Creatine

What is creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid most commonly found in muscle and the brain. The body makes part of the required creatine itself from other amino acids and the other part is obtained from food.

What does creatine do?

Creatine supports energy metabolism and is therefore important for a normal energy-yielding metabolism.

This also applies to the energy supply of muscles, especially during so-called short-term exercise. Normally, muscles obtain the energy they consume mainly from carbohydrates and fats. But it takes a while for that combustion to get going. To bridge this period, the muscles have their own fuel: creatine phosphate, which supplies the muscles with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and thus energy. However, this supply must be replenished after use in order to recover from the effort. This is why power athletes often opt for a creatine supplement.

Creatine has an effect not only on the energy supply of the muscles, but also of the brain.

Creatine use

How often should you take creatine?

In the maintenance phase it is sufficient to take creatine once a day. In the so-called loading phase for athletes, the frequency is higher, for example 4x a day.

When should you take creatine?

It is important to take creatine daily. So it is not so much about the time of day (for example, before or after exercise), but mainly about regularity and absorption (which is greater when you take it with a meal)

How long can you use creatine?

Although the use of creatine is safe, it is recommended to take a break from time to time, for example after 6 weeks. Then the body can fall back on its own production of creatine for a while.

How much creatine per day do I need?

A normal maintenance dose of creatine is 2 to 3 grams per day. Athletes who need to perform can quickly increase their creatine supply by taking much higher doses of creatine (20-25 grams) for 5 days, for example, after which you can switch back to the maintenance dosage. It is important to drink enough water when using creatine.

Are there any adverse effects of creatine?

The use of pure quality creatine powders is safe, provided the directions for use are followed. There are occasional reports of weight gain from the use of creatine. However, the effective gain is not so great and is caused by the increase of fluid in the muscles.

Further, there have been reports that long-term creatine supplementation would affect kidney function. Studies have shown that there is little risk, but people with kidney disease should consult their treating physician before using creatine.

What contains creatine?

Creatine is mainly found in meat, fish and eggs. In a normal diet, we get about 1 gram of creatine from food. For vegetarians, this is a lot trickier. There are plant sources of creatine like nuts, legumes, grains, soy and spinach, but they contain much less creatine than animal foods.

Creatine supplements

When daily creatine needs cannot be met from food, a creatine supplement is the solution. Because creatine in powder form is easier to dose than in capsules or tablets, it is preferred for most users.

The best-researched form is creatine monohydrate (or creatine monohydrate). This form is well absorbed by the body. If you want to buy creatine in supplement form, there are many choices, but not every product is as pure. It is important that the origin, quality and absorbability of the creatine is clear.

Also use these supplements alongside Creatine

The supplements listed below are often used in conjunction with Creatine for their effects:

• Beta-Alanine
• BCAA
• L-Leucine
• Proteins

Written by: Marcella van der Wel
Reviewed by: Liesbeth Thoen

Updated on: May 1, 2023