From the Guidelines
Creatine supplementation is recommended for individuals seeking to improve muscle performance, with a daily dose of 3-5 grams being the most effective and safe amount, as supported by recent guidelines 1. When considering creatine supplementation, it's essential to understand its benefits and optimal usage. The primary advantage of creatine is its ability to increase phosphocreatine stores in muscles, which helps regenerate ATP, allowing for improved high-intensity, short-duration exercise performance.
- Key benefits of creatine supplementation include:
- Increased strength by 5-15%
- Enhanced power output during repeated sprint activities
- Improved recovery between intense exercise bouts
- For optimal results, a loading phase of 20 grams daily (divided into 4 doses) for 5-7 days can be used before dropping to the maintenance dose, although this is not strictly necessary, as noted in the UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football 1.
- Creatine is best absorbed when taken with carbohydrates or protein, and staying well-hydrated while supplementing is crucial.
- Emerging research also suggests potential benefits for brain health, particularly in aging populations, although this is not the primary focus of the current guidelines 1.
- It's worth noting that creatine is generally considered safe for healthy individuals, with the most common side effect being water retention during initial supplementation, highlighting the importance of monitoring and adjusting the dosage as needed, in line with the recommendations provided by Collins et al. 1.
From the Research
Benefits of Creatine Supplementation
- Increases muscle strength and weightlifting performance when combined with resistance training 2
- Enhances anaerobic work capacity and performance through repeated surges in intensity 3
- Improves high-intensity endurance activities, such as cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and cycling 3
- Increases time to exhaustion during high-intensity endurance activities 3
- May provide additional benefits including enhanced postexercise recovery, injury prevention, and rehabilitation 4
Effects on Endurance Performance
- May be beneficial for sports that require multiple surges in intensity and/or during end spurts, such as rowing, kayaking, and track cycling 3
- Increases anaerobic work capacity, which can improve performance in short-duration events 3
- May have mixed results on time trial performances, but can be effective in improving performances that require repeated surges in intensity 3
Safety and Tolerance
- Short- and long-term supplementation is safe and well tolerated in healthy individuals and in a number of patient populations 4
- Can be used as a training aid to augment intense resistance training workouts 2
Mechanisms of Action
- Elevates skeletal muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores, facilitating a greater capacity to rapidly resynthesize ATP and buffer hydrogen ion accumulation 3
- Enhances glycogen resynthesis and content when co-ingested with carbohydrates 3
- Lowers inflammation and oxidative stress, and has the potential to increase mitochondrial biogenesis 3