Creatine why is it bad

However, as with any dietary supplement, creatine has side effects. Some of them are mild, while some may pose danger to your health if not addressed immediately. You can also read the review of it here. Hopefully this information will help you make an informed decision on whether creatine is good or bad for you. Creatine supplementation shows promise in addressing the underlying causes of these diseases—especially when given in the early stages.

This is largely because creatine is an energy enhancer, and energy loss from dysfunction in the brain is a big factor in neurodegenerative diseases. Creatine also protects the neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, which is a missing transmitter in neurodegenerative diseases. Creatine improves patients' moods, helps patients take smaller doses of medications, and reduces the medications' side effects.

A study reveals that creatine is helpful in maintaining healthy blood-sugar levels , which prevents diabetes. Researchers have found that people who take creatine have an increase in the protein that transports glucose in and out of cells, which may be related to improved glycemic control.

If this happens, your cells can starve and glucose will compound in your bloodstream. Without sufficient amounts of insulin to combat this buildup, diabetes may occur or worsen.

Because of this, creatine can be beneficial to people suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia. Creatine is an important neuroprotectant, meaning it can help increase the survival of nerve cells against environmental hazards. Supplementing with creatine replenishes lost creatine stores in the brain, which usually happens from lack of sleep or stress. As previously mentioned, creatine plays a role in the creation of energy, which is also helpful in your brain.

Your brain cells use ATP energy to communicate with each other, and, without creatine, they are unable to perform this essential function. When you supplement with creatine, the levels of energy in your brain are increased, which can not only reduce fatigue, but also improve memory processes. Additionally, this increase in energy metabolism encourages brain cell regeneration, which can help reduce symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Creatine is also thought to help the brain endure trauma associated with the production of reactive oxygen species. These small molecules can damage cell structures, and include oxygen ions, free radicals, and peroxides. Their damage to cell structures may possibly create a foundation for many neurodegenerative disorders. Creatine is among the few legal supplements that can increase muscle mass when it is used along with exercise.

Additionally, out of the few legal substances that can do this, creatine is not only the most effective, but also has gained the most scientific support. One study that looked at participants over an eight-week period showed that supplementing with creatine increased muscle mass when used alongside an exercise regimen.

Specifically, strength was increased on the bench press, and participants had a reduction in myostatin, which is a protein that hinders the growth of muscle cells.

Creatine can benefit beginners and advanced weight lifters alike. One study that looked at advanced athletes found that supplementing with creatine added 5. Also, a review of over studies found an average increase of 2. A meta-analysis reveals the results of different studies, showing that taking creatine improves the weight-lifting abilities of young men who do resistance training. Creatine increases levels of phosphocreatine, which in turn increases the production of ATP energy. ATP energy is the main source of fuel for high-intensity workouts, which leads to an increase in strength and power.

Clearly, creatine improves several aspects of both strength and endurance. Creatine has been shown to help resist the effects of fatigue from exercise or other athletic activities. One of the most comprehensive studies on creatine and fatigue resistance followed patients over the course of six months who had suffered a brain injury. Creatine may also reduce fatigue in the case of sleep deprivation, exercise-induced fatigue, and heat-related fatigue.

A study has shown that supplementing with creatine during high-intensity interval training can help improve performance. Creatine increases the body's production of phosphocreatine, which is an essential element in the production of energy. Phosphocreatine is also essential in improving athletic performance in exercises of different intensities at different times, such as high-intensity interval training.

In fact, researchers believe that creatine is among the most effective supplements when used for high-intensity exercise. A study suggests that creatine is helpful in repairing damaged muscle due to athletic activities. Using creatine supplements can both increase the level of a glucose transport protein that is found in striated muscle and prevent reductions of this protein while muscles are repairing themselves following an injury. This means that using creatine during rehab after an injury can improve the ability for muscle tissues to efficiently create energy and prevent fatigue.

While the size and strength of one's muscles can deplete during periods of immobilization, supplementing with creatine can hasten recovery in both of these factors that contribute to one's strength during a period of rehabilitation following an injury.

In turn, this reduces the amount of time that an injury may keep you away from your exercise regimen. Although further research is still needed, initial reports from a study suggests that creatine can help treat depression. In this study, 52 women between the ages of 19 and 65 who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to take either creatine or a placebo in addition to the antidepressant Lexapro.

The results of this study showed that in comparison to taking a placebo, those who took creatine in addition to their antidepressant had an improved mood as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. These improvements were still evident after four and eight weeks following the study. Specifically, this study showed the strong potential for creatine to improve memory and intelligence. The researchers found that the participants who took creatine showed improved working memory, less mental fatigue, and an increase in intelligence.

However, it has been shown that the amount of creatine you need in order to get these mental benefits surpasses what you could possible get from your diet, meaning you would need to take a supplement.

However, research in humans has failed to find any benefits 17 , In addition to its benefits for exercise performance, creatine may help older adults maintain their brain health and retain and build muscle mass. Creatine is the safest and most well-studied supplement. However, there are a couple of concerns surrounding its use. First, it may cause bloating in high doses. Second, some claim that creatine is bad for your kidneys, but this claim is not backed by scientific evidence.

In fact, studies involving a variety of people of different ages have found that taking creatine supplements did not harm kidney health. The studies used doses ranging from 5—40 grams per day for periods of 5 days to 5 years 18 , 19 , 20 , The misconception that taking creatine supplements damages your kidneys likely exists because creatine is known to increase creatinine levels above the normal range.

Creatinine is a poor marker of kidney damage Taking creatine has even been shown to be safe in people consuming high-protein diets , which have also been wrongly linked to kidney damage 23 , A study in people with type 2 diabetes — which can damage kidneys — found that taking 5 grams of creatine daily for 12 weeks did not impair kidney function However, because studies are limited, people with impaired kidney function or kidney disease should always check with their healthcare provider before taking creatine supplements.

The most common complaint associated with taking a creatine supplement is stomach discomfort due to bloating. This feeling of being bloated, or having a distended stomach, most often occurs when you first start taking this supplement during the creatine loading phase. This loading phase entails taking a large amount of this supplement over a short period of time to saturate your muscle stores.

A typical regimen would involve taking 20—25 grams for 5—7 consecutive days. During the loading phase, creatine also tends to pull water into your muscle cells, resulting in weight gain. This may cause bloating This bloating does not affect everyone. However, you can take precautions to avoid it by keeping your dose to 10 grams or less per single serving Furthermore, you can always split your doses equally throughout the day to avoid taking too much at one time.

The supplement has also been linked to other stomach complaints, such as diarrhea and general upset. As with bloating, you can reduce your risk of developing these symptoms by limiting your doses to 10 grams or less Studies have found that taking a creatine supplement does not harm kidney function in healthy people. Creatine may cause bloating or stomach discomfort if you take too much at one time.

Creatine supplements usually come in powder form. You can drink it by mixing the powder with water or juice. The first option, called creatine loading, involves taking 20—25 grams split into 4—5 equal doses over 5—7 days.

The second option is to skip the loading phase and start with the maintenance dose of 3—5 grams daily. No creatine supplement has yet been approved for use by the United States U. There are dangers associated with use of unrestricted supplements. A person needs between 1 and 3 grams g of creatine a day. Around half of this comes from the diet, and the rest is synthesized by the body.

Food sources include red meat and fish. One pound of raw beef or salmon provides 1 to 2 grams g of creatine.

Creatine can supply energy to parts of the body where it is needed. Athletes use supplements to increase energy production, improve athletic performance, and to allow them to train harder.

People who cannot synthesize creatine because of a health condition may need to take 10 to 30 g a day to avoid health problems. Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the U. It is also the most common supplement found in sports nutrition supplements, including sports drinks. Athletes commonly use creatine supplements, because there is some evidence that they are effective in high-intensity training. The idea is that creatine allows the body to produce more energy.

With more energy, athletes can work harder and achieve more. In , a review concluded that creatine:. It appears to be useful in short-duration, high-intensity, intermittent exercises, but not necessarily in other types of exercise.

However, a study published in found that creatine supplementation did not boost fitness or performance in 17 young female athletes who used it for 4 weeks. However, according to the U. National Library of Medicine, creatine does not build muscle. The increase in body mass occurs because creatine causes the muscles to hold water. Research suggests that creatine supplements may help prevent muscle damage and enhance the recovery process after an athlete has experienced an injury.

Creatine may also have an antioxidant effect after an intense session of resistance training, and it may help reduce cramping. It may have a role in rehabilitation for brain and other injuries. An average young male weighing 70 kilograms kg has a store, or pool, of creatine of around to g.

Oral creatine supplements may relieve these conditions, but there is not yet enough evidence to prove that this is an effective treatment for most of them.

Supplements are also taken to increase creatine in the brain. This can help relieve seizures, symptoms of autism , and movement disorders. Taking creatine supplements for up to 8 years has been shown to improve attention, language and academic performance in some children.

However, it does not affect everyone in the same way. While creatine occurs naturally in the body, creatine supplements are not a natural substance. Anyone considering using these or other supplements should do so only after researching the company that provides them.