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If you’re into the gym or often look for ways to get the most out of exercise, you might have heard of creatine. Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body and taking it in supplement form has been linked with several benefits.
Above all, creatine is frequently championed for its ability to increase muscle mass and enhance exercise performance – which is why it’s widely considered the hero of sports supplements. Others have linked creatine with benefits for overall health, from brain function to blood sugar regulation.
But what does the research say? Here, we’ll take a closer look at what creatine is, its role in the body, and its potential benefits for exercise and overall health.
Note: It’s important to speak to your GP before adding creatine supplements to your diet, as they won’t be suitable for everyone.
What is creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound found naturally in the body that plays a key role in energy production. It’s also found in red meat and seafood.
Around 95% of creatine is stored in our muscles in the form of phosphocreatine, which is creatine bound to a phosphate group. The remaining 5% of creatine is found in the brain, liver, and kidneys.
Creatine is needed to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the main molecule that cells use to produce energy for high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting and heavy weightlifting. However, because the body uses ATP faster than it produces it, we’re unable to continually perform at maximum intensity. This is where creatine supplements come into play.
How do creatine supplements work?
Creatine occurs naturally in various animal products like pork, beef, chicken, and fish – with an average omnivorous diet containing around 1-2g of creatine per day. However, because the body is unable to store it in large amounts, we only have enough phosphocreatine reserves for roughly a five to six-second burst of high-intensity activity at any given time.
For example, a 70kg person will typically store around 100-120g of phosphocreatine in their skeletal muscles, despite having the capacity to store up to 160g.
Supplements can be used to increase phosphocreatine stores and, as a result, research has linked them with increased muscle size and improved performance in short-duration, high-intensity resistance exercises.
For this reason, creatine has become a popular supplement among athletes and bodybuilders. Other studies have also linked creatine supplements with benefits for overall health, including blood sugar regulation and protection against certain diseases.
The potential benefits of creatine supplements – what does the research say?
As mentioned, research has linked creatine supplements with several benefits for exercise performance, as well as general health. We’ll take a closer look at some of these below.
1. Creatine may improve high-intensity exercise performance
Research has linked creatine supplements with several benefits for high-intensity exercise performance, including muscle endurance, sprinting ability, recovery speed, and recovery from fatigue.
For example, in this study, creatine supplements were found to provide extra power for cyclists during the final sprint of a time trial. Another study of swimmers linked creatine supplements with better power development – particularly in butterfly and breaststroke – and this review noted that creatine supplements boosted high-intensity exercise performance by up to 15%, largely due to the impact of creatine on the body’s production of ATP.
Interestingly, unlike many supplements that have been found to primarily benefit strength athletes, research suggests the benefits of creatine remain regardless of a person’s fitness level.
2. Creatine may speed up muscle growth and increase strength
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine is recognised as the world’s most effective supplement for increasing muscle mass.
Studies have found that taking creatine supplements for as few as five to seven days can significantly increase lean body weight and muscle size. While this initial rise is caused by higher water content in muscles (creatine draws water into muscle cells), research shows that over the long term, creatine supports muscle growth by stimulating key biochemical pathways and improving gym performance.
For example, in this study, creatine was found to boost the production of certain proteins that increase the size of muscle fibres. Another study noted creatine’s ability to raise levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1, which is linked with increased muscle mass. Evidence also suggests that creatine may reduce levels of myostatin – a molecule that stunts muscle growth.
In this study of people following a six-week training programme, those who took creatine added an average of 2kg more muscle mass than those in the control group. Another scientific review noted clear increases in muscle mass among those taking creatine, compared to those following the same training regime without creatine. And this study found that taking creatine supplements increased muscle growth two to three times more than training alone.
Again, research suggests that these benefits may stretch to people of all fitness levels – from elite athletes to older adults and those with sedentary lifestyles. In this study, creatine increased muscle mass and strength, and reduced the risk of falls in older adults, regardless of whether they did regular resistance training or not.
3. Creatine may improve brain function
Creatine plays a key role in brain health because the brain relies on high levels of ATP to function. By increasing levels of phosphocreatine in the brain, creatine supplements allow the brain to produce more ATP.
As a result, this study of older adults found that taking creatine supplements for two weeks significantly improved memory. Another study of vegetarians linked creatine supplements with improvements in memory and intelligence test scores by 20-50%. Because meat is the best dietary source of creatine, vegetarians tend to have lower levels.
