“The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.” - Steve Young
This might be one of the most requested and frequently asked questions when I talk to athletes or active people: Do I really need creatine? What’s the deal?
What is creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid made in the body by the pancreas, liver and kidneys. Then 95% is stored mostly in the muscles and the rest in the brain as phosphocreatine. The body can also produce creatine via other amino acids like glycine, arginine and methionine. And folate (B9) and B12 are needed to help it work properly.
The body makes around 1 gram of creatine daily. Plus, a typical 150-pound person loses about 2 grams of creatine daily. You can see above that it’s hard but not impossible to eat that much to counteract that loss.
You can also get it mostly in animal foods like herring, cod, salmon, tuna, beef, pork, chicken, and broth. As you can see it is in lower amounts (below).
Why is it so important?
Well, the truth is, with short-burst activities, like high-intensity training, the body can use it for quick bursts of energy more efficiently than ATP (which is our primary energy).
Additional benefits are found across the whole body, including, gut health, improved cognitive health, improved NS communication, better muscle contraction even in the heart, improved bone health, lower risk of depression, improved cellular function, possibly anti-tumor and anti-cancer, and may lower fasting glucose and triglycerides.
What does supplementing do?
When we supplement with creatine you can increase your stores of it by 10-40%. This translates to the ability to work at a higher intensity level for a longer amount of time. This is why supplementing is seen as beneficial among athletes and those looking to increase short-burst and high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass. It’s not seen to help endurance exercises directly.
How to supplement?
There are several types of creatine supplements out there. They are mostly dependent on the form you want to consume it in. For example, chewable tablets, powders, capsules, etc.
The hands-down best form is creatine monohydrate. This is the most easily absorbed and utilized, and has no taste or flavor. The other forms include creatine ethyl ester, buffered creatine, and creatine hcl. Typically these all claim to be the best form, however, studies consistently show that creatine monohydrate is the best and these others do not have enough research to prove their claims.
Creatine monohydrate been around the longest, has the most research proven results and it’s the most affordable.
In my professional opinion as seen in myself, clients and others, the best and only form I use and recommend is Thorne Research Creatine (if you want to check it out you always get 10% off on this and anything in Fullscript) Thorne is NSF certified, which means it’s been tested for quality and is trusted by the Olympic and National teams, NBA, NFL, UFC and more. But whatever you choose, I recommend sticking with 100% creatine monohydrate.
To support your workouts, lean muscle mass and recovery, take it as a supplement as close to post-workout as you can.
Some people believe they need to do a “loading phase” meaning taking more for the first week and then tapering to a maintenance dose. Evidence isn’t supportive of this one way or another yet. Really, it’s best taken daily, even if you don’t workout that day. I say pick a time and stick to that daily. At a standard dose of 3-5 grams daily. I take Thorne Research Creatine, 1 scoop (5 grams) in LMNT electrolytes (try a free sample pack), a smoothie or fresh juice right after my workouts or at breakfast time.
You can opt for capsules too, but I honestly can’t take the powder, prefer not to take another pill if I don’t have to and get in extra hydration.
Other evidence-based information include: no it’s doesn’t always lead to water retention. It’s not a steroid. It’s not only for men that are active. It’s doesn’t lead to kidney damage, hair loss, dehydration, muscle cramping, or increase fat mass.
This is generally known to be a safe dose and supplement, with no concern of causing kidney damage or dysfunction. But, like everything, there are people who may not want to supplement with this, including those with pre-existing kidney issues, on medications or steroid use, and under 18 years old.
Medical disclaimer: please consult your personal doctor, dietitian, nutritionist or other health practitioner for more information on if this is right for you.