Creatine, once the preserve of bodybuilders and elite athletes, has gone mainstream. From millennials to menopausal mums, more people seem to be adding it to their daily routine.
But what exactly is it – and should we all be taking it?
“Creatine is a natural substance found in your body, mostly in your muscles, and it plays a key role in providing energy for physical activities – especially those requiring short bursts of intense effort like sprinting or lifting weights,” explains Kieron Oakland, senior lecturer of psychology at Arden University.
Our bodies create energy by breaking down something called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule produced from glucose. Since ATP is difficult for the body to store, it’s produced and used up constantly. Creatine allows ATP to be produced more quickly, which allows more effort for longer.
“Creatine is found in foods like red meat and fish,” says Oakland. “However, many people choose to take it as a supplement to boost their performance in the gym or during sports. It’s generally considered safe for most people when taken in the recommended doses.
“Creatine is also used by your brain for energy,” he continues. “While the majority of the creatine produced by our body is sent to our skeletal muscles to use during physical activity, the rest goes to our heart, brain and other tissues.”
What can it do for your body?
There’s extensive research to show that supplementing with creatine alongside strength training results in muscle gain, reduces delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and boosts performance; hence its association with bodybuilding.
“Creatine helps your muscles to produce more energy during high-intensity activities like weightlifting, sprinting or jumping,” says Oakland. “It does this by increasing water content in muscle cells (making them look fuller and reducing the chance of muscle cramps occurring), increasing anabolic hormones and satellite cells (helping tissue repair), which therefore boosts performance, allowing for more effective workouts over time.”
Dr Sophie Shotter is an aesthetic doctor and host of the podcast Age Well with Dr Sophie Shotter. She takes 5mg of micronised creatine monohydrate powder daily.
“I exercise a lot, and it’s well-known that creatine can be useful for helping to maintain lean body mass and power when combined with resistance training over the age of 40,” she says. “For me the biggest visible benefit is in my training. I can squeeze out a couple of extra reps compared with before.”
Participants in other studies have increased the amount of weight they can lift by more than 30%. Different research shows that it can add significantly more muscle and that supplementing with creatine when following a training programme can help people 50 or older to lose moderate amounts of body fat.
A meta-review of more than 1,000 studies, published in 2021, shows that creatine may help to control blood-sugar levels and lower cholesterol and risk of stroke.
“Some studies also suggest that creatine may help to reduce muscle damage and inflammation after intense exercise, speeding up recovery,” says Oakland. “Research also suggests that it could have a positive impact on bone mineral density, which can potentially help prevent osteoporosis and improve bone strength over time.”
New research suggests that creatine can mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation. Other less conclusive studies have explored whether it works as an antidepressant. Creatine has also been linked to improved cognitive function, including working memory and mental clarity.
“Some studies even suggest it helps with reducing stress levels, and there’s continuing research into whether creatine supplements can help people with cognitive conditions, such as dementia,” says Oakland.
Sophie Medlin is a specialist dietician, director of City Dieticians and chair of the British Dietetic Association for London. She’s been taking creatine for several years, and has noticed both physical and mental gains.
“Initially I started taking creatine for the muscle benefits,” she says. “But a systematic review and meta-analysis recently found that supplementation with creatine monohydrate was supportive of memory, attention time, and information processing speed. As someone with multiple neurodivergent diagnoses, I have found this a compelling reason to take it daily. I do feel it makes a difference to my ability to focus and concentrate on my work
What does the science show?
“In reality, the actual cognitive benefits of creatine depend on a number of factors,” cautions Oakland. “While creatine levels