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Creatine is the most researched compound in the majority of supplement shops. It has proven benefits for both the mind and body, but what does the most recent research have to say? Let's dive into some recent studies and their results.
Creatine is a common buzzword in the supplement and gym community. There are a variety of reasons why, and while you probably have heard of some of creatine's benefits, the supplement has a very interesting and dynamic profile. Whether you're looking to learn more about the supplement you're currently using, or looking to evaluate if it's something you are interested in, look no further. Here are six new facts about creatine!
Medical Disclaimer: While we do out best to provide you researched backed information, our articles are just that: informational. Our team consists of members passionate about fitness and wellness, but no doctors at this time. Therefore this article can not and should not be considered medical advice, and we cannot be a judge of whether or not creatine is the best choice for you. Consult a healthcare provider before adding supplements to your daily routine.
New Facts About Creatine
2. Muscle Mass, Strength and Other Benefits
6. Creatine in Women
1. Usage Among Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
One of the most striking facts I found in my research is the amount of people who actually choose to take this supplement; 4 million kilograms (kg) or nearly 9 million pounds (lbs) of creatine is consumed by Americans annually.
According to a survey conducted by the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), around 40% of athletes and bodybuilders use creatine supplements to support their training regimens. Similar metrics were found in high school aged boys with the most popular sport users being in baseball (28.1%), hockey (29.4%), wrestling (28.5%), football (27.5%), and lacrosse (25.3%).
This is a huge proportion of athletes, but for good reason! Creatine has a host of research-backed benefits. It's especially beneficial for sprinting and weightlifting, which use fast-twitch muscles. Fast-twitch muscles are the ones used in short bursts to generate quick movements.
In a similar study, it was found that competitive athletes taking a creatine regimen were less likely suffer a muscle related injury and less likely to be affected by heat-related illness. The creatine supplementation proved to be a nutritional hyper-hydration strategy for athletes in the heat and humidity.
2. Muscle Mass, Strength, and Other Benefits
Why do all these people use creatine in the first place?
Most people primarily use it to become stronger or increase the look and size of their muscles. In fact, consistent use of creatine can increase high intensity exercise performance by 10-20%. Additionally, not only does it increase performance, but it also creates the ideal nutritional conditions for recovery by promoting glycogen restoration.
Glycogen is an important part of providing the body with energy during performance and after while repairing muscle tissue. By encouraging the restoration of the body's energy supply, creatine effectively hastens muscle recovery. Athletes who began heavily resistance training during the study were better able to adapt and avoid the decrease in performance usually associated with consistent, heavy resistance training.
While the actual amount of muscle mass gain attributed to creatine supplementation varies between individuals, several studies have found that creatine supplementation led to faster and greater growth in muscle volume in comparison to the control and placebo groups. This backs up the earlier consensus that creatine increases water retention and enhances performance.
Creatine is estimated to increase the water content of muscles by 2-4%. This is a substantial driver of muscle volume increases, and also contributes directly to muscle growth. As previously established, creatine supplementation significantly increases muscle mass when combined with resistance training. This gain is caused by many factors, namely: increased water retention, restoration of muscular glycogen, increased energy and stamina while training, and lower risks of injury.
These improvements in energy and stamina are largely due to creatine's ability to supplement the production of ATP- the primary energy molecule used by our cells. Creatine itself doesn't create the strength, it's the energy benefit that translates to better workout quality. This increase in workout quality creates strength and muscle growth. The key aspect here is that our body is continuing to grow and build muscle entirely through natural means.
3. Safety and Side Effects
Many long-term studies have looked at the safety of creatine monohydrate supplementation. It has been the subject of more than 1000 clinical studies and taken supplementally for billions of doses. Additionally, creatine as a molecule occurs naturally in both fish and red meat. Therefore, supplementation is merely increasing the concentration of the compound in the body.
It is widely considered to be one of the safest forms of supplementation with little to no side effects being recorded. According to the Mayo Clinic, "When used orally at appropriate doses, creatine is likely safe to take for up to five years." The most prevalent side effect throughout the research was weight gain, specifically in lean muscle tissue. This is an effect that some people are actually looking for with the supplementation.
An analysis published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed data from existing clinical research studies and concluded that there is no evidence to suggest adverse effects on kidney or liver function in healthy individuals who consume creatine over extended periods.
This finding is particularly significant as it addresses common misconceptions about health risks associated with long-term creatine use. Creatine is not only effective but also safe for sustained use, provided it is taken at recommended dosages.
Another complaint is often cited that creatine causes digestive issues. While this may be the case for some individuals, there was no substantial evidence backing this when studied. It is important to note here that creatine must be taken with water, and if not it could potentially create an upset stomach. As long as you take creatine as recommended, you most likely will not experience issues. However, this does not consider the health of the person and any underlying conditions. Talk to your doctor to make sure creatine is the right choice for you.
Overall this supplement is recognized to be one of the safest, and there are very minimal known side effects, other than muscle growth and strength, of course.
4. Cognitive Benefits
In addition to its well-known physical benefits, new research has brought light to the cognitive benefits of creatine. It was recently found that creatine can enhance energy levels, short-term memory, and intelligence. This was particularly true in healthy young adults, but some studies showed benefits (not statistically significantly) for aging individuals as well.
