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Creatine is among the most popular supplements. Many even consider it a steroid, while in reality it's an integral part of cellular and bodily function.
Creatine is made up of three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. About half the body's total creatine production is handled by the kidneys and liver, while the rest comes from the food you eat. Red meat, fish, chicken and milk are among the food sources that have a high creatine content.
Creatine monohydrate is the most common and well-researched form of creatine used as a supplement. It provides a variety of benefits, including increased strength, improved endurance, and better recovery.
While 95% of creatine is stored in the muscles, the other 5% is found in the brain and testes. As a result, creatine supplementation can provide a host of cognitive benefits, including improved brain function and protection against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The muscles in the body have a natural baseline of creatine. However, supplementation can help increase baseline levels by almost 30%. That means the muscles have more energy to draw from, leading to more strength and muscle mass over time.
However, not everyone may enjoy this increase in baseline creatine level. Around 20-30% of the population have fully saturated muscle creatine levels, so they may derive little to no benefit from supplementation. However, other groups, such as vegetarians, who have low amounts of creatine in their diet, can benefit from supplementation.
Creatine Before and After 30 Days: Benefits and Side Effects
When you first start taking creatine, it takes a few days for the muscles to become fully saturated with the additional creatine.
That may take seven days or 2-3 weeks, depending on your protocol. Many people who start supplementation do so by consuming about 15-20 mg every day for a week initially.
That helps saturate the muscles with creatine faster, which in turn helps you observe the benefits quicker. The second method involves taking a baseline dose of 3-5 mg every day for 3-4 weeks.
However, during the initial use of creatine, users inevitably run into a few side effects, including:
1) Initial Weight Gain
Don't worry. This is a natural response of the body to creatine supplementation. While your weighing scale might make you self-conscious, understand that as creatine gets absorbed into your muscle cells, it also draws water inside. This water retention make the muscles look and feel fuller.
So how much weight can you expect to gain? According to research, you can gain anywhere from two to five pounds in the first week of supplementation. That also depends on your creatine consumption and loading protocol.
If you consume 15-20 mg in the first week, you can expect significant weight gain. If you consume 3-5 grams daily over a month, the weight gain will occur gradually over time.
2) Gastrointestinal Issues
While it's completely safe to take creatine every day, the amount taken does matter. People who consume higher amounts (15-20 mg) during the saturation phase may run into issues, including abdominal discomfort, cramps, and dehydration.
However, there are a few hacks around this issue. First: lower your creatine intake if you're experiencing stomach issues. Second: avoid taking creatine on an empty stomach or with caffeine.
Once the saturation phase is complete, the real benefits of creatine start to kick in. Let us examine a few of them:
1) Increased Strength, Muscle Growth, and Training Peformance
Creatine has significant data supporting its use to augment lean mass and strength gains with resistance training.
In a 12-week study done on powerlifters, the group supplemented with creatine saw a significant increase in body mass and fat-free mass compared to the non-supplemented one. The first group also observed significant increase in their squat and bench press numbers, as well as increased muscle fiber growth.
A meta-analysis evaluating 22 creatine studies concluded that in trained lifters, creatine supplementation caused up to a 43% increase in bench press strength and a 14% rise in performance (total reps performed).
In older adults, creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance isometric strength and improve body composition.
2) Enhanced Recovery
Adequate rest and recovery is essential for muscle growth. Creatine supplementation increases creatine concentration in muscle tissue, thereby increasing the resynthesis of phosphocreatine molecules, which in turn, enhances work ability. A study done on healthy individuals showed a significant improvement in the rate of recovery in the creatine supplement group.
3) Cognitive Enhancement and Neuroprotective Benefits
Creatine plays an integral part in brain health and function. In healthy individuals, supplementation can increase brain creatine levels by nearly 10%. It can also improve short-term memory and intelligence or reasoning, especially in vegetarians.
It can also help improve neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, stroke, and motor neuron diseases.
Takeaway
Creatine is among the most well-researched supplements in use. By optimising its daily dosage, one can avoid most side effects, if any.
While creatine supplementation provides a significant boost for individuals interested in strength training and athletics, it also provides cognitive benefits and enhanced recovery.
