Creatine Myth Vs Fact

By Chelsea Navarro 

So you just got into lifting weights and you've heard all the hype around this powdery substance called creatine. Should you take it? Is it worth the hype people are putting around this product? Or is it something that doesn't really have any added benefits? Let's find out.

What exactly is creatine?

It is a compound that is formed in protein metabolism and is in much of our living tissue. It is involved in supplying energy for muscular contraction which, in turn, increases the body's ability to produce energy rapidly. It normally comes in a powdered substance that can be flavored for you to mix with your drink.

Benefits of using creatine:

• Improves strength
• Enhances muscle and size
• Helps with recovery
• Helps with brain function

As we all know, with supplementation comes a risk of benefits we didn't ask for while using them and creatine has been one to have much controversy over the years. It has been viewed as potentially harmful however, if we use this supplement correctly, all is well.

Things that are not so great about creatine:

• You'll gain weight (don't worry it's nothing crazy, it's mostly just water and then slowly it'll be more muscle mass)
• Some people have reported having: heart problems, cramps, and diarrhea. These aren't necessarily related to creatine, but it could be a combination of other things that have caused these types of issues.

For instance, too much iron leads to stomach problems which could be causing the cramping and other stomach issues someone may be experiencing.

What type of creatine should you take?

Powdered creatine is what my recommendation would be because it has personally worked for me in the past. Liquid forms of creatine are shown to break down in your blood system which is defeating the purpose. If you're purchasing creatine, my recommendation is to buy the 100% pure creatine. Sure some companies have additives with electrolytes etc. but what worked for me was mixing the pure creatine powder with some type of sugary juice (I used sugary Gatorade). I'm sure you're saying what? I thought you wanted me to avoid sugar?! This is true however, when taking creatine, the supplement works best when mixed with sugar because it increases insulin levels that help increase the amount of creatine in the muscles resulting in growth.

Myth's about creatine:

• The more you take the better. False. It has been proven that lower doses of creatine are actually more beneficial than ingesting it as a loading dose.

• Creatine in liquid form is the best option. FALSE. Like I said earlier, creatine is best taken in a powder form due to the fact that when taken in liquid form, you may not even be getting any creatine in your system at all.

• Creatine is linked to kidney and liver damage. This is also false. Studies on long term use of creatine have proved that there are no effects on the liver or kidneys.

I'm not here to promote creatine in any way nor am I telling you to avoid this supplement. I am simply informing you about a product that I have previously taken in the past and that it has worked for me. I stopped taking creatine after about six months or so due to the fact that I was retaining a lot of water weight but not because I experienced any sort of symptoms that were harmful. I grow muscle quite quickly so creatine isn't a necessity when it comes to my supplement intake.