Here Are 5 of the Top Myths About Creatine Powder

If you’ve spent any time in the body building world or have been an athletic competitor, chances are pretty good you know about creatine supplementation.

Indeed, many amateur and professional athletes supplement with creatine powder to enhance muscle building, increase energy during athletic performance, and improve recovery after a workout or intense exercise.

However, the world of creatine is rife with misinformation. A major misunderstanding is that creatine supplementation is only for the young seeking to enhance fitness and athleticism.

The truth is optimizing creative levels is for all adults of every age and its health benefits extend well beyond fitness to include improved brain function, protection against neurological health issues, and much more.

Let’s dispel the myths about creatine and discover all the ways in which this remarkable nutritional supplement can help support your health.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a molecule found in the body that shares many similarities to amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

About half the creatine in your body is made naturally from amino acids in the liver, kidney, and pancreas. The other half comes from the diet. Wild game, lean red meat, and fish (especially salmon, tuna, and herring) are excellent sources of creatine. Hence, vegetarians can have low levels of creatine, research has found. Although your body naturally replenishes creatine in your muscles, creatine supplementation can help top up your creatine stores.

Creatine is needed to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy to your skeletal muscles. It can promote muscle growth when combined with exercise. That’s why creatine supplementation has become very popular among athletes and body builders. Creatine is also important for adequate ATP in the brain as well, which may support improved cognition.

But before we dive too far into the benefits of creatine supplementation, let’s do some myth-busting!

Here Are 5 Common Myths About Creatine Powder

Creatine is so widely misunderstood, top scientists from the U.S., Canada, and Brazil conducted research to clarify the truth. Their findings were published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, in 2021.

Here are five common myths dispelled with the correct information:

Myth #1: Creatine Is the Same as An Anabolic Steroid

Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone and help to build muscle tissue and increase body mass. Although the physiological and performance outcomes of anabolic steroids are similar to creatine, chemically, the steroid molecule bears no resemblance to the amino acid like creatine molecule.

The most important distinction between the two is that anabolic steroids are a drug (a class C, schedule-III controlled substance). It’s illegal to possess or administer anabolic steroids without a prescription. Creatine is an over-the-counter, totally legal, dietary supplement – and it has been proven to be very safe at recommended dosage levels.

Myth #2: Creatine Causes Fat Gain

An abundance of research shows that creatine supplementation doesn’t increase fat mass across a variety of populations.

That said, those using creatine may experience weight gain as a result of increased muscle growth – not body fat.

When initially beginning a creatine supplement protocol, water may increase in your muscle tissue. That’s because the creatine molecule attracts water, drawing it into your muscles. The effect is temporary.

Myth #3: Creatine Hurts Kidney and Liver Function

Thankfully, creatine is one of the most well-studied supplements on the market. When taken in healthy doses (3-10 grams a day) in individuals without liver or kidney health issues, it doesn’t adversely affect the functioning of these organs.

Blood work can sometimes show elevated creatinine levels in individuals who supplement with creatine. When there’s an excess of creatine in the body (which can happen when supplementing), the kidneys break the excess creatine down to creatinine in order to dispose of it. Elevated creatinine levels (not caused by supplementation) can be an indicator of other health problems, such as a kidney infection or serious kidney health issues. Hence, the confusion!

If you have any kidney or liver health issues, creatine supplementation is not recommended.

Myth #4: You Can Exercise Less but Take Creatine and Get Stronger

Unfortunately, creatine can only work its magic when you exercise; it doesn’t make you stronger by itself. Roughly 95 to 98% of muscular benefits come from the exercise, not the creatine.

However, with exercise, creatine supplementation does indeed promote increased strength and muscle growth. And as a bonus, taking creatine (whether you exercise or not) can help you better retain any muscle you already have, helping to protect against muscle loss that comes with aging or immobility.

