Q: Is it necessary to supplement with creatine when doing strength and resistance training?
Creatine is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s probably a bit like owning a solar installation or uninterrupted power supply business in SA. Find a spot in the value chain and ride the wave.
Creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl-ester, liquid creatine, creatine hydrochloride ... pick your poison and there’s a flashy supplement brand selling it with great graphic design on the labels. Today, if you happen to spend some time on Instagram or YouTube, serious-sounding and well-built fit-fluencers will tell you that supplementing with creatine is non-negotiable.
That’s enough to get anyone to take creatine, right? She has striated shoulders, he has ridiculous abs, they can both perform mind-bending feats of high-intensity intervals ... it makes sense that if I want the same, I had better stock up on the miracle supplement.
The Water Cooler, named after the place in the gym where you get the worst advice, would like to make a confession: I have bought more bottles and tubs of creatine over the years than I care to remember or admit. Most often it has been in the form of creatine monohydrate powder because I once read, somewhere, that the powder was the best and all the others “just didn’t work as well”.
Back in the day my friends and I were told to mix a heaped teaspoon with grape juice — and so, you guessed it, we became addicted to Liqui Fruit. However, despite being convinced of “performance gains” in the form of being able to do two more reps with an added 1kg on the scale, I have never once finished a tub or bottle of creatine. They would be tossed out with the trash when they became old and stale, no doubt being added to the garbage gulls’ supplement stack — it explains their boorish demeanour.
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in our muscles and brain, and our kidneys, liver and pancreas can make about 1g a day. Most people get their creatine from eating meat and fish. We have no idea where vegans get theirs from other than Dis-Chem. Supplemental creatine is taken in doses higher than one would find in food or occurring naturally in the body.
Simply speaking, creatine helps your body produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is broken down to generate energy. In other words, it helps muscles produce more energy. Mayo Clinic says that creatine “might” also help users gain strength and size, it “might” reduce the frequency of dehydration leading to fewer cramps, it “might” help slow down or counteract sarcopenia — age-related declines in muscle and bone density — and creatine in creams “might” even improve the appearance of wrinkles. (I’m sold).
Great effects, but try weightlifting or another type of strength training, prioritise a diet with enough protein, drink enough water, get enough sleep and use sunscreen. After a few months you “might” start questioning creatine’s miracle-drug reputation.
There are other creatine claims, but they tread so dangerously close to pseudoscience that rather than just being fake news, they’re outright dangerous. Do not take anything for chronic conditions without consulting a medical professional.
Don’t misread this column. I am not telling you not to take creatine. Take it if you want to. You asked if it was necessary. It is not. But it “might” work and that’s why I’ve taken it many times over the years.
What does the US Anti-Doping Association say? “Yes, there are some rare conditions of creatine deficiency that may require additional creatine through diet or over-the-counter medications ... no, creatine is not prohibited. Though creatine can have a small effect on performance, the effects are not guaranteed, and the specific training programme remains most influential.”
Is it safe to use? “To date, no long-term health risks have been reported with extended use (up to four years), however, some people report short-term water retention and decreased urinary volume, resulting in bloating and temporary weight gain (1kg-2kg).”
Darn it, I knew my creatine weight gain was too good to be true!
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