to 10 grams per day for up to 5 years. Muscle cramps, upset stomach, and dehydration are possible side effects.

Regarding topical application: Not enough trustworthy data is available to determine if creatine is safe. Itching and redness are possible adverse effects.

Particular Safety Measures and Alerts

For the majority of people, creatine is probably safe when taken orally. It has proved safe to take doses up to 25 grams per day for up to 14 days. It has also been successfully used to utilize lower dosages of up to 4-5 grams per day for up to 18 months. Long-term use of creatine may not be harmful. It has proven safe to utilize doses up to 10 grams per day for up to 5 years. Muscle cramps, upset stomach, and dehydration are possible side effects.

Regarding topical application: Not enough trustworthy data is available to determine if creatine is safe. Itching and redness are possible adverse effects. Breastfeeding during pregnancy: To determine whether creatine is safe to use while pregnant or nursing, there isn’t enough trustworthy information available. Remain cautious and refrain from using.

Children: Taking creatine orally for a brief period of time may be safe. For two to six months, youngsters aged five to eighteen have taken 3-5 grams of creatine daily without any problems. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 have taken creatine at a safe dose of 2 grams per day for six months. Both babies and kids have taken creatine at a dose of 0.1–0.4 grams/kg per day for up to six months without any problems.

Bipolar disorder: Those with bipolar disorder may have worsening mania after taking creatine.

renal disease: In individuals with pre-existing renal illness, creatine may exacerbate the condition. Before using creatine, see a healthcare provider if you have renal illness.

Parkinson’s disease: Combining caffeine and creatine may exacerbate Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Use caffeine with caution if you take creatine and have Parkinson’s disease.

Amount administered

Meat and shellfish are two examples of foods high in creatine. Additionally, creatine may be available in a wide variety of sports supplements. Adults using supplements have often taken up to 20 grams of creatine orally every day for up to seven days as a loading dosage, and then 2.25 to 10 grams per day for up to 16 weeks as a maintenance dose. To find out what kind of product and dosage could be appropriate for a particular ailment, see a healthcare professional.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the International Olympic Committee both permit the use of creatine.