Myth #5: Creatine Is Only for Male Bodybuilders or Athletes

There’s a common misconception that creatine supplementation is only for male athletes and bodybuilders. Not true. Research shows that other populations can certainly benefit.

For instance, numerous studies show that seniors can benefit from creatine supplementation. Also, there’s evidence that creatine is suitable for women. In fact, research suggests creatine may have a protective effect against low mood in women.

That said, more research is needed on young, developing bodies and creatine supplementation. The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Society of Sports Medicine doesn’t recommend creatine use under age 18.

5 of the Best Benefits of Creatine Supplementation

Now we have the myths out of the way. Let’s get into the science-backed benefits of creatine supplementation.

1. May Help Enhance Exercise Performance

This is one of the most coveted benefits of creatine supplementation. It boosts your muscles’ phosphocreatine stores, which helps to increase ATP production. ATP supplies your muscle cells with energy. So, during high-intensity exercise, it makes more energy available to your muscles, allowing you to perform at maximum capacity for longer!

What’s more, it boosts high-intensity exercise performance dramatically regardless of fitness level. The performance areas that may improve include strength, ballistic training power, muscle endurance, sprint ability, fatigue resistance, recovery, muscle mass, and brain function. Studies indicate creatine supplementation can boost high-intensity exercise performance by as much as 15%!

2. May Help Build Muscle Mass Fast

Combined with resistance training, creatine supplementation is especially effective in promoting gains in muscle mass and strength and quick recovery. Creatine is the world’s most effective supplement for adding muscle mass, according to The International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Indeed, creatine boosts the formation of proteins that increase muscle fiber size, and it raises levels of growth insulin-like growth factor, which helps increase muscle mass. It also acts quickly! In as little as 5-7 days, creatine supplementation has been shown to dramatically increase muscle size and lean body weight. It’s also particularly helpful in maintaining or increasing muscle mass, when combined with strength training, in older individuals.

3. May Support Enhanced Cognition

A 2021 review noted that creatine supplementation can increase brain phosphocreatine content by up to 15% and thus enhance brain bioenergetics. This may confer a number of cognitive health benefits.

Emerging research suggests creatine supplementation may help support cognition, memory, and executive function, as well as lessen mental fatigue – and may help older populations with mild cognitive issues.

One study showed that sleep-deprived participants supplementing with creatine maintained better random movement generation, reaction time to choices, balance, and mood.

Not all research to date shows benefits and more research is needed to more conclusively substantiate all of creatine’s cognitive benefits.

4. May Protect Against Health Issues

One major factor in the development of several neurological health issues is the reduction of brain phosphocreatine. Since creatine supplementation can increase phosphocreatine levels, it may help to protect against or slow neurological health problems.

Animal research indicates creatine supplementation can help protect against a drop in dopamine, which plays a major role in at least one serious progressive neurological health issue. Additionally, animal research shows that creatine supplementation may help address neurodegenerative problems that impact memory as well as brain or spinal cord injuries. Health issues that affect motor neurons may improve with creatine supplementation as well.

More research is needed on humans to better understand how creatine supports neurological health.

5. May Help Promote Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Emerging research suggests that creatine supplements may support balanced blood sugar levels by boosting the efficiency of a molecule that brings blood sugar into your muscles.

A 12-week study that looked at blood sugar levels in participants after consuming a high carb meal found that those who took creatine supplements and exercised showed better blood sugar levels than those who only exercised. The results are promising, but more human research is needed.

More Health Benefits to Come

Creatine supplementation is being explored and researched for many new areas of health, including immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory implications; heart health support; aid in fatigue-related issues; promotion of mental health; reproductive health support; skin health benefits, and more.

Look for creatine monohydrate when choosing a creatine supplement as that’s the type of creatine most studies use. Also, check the supplement ingredient label to ensure you aren’t getting fillers or unwanted ingredients. Of course, it’s important to discuss the addition of any dietary supplement with your medical doctor before starting a protocol.

At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.