Creatineis a chemical naturally found in your body.
It’s also a popular sports supplement that has been widely researched.
Creatineis most commonly used to increase muscle mass and strength.
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This means some supplement products may not contain what the label says.
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How Much Creatine Should I Take Per Day?
No supplement is intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.
Due to extensive research, general guidelines on how muchcreatineyou should take per day are available.
Your creatine needs may depend on factors like your age, gender, body size, and goals.
You may also need more creatine if you have a deficiency.
Therefore,supplementationmay be necessary.
This loading phase is then followed by a maintenance dose of 35 g per day.
The majority of studies on creatine have been performed on males.
However, creatine is also believed to be beneficial for females.
Research shows that a creatine loading phase in females produces similar results as it does in males.
A more gradual dosing approach may also be beneficial for females.
Dosing gives the impression of similar for both older adults and younger adults.
According to one review, older adults also benefit from a loading phase and maintenance phase when using creatine.
A few studies have also shown that creatine supplements may be beneficial for young athletes.
For personalized dosing recommendations, talk with a qualified healthcare provider.
What Is Creatine and How Does It Work?
Creatine is a chemical that is produced in your body to help make energy.
Your body makes creatine from three amino acids:arginine,glycine, andmethionine.
Your body makes about half of the creatine you need each day.
To maintain adequate creatine stores, you oughta obtain it from foods like meat and fish.
Dietary supplements may also help you meet your creatine needs.
In your muscles, creatine can be converted tophosphocreatine.
This process is especially helpful during high-intensity exercise.
Creatine also provides energy to your brain.
Research continues to be conducted on whether creatine supplementation improves mental capacity.
Types of Creatine
Several types of creatine are used in dietary supplements.
Creatine monohydrateis the most researched throw in of creatine.
It is also believed to be the most effective throw in of creatine for athletes.
Many other types of creatine are available.
These include:
Unfortunately, research on these other types of creatine is lacking overall.
Some brands of creatine supplements claim that their form of creatine is absorbed better than creatine monohydrate.
However, according to a scientific review, studies don’t back up these claims.
The bottom line is that creatine monohydrate has been researched much more extensively than other types of creatine.
Therefore, more is known about the safety and effectiveness of creatine monohydrate.
Talk with a healthcare provider to learn more about the types of creatine.
Most studies on creatine so far have been performed on males.
However, creatine has been proven effective for physical performance in both males and females.
Research also shows that creatine supplementation may benefit those performing high-intensity or resistance exercises the most.
This is followed by a maintenance dose of 35 g of creatine, which is recommended.
Athletes with larger bodies may require as much as 10 g per day.
Research shows that athletes of all abilities may benefit from dosing creatine as recommended by the ISSN.
Benefits are primarily seen in athletes who are actively training.
Interestingly, there is little evidence to support the use of creatine for endurance (aerobic exercise).
A healthcare provider can help you find an appropriate creatine dose personalized to your needs if necessary.
What Is the Best Time to Take Creatine?
When you take creatine, it may be just as important as how much you take.
According to one review, research seems to suggest that after exercise is thebest time to take creatine.
However, researchers believe that stronger evidence is needed before it’s recommended that creatine be used post-exercise.
However, these results may be more likely in trained athletes than in untrained adults.
Additional studies have found similar benefits of using creatine either before or after exercise.
These include:
More research is needed on whether creatine has additional health benefits.
Until then, talk with a healthcare provider if you’re interested in using creatine for a health condition.
The majority of safety studies have been performed on creatine monohydrate.
Several studies show no increases in water retention resulting from creatine supplementation.
Additional claims that creatine supplementation damages the kidneys or causeshair lossare also unsubstantiated.
There is no solid evidence that using recommended dosages of creatine leads to kidney damage or hair loss.
How Much Is Too Much Creatine?
You may be more likely to experience side effects or adverse events if you take too much creatine.
Taking more than this may increase the risk of side effects.
Claims that using high doses of creatine causes kidney damage are not well-supported by scientific evidence.
Play it safe and only use creatine supplements as directed.
There isn’t strong evidence that creatine supplements interact negatively with medications.
Creatine may also interact with caffeine supplements, commonly used to aid physical performance.
According to one systematic review, chronic use of creatine andcaffeinetogether may cause creatine to work less effectively.
This potential interaction may be due to gastrointestinal (stomach) distress.
More research is needed on these and other potential interactions.
There may be different ways to tell if creatine supplements are working.
Creatine supplements may take anywhere from one week to a few weeks to start showing effects.
The time it takes for creatine to work may depend on your dosing regimen.
If your physical performance doesn’t improve after using creatine, you may need to adjust your dose.
A healthcare provider or RD can help you with this.
Summary
Creatine is a natural substance in your body that is made from three amino acids.
Your body uses creatine to make energy during exercise.
Creatine supplements may provide additional health benefits, but more research is needed.
When dosing creatine, a loading phase followed by a maintenance phase is common.
Creatine dosage may range from about 3 to 20 g per day, depending on several factors.
Talk with a healthcare provider to learn more about how to safely use creatine.
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