Are you thinking about creatine supplements for your training? This is what you need to know

Darren Candow has been taking creatine almost every day for over 20 years.

He says the supplement helps during intense training and helps fight moodiness while traveling, especially after long international flights.

Candow is a professor of kinesiology and director of the Institute for Aging Muscle and Bone Health at Regina University and an advisor to two supplement companies that produce creatine.

He is part of a large group of health experts who say they support taking 2-5 grams of creatine per day to increase musculoskeletal strength and performance.

More recent studies suggest that these supplements may also have cognitive benefits.

“Creatine is probably one of the most effective supplements to consume in terms of muscle performance,” Candow told CBC host Dr. Brian Goldman. dose.

However, taking too much can lead to gastrointestinal distress, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. And it may be linked to boy and male body dismorphia.

Here are some things you need to know about the benefits and risks of creatine and how to safely use it:

What is creatine?

I discovered it 1830sCreatine is a naturally occurring compound produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys, and helps to provide energy to the muscles and brain. Katie Jessop, a registered dietitian who works at Toronto FC, says Katie Jessop, a registered dietitian. You can also obtain the compounds via supplements.

Approximately half What we need comes from nutritional sources, says Jessop.

Lean meat is the best source, but fatty cold water fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines are also good sources. Poultry offers some, but cheese is the least of all animal protein, Kandou says.

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Research Show The vegan has little creatine in its diet and instead draws out the body's natural supply.

According to Candow, about 15-30% of people are non-responders of creatine and do not see the usual benefits of supplementing creatine. It may be because they already have high creatine levels, or low stores according to their age. Women may also have less overall creatine than men, and may have a “blunt” response to supplementation.

Too much creatine can usually exceed 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, causing gastrointestinal distress such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How does creatine improve musculoskeletal performance?

“One of the things creatine does is help the muscles run more efficiently by changing or reducing the acidic environment of the muscles,” Jessop said.

Research suggests Taking supplements can improve during high intensity tasks such as weight training.

“On average, if you do weight training and do that for 4-6 weeks, you'll probably improve your muscle mass by about 8-10%,” Candow says.

Jessop says creatine supplements work best for a combination of exercise and a healthy diet. However, she also says that by helping to maintain muscles during breaks from exercise, she can help athletes recover from injuries.

Creatine supplements can also help elderly people avoid conditions like this Sarcopeniawhich can lead to loss of muscle strength, mass and performance, Kandou says.

a 2022 Review We found that combining supplements with resistance training increases lean body mass by approximately 1.1 kilograms in adults, regardless of age.

rEsearch also proposes Taking creatine can slow bone density loss and reduce the amount of bone tissue that is broken down and absorbed by the body. However, further investigation is required to verify these results.

Are there any benefits to the brain?

Its effects require further research, but some studies suggest that creatine can improve cognition, particularly short-term memory and reasoning.

a A study found for 2024 Its creatine supplement “may have a beneficial effect on cognitive function in adults, particularly in areas of memory, attention time and information processing speed,” but further validation trials are needed.

Kandou says that the brain appears to be particularly beneficial for individuals who are under stress.

“For example, lack of sleep, hypoxia [a form of oxygen deficiency]When an individual gives them a job that really makes them mentally exhausting, it seems that creatine comes to rescue them. ”

How much creatine should I take per day?

Creatine supplements come in a variety of forms, Research in 2021 This suggests that a type of creatine called the top class is the best.

Kandou, who co-authored the study, says it is simply a water molecule associated with creatine. When consumed, the water molecules dissolve and creatine is most similar to the kind we naturally produce.

Experts recommend that anyone who wants to take creatine supplements should consume 2-5 grams a day. 1.1 kilograms of uncooked beef.

Cando adds that some athletes may take about 20 grams of supplements a day for five to seven days to saturate their muscles. However, this can lead to the problem of glast stress.

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He recommends starting at 2-3 grams a day and slowly increasing the dosage.

“From a clinical pathology perspective, we looked at the enzymes, blood cell counts and heart in the kidneys and liver. [health] And there is no adverse effect even at high doses up to 11 grams [creatine] It's been monotonous a day, a day, two years,” Candow said.

He says people should talk to their doctor if they have concerns. Candow also said few studies assess long-term effects over 4-6 months.

The link between creatine use and muscle metamorphosis

Creatine supplements are considered safe by many health experts, but growing evidence connects the heterogeneous body of boys and men with the muscles of the body, using performance-enhancing substances, including relatively benign creatine.

Kyle Gunson, assistant professor of social work at the University of Toronto, says he Research Show Young people who consumed creatine supplements showed higher levels of muscle disease symptoms compared to those who were not taking it.

“I never say it's creatine is the cause.” [of body dysmorphia]”But he said, but what we know is that there is something about the use of creatine that contributes to the symptoms of muscle disease to some extent.”

These include the belief that despite the opposite appearance, your muscles are not strong or strong enough, and that you have a strong desire for larger muscles, leading to distress.

People considering creatine and other dietary supplements should focus on healthy diets and exercise first, Gunson said.

He adds that supplements are not well regulated in Canada. Body like Health Canada Relying on the industry to “prove effectiveness and safety.”

Gunson says people should still pay attention.