If you look in the supplement aisle at your local pharmacy, you’ll likely find different forms of creatine in gummies, powders, capsules and even drink mixes. That’s because creatine is a popular fitness supplement for those who want to gain strength and power while improving performance. It’s also naturally made in our bodies and assists our muscles with energy production when we work out.
Though creatine can be found in smaller quantities in foods like salmon, chicken, beef and pork, many people take supplements for fitness benefits. For the longest time it was believed that creatine was this magical powder that could help you put on lean muscle. However, a recent study conducted by the School of Health and Sciences at the University of New South Wales found that creatine may not significantly influence muscle gain after all. The findings were published in the medical journal Nutrients, which explained that the clinical trial looked at 63 men and women for a 12-week period and divided them into groups where one took 5 grams of creatine daily, while others took a placebo. In addition, they all resistance trained during this time and found that there wasn’t a noticeable change in lean muscle mass between the two groups.
However, this doesn’t mean you should nix creatine altogether. Did you know that creatine can also have other effects on both your mental and physical health? To learn more, we spoke with experts about creatine’s benefits, effects on weight, results and how to choose the right supplement.
Creatine benefits for your overall health
Although creatine is popular in the fitness space, it has other benefits that the average person can also take advantage of. For example, creatine can help with injury recovery, improve skeletal muscle and has been shown to have a positive impact on the brain.
Jenna Stangland, a registered dietitian, specialist in sports dietetics and Momentous adviser, says, “Most recently in research, it has been shown that a daily dose of creatine can increase brain creatine levels by 6%.” Part of this can be attributed to the increase of phosphocreatine in the brain when taking creatine, which can help reduce cognitive neurological diseases. Phosphocreatine is a substance created by our skeletal muscles that serves as a buffer to maintain an energy form created by the cells called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Stangland adds that creatine may even have a positive effect on your mental health. “It was found that when there are smaller amounts of white matter creatine and phosphocreatine in the brain, more severe depressive episodes occur,” she said. Therefore, taking creatine can increase that white matter and, as a result, improve your mental state.
Creatine has also been shown to have an effect on mood, according to Strangland, by promoting brain energy levels, particularly for women. “Females have lower creatine stores within the brain — about 70% to 80% — compared to males, especially in the frontal lobe, so this is an area where females especially benefit from taking creatine daily,” she said. The brain’s frontal lobe is known to control mood, cognition, memory and emotion. Supplementing with creatine could positively impact this part of the brain.
How to choose a creatine supplement
As you can imagine, the supplement market is flooded with different products, many of which are questionable in nature. This is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate dietary supplements for effectiveness or safety. You’ll come across three different types of creatine at your supplement shop: creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester and creatine hydrochloride. Of the three, creatine monohydrate is the most popular version and has proven to help people achieve their fitness goals.
Although creatine is a popular and well-known supplement, it’s still important to be cautious when picking one out. Chrissy Arsenault, head registered dietitian consultant at Trainer Academy, advises, “I recommend that consumers look for a brand that is reputable and third-party tested when picking a creatine.”
Stangland says that the ingredients section should read only creatine monohydrate, and there should not be any mention of other preservatives, additives, binders, etc. You’ll find creatine monohydrate, either in powdered or capsule form, flavored or unflavored, at your vitamin store, so you can pick based on your preference. Other forms include creatine gummy and drink mixes.
How to take creatine to support your fitness goals
Another thing to look out for on a container of creatine is that one serving equals 5 grams. “In the serving size, you want to see that one serving is a 5-gram scoop so you can adequately scoop the recommended dose,” Stangland said.
How much you should take will also depend on your own goals. For example, if your goal is to build strength or muscle gain, Arsenault recommends taking at least 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily. She adds, “For optimal absorption, aim for 20 grams divided into four daily intakes of 5 grams in combination with carbohydrate and protein.”
If weight loss is your main focus, you can follow the abovementioned guidelines. “Creatine can help preserve muscle mass during calorie restriction, but listen to your body as you know it best and adjust as needed,” Arsenault said. For example, some people may experience bloating and want to decrease the dosage. On the other hand, if you don’t notice a difference in your “pump,” you may want to increase the dosage.
Creatine weight gain
In some cases, a common side effect is weight gain. However, the weight gain is caused by temporary water retention that eventually subsides.
“In the early stages of creatine supplementation, there is a slight increase in total body water when the creatine stores in the muscle increase,” Stangland said, adding, “Studies have shown that this is not a long-term side effect and even after training with creatine for five to 10 weeks, the studies showed no increase in total body water.”
The good news is this has only been shown short-term or in the first few days of a loading phase of creatine at 20 grams per day. Stangland said that after those first days, the total body water returns to its normal state and hasn’t shown any overall weight gain due to creatine supplementation.
Be mindful to drink your recommended daily water intake when supplementing with creatine.
Who should avoid creatine?
Even though creatine is a well-studied supplement and generally safe to take if you don’t have any underlying conditions, some people should exercise caution before adding it to their diet.
Arsenault advises that people with liver disease or edema should first speak to their doctor before taking creatine. “This is because creatine is naturally made in the kidneys and liver,” she said. Additionally, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should also consult your doctor before supplementing with it.
How long to take creatine before you see results
As with any supplement, creatine is not going to work overnight. Stangland recommends taking it for a minimum of four weeks to see any actual changes. “This timeframe shows increases in creatine levels in the brain and/or increases in creatine levels in the muscle for improved strength and power,” she said.
Keep in mind that you may already be getting some creatine in your diet since it’s a naturally occurring substance in animal protein such as red meat, chicken and seafood. However, Stangland points out that to get enough creatine from food, one would need to eat two pounds of steak or two-and-a-half pounds of salmon every day.
If you don’t see any changes by taking creatine, you might be what is called: a non-responder. “One may be a non-responder due to their biological profile if they have high creatine levels prior to starting supplementation, lower than average fat-free mass and a lower proportion of type 2 muscle fibers,” Stangland said. Other circumstances where you may be a non-responder include if you’ve been using creatine for too long or the creatine levels in your muscles no longer increase as much as they did in the beginning.
Other circumstances in which you may be a non-responder are if your diet is already heavy in animal protein. “This means that they already get enough creatine for optimal performance and have a high baseline level,” Arsenault said.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, creatine is a supplement and shouldn’t be the only thing you focus on when working toward your fitness goals. Instead, treat it like a tool that can help you achieve them. Ultimately, a healthy diet, a balanced lifestyle, sleeping adequately and exercising regularly will help you have long-term success, no matter your goals.