Other research suggests that creatine may help to improve brain function by boosting dopamine levels and improving cell function. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings.
4. Creatine may be beneficial for Parkinson’s disease
Research suggests that creatine supplements may be beneficial for those living with Parkinson’s disease – and there are a few reasons why.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition linked with reduced levels of dopamine in the brain. Among other things, dopamine is needed to control muscle movement, which means that low levels can lead to symptoms like tremors and loss of muscle function.
However, there’s some evidence that creatine may help prevent the drop in dopamine levels. Take this study of mice with Parkinson’s, for example, where creatine supplements were found to prevent 90% of the typical drop in dopamine levels. However, the same effects haven’t yet been noted in humans.
Resistance training is often recommended to people with Parkinson’s as a way to help slow the loss of muscle strength and function – and research suggests that creatine supplements may help to increase the reach of these benefits. In this study of people with Parkinson’s disease, combining creatine supplements with weight training was found to improve strength and daily function more than weight training alone.
Beyond Parkinson’s, studies have linked creatine supplements with benefits for other neurological diseases, too, including Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a disease that affects motor neurons responsible for movement. For example, in this study of people with ALS, creatine supplements were found to improve motor function, reduce muscle loss, and extend survival rate by 17%.
While further research is needed, experts believe these benefits may also be linked to creatine’s ability to increase levels of phosphocreatine in the brain, which studies show tend to be lower in those with neurological diseases.
5. Creatine may help improve blood sugar regulation
There’s evidence that creatine supplements may help to lower blood sugar levels and improve diabetes management.
In this 12-week study, those who combined creatine supplements with frequent exercise had better blood sugar control than those who exercised alone.
Studies suggest this may be the result of creatine’s ability to increase the function of a molecule called glucose transporter type 4, which is responsible for drawing blood sugar into your muscles.
6. Creatine may help reduce tiredness and fatigue
By helping to improve the body’s production of energy, research suggests that creatine supplements may help to reduce tiredness and fatigue.
In this six-month study of people with traumatic brain injuries, only 10% of those who took creatine supplements experienced fatigue, compared to 80% of those in the control group. And this study linked creatine supplements with reduced fatigue and higher energy levels during periods of sleep deprivation.
What’s the recommended dose of creatine, and is it safe to use?
To enjoy the benefits of creatine, experts generally recommend consuming 3-5g per day consistently.
While we can get creatine from food, non-food supplements like creatine monohydrate tend to be more practical and cost-effective. For example, to get the recommended daily 3-5g dose of creatine from food, you’d need to eat 600-1000g of raw beef every day! You can take creatine supplements after exercise with a higher carbohydrate meal, or on its own – it’s mainly down to personal preference.
There has been some research into a more efficient approach of taking creatine, called creatine loading, which involves taking a higher dose than maintenance for several days to maximise creatine storage as quickly as possible. However, experts advise that loading phases aren’t necessary for increasing creatine stores in muscles. If you’d like to read more, Bulk has more information on creatine loading phases on their website.
Are there any downsides to taking creatine?
Some people have previously claimed that creatine is unsafe to take and causes various side effects. However, there’s currently no scientific evidence to support these claims.
Various clinical trials lasting up to five years have reported no adverse side effects of taking creatine supplements in healthy individuals. One study of patients taking 1.5-3g of creatine per day has even been monitored since 1981 without any significant side effects.
Simon Jirkiw, sports nutrition expert at Bulk, says, “Creatine is shown to be a safe and effective sports supplement. In fact, creatine is the most proven safe and effective sports supplement. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Note: It’s important to speak to your GP before adding creatine supplements to your diet as they won’t be suitable for everyone – such as those with kidney disease.
Final thoughts…
Creatine has become a bit of a hero in the sports supplement world, with studies highlighting its potential benefits for everything from muscle growth to exercise performance and overall health. Plus, with no known side effects and benefits that may stretch to all fitness levels, it’s difficult to ignore creatine’s shining review.
That said, it’s important to speak to your GP before adding creatine supplements to your diet, as they won’t be suitable for everyone.
For further reading, head over to our general health and fitness and exercise sections. Here, you’ll find information on everything from home workouts to building strength, balance, and flexibility.
Are you considering taking creatine supplements? Do you have any experience taking creatine supplements that you’d like to share? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
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