Creatine Side Effects

Another method is a more gradual approach to supplementing with over the course of an extended period. Creatine supplements are taken five to fifteen grams per day, everyday. The best results have been noted when creatine is combined with a simple carbohydrate base, such as dextrose (glucose) and taken about one-half hour before training.

How much does it cost? Anywhere from 2 to 22 cents U.S. per gram when purchased in bulk depending on the manufacturer. The most common form is creatine monohydrate.

Creatine side effects?

Most short term studies and antidotal evidence have not shown any adverse side effects. Some muscle cramping has been reported from long term use, but no conclusive evidence exists to show that creatine is harmful. Unfortunately, no good long term studies have been conducted, so it’s recommended to cycle the supplement - 6 weeks of use followed by a month off. Many athletes take it everyday and report no adverse effects.

How effective is creatine on muscle development? Gains can be in increased 5 to 10 percent for users versus non-users so the benefit is actually fairly small. For non-professional endurance athletes, the benefits are negligible.

For those wanting to burn fat, the evidence is even less clear, although many web sites promote creatine as a fat burning supplement.

Since the primary fat burners are cardio – endurance training – and a proper diet, it’s probably not going to make a big difference – maybe 2 to 3% at best.

Also, take a look at this:

Short term (less than 2 weeks) exercise studies have not reported any adverse events associated with creatine supplementation. There have been no long term studies done to evaluate the safety of prolonged administration. This is unfortunate because increasingly more and more athletes are taking creatine supplements for longer periods. Anecdotal reports have begun to emerge and have noted increased muscle cramping (especially during exercise in the heat), nausea and other gastrointestinal disturbances, elevated liver transaminases, and acute renal injury.

Creatine supplementation, in the dosages commonly used, results in urinary concentrations that are 90 times greater than normal. The long term effects of this have not been investigated, but there is possibility for a variety of nephrotoxic, i.e., kidney damaging, events. There is potential for direct toxicity on renal tubules where urine is formed, and for acceleration of kidney stone formation. Recently, a baseball player for the Houston Astros was determined to have suffered from dehydration, kidney stones, and transient kidney damage as the result of creatine supplementation. Additionally, the deaths of 3 collegiate wrestlers this past year are being investigated to determine what role creatine supplementation may have played.

Impurities are present in virtually every manufactured product, and in some cases, even though the product may be considered harmless, the impurity is not. Such was the case in the late 1980's when an epidemic of cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, including over 30 deaths, were blamed on a contaminant present in L-tryptophan, an amino acid supplement widely taken as a sleep aid. Creatine, and other such supplements, are not regulated by the FDA. No published investigation has been conducted on creatine to determine what impurities might be present in creatine supplements, and what their long term effect might be.

The bottom line is that no one can confidently state that prolonged creatine supplementation is safe, and its use would best be avoided until more data can be compiled. Prolonged administration is, in essence, an uncontrolled toxicity study and one which might yield harmful results. Is it worth the risk? Remember, it's your body!

Mark A. Jenkins, MD

Are you willing to be a guinea pig for a 2 to 3% improvement in your fat burning program? Best stick to the basics until your program is sufficiently advanced to take advantage of a supplement like this.

Professional athletes will trade almost anything for this kind of improvement because of the huge payoff involved, but the average Joe will simply end up passing the added creatine down the toilet and would probably benefit more from an extra workout, stricter diet and more intensity on the weight pile.

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