Creatine can positively impact short-term memory. A study found that participants who took creatine supplements for six weeks improved their performance on short-term memory tasks by 10-20% compared to those who did not take creatine at all. If you are someone who forgets things often, creatine may be a a great supplement to try to help improve your short-term recall.
Some of these cognitive benefits are believed to stem from creatine's role in increasing ATP availability. As with muscle growth, a similar mechanism works to support energy levels in the brain. This addition of energy molecules can decrease levels of mental fatigue, and increase the speed you are able to complete tasks.
There is also evidence suggesting creatine can make you a lot smarter. The University of Sydney published a study suggesting that creatine can make you more intelligent. This was measured using different intelligence tests as a marker, in a time-sensitive environment. They found that after taking creatine for six weeks, those taking the supplement actually performed 20% higher than their peers. A 20% increase! This suggests significant mental benefit to taking creatine over the course of just six weeks. That's about a month and a half!
Lastly, it may help prevent neurodegenerative disease. Creatine can potentially protect against Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases, slowing the progression of those diseases by about 10-15%. The increase in available ATP and neurological vitality helps to prevent the atrophy of neurons. It's important to note that this was only found in animal models, but it has been observed (in a statistically insignificant way) in human studies. Therefore, while exciting, more research is needed to determine if the same mechanism holds true in human patients.
In sum, there are many positive mental impacts associated with creatine supplementation. While it has largely gained popularity from physical and performance benefits, the cognitive boosts it provides cannot be ignored.
5. Global Market Value
Lastly, let's discuss the economic impact of creatine. Since the supplement has so many well-studied benefits, the demand for it has only continued to grow as more and more people become aware of it. As of 2022, the creatine market was estimated at around $400 million by GMI. What's more is that it is projected to continue growing, reaching an estimated value of about $600 million by 2029.
The value indicates the supplement's strong presence in many people's health, fitness, and cognitive routines. With all of the benefits it presents, it is easy to make a strong case as to why one should consider creatine. Economic trends are largely based on consumers, who seem to have chosen creatine in recent years, and are projected to continue doing so in the near future.
6. Women and Creatine
A lesser known relationship is that between estrogen and creatine metabolism. It has been shown that creatine metabolism fluctuates throughout the menstrual cycle. This is important to consider as it effects the measured benefits of creatine throughout a woman's lifetime.
While the benefits of supplementation remain standard in pre-menopausal women, it is significantly increased post-menopause. The reduction in available estrogen has been linked to losses in skeletal mass, low energy, increased inflammation and oxidative stress. Creatine supplementation has been shown to act as a countermeasure to these negative affects of estrogen loss.
Additionally, while studies show significant evidence for gains in skeletal muscle mass with creatine, there are slight nuances between males and females. Creatine concentrations rise the most when combined with resistance training. This means the increase in skeletal muscle mass affects different muscles due to natural differences in muscular structure.
Conclusion
As you can see, creatine is extremely versatile in the benefits it can aid to a consumer. The health risks are ultimately very low, especially when considered against other common, popular supplements. Not only has creatine been shown to be effective in its traditional uses: muscle growth and strength, but emerging evidence suggests it may have more benefits than what was originally attributed to it. From reducing the risk of injury and speeding up recovery to a preventative factor to diseases in older individuals. A reduction in heat and dehydration related symptoms, as well as enhanced cognitive speed in young adults. With more and more individuals choosing creatine supplementation each year, the supplement is only becoming more widespread and well-studied.
We hope this blog post was informative to you and you have walked away more knowledgable about creatine and able to make a decision on whether it is something you would consider beneficial. As always, consult a doctor before trying any new supplements or drugs to make sure they are the right choice for you.
Please leave a comment or share this article with someone who loves or could benefit from creatine!
References
Usage Among Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Kreider, R. B. et al. (2017) ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine’, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z.
Effectiveness on Muscle Mass and Strength
Kreider, R. B. et al. (2017) ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine’, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z.
Wu S-H, Chen K-L, Hsu C, Chen H-C, Chen J-Y, Yu S-Y, Shiu Y-J. Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients. 2022; 14(6):1255. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061255
Safety and Side Effects
“Creatine.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Dec. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-creatine/art-20347591.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Meta-analysis: "Creatine Supplementation and Safety: Meta-analysis". [Creatine Safety Meta-analysis](https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z)
Cognitive Benefits
Sandkühler, J.F., Kersting, X., Faust, A. et al. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance—a randomised controlled study. BMC Med 21, 440 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-03146-5
Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 22;270(1529):2147-50. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2492. PMID: 14561278; PMCID: PMC1691485.
Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jul 15;108:166-173. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29704637; PMCID: PMC6093191.
Global Market Value
"Global Creatines Market Growth 2023-2029". MarketResearch.com. Retrieved from https://www.marketresearch.com/LP-Information-Inc-v4134/Global-Creatines-Growth-34493698/
“Creatine Supplement Market Size: Growth Analysis 2023-2032.” Global Market Insights Inc., www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/creatine-supplement-market. Accessed 20 June 2024.
Creatine in Women
Smith-Ryan, A.E.; Cabre, H.E.; Eckerson, J.M.; Candow, D.G. Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients 2021, 13, 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877
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