Know the facts
As a compound that is already naturally made in the body, some people question why you would want to supplement additional creatine into your regime. Creatine is only made in small amounts in the body and it’s excreted daily, which is one of the reasons why creatine is supplemented. Gym goers often prefer stores to be saturated, as they deplete quickly during exercise.
Creatine supports your exercise performance when 3g of creatine is taken daily, however, there are a lot of myths circulating around the effects of supplementing creatine monohydrate – here we aim to put some of the common myths to bed:
1. Creatine can cause kidney damage
There is currently no scientific evidence to support creatine supplementation and kidney dysfunction or failure. However, if you have any pre-existing kidney health issues or are concerned, you could speak to your GP before you start to supplement with creatine.
2. Creatine can cause gastrointestinal upset e.g. ‘bloating’
Research does not support or promote creatine supplementation and gastrointestinal upset e.g. bloating. Again, if you are concerned, you should speak to your GP before you start supplementation.
3. You must load creatine at first
Some users choose to have a loading phase of creatine when they first start to take supplements. There is a myth that loading is mandatory, however, this is in fact a personal preference and by no means essential for creatine supplementation. The loading phase simply decreases the time it takes to saturate your creatine stores in your muscles. By loading 20g of creatine daily for 5-7 days, your creatine stores can become fully saturated as quick as possible, as opposed to starting with the maintenance dose of 3g daily, which could take a few weeks to saturate into your muscles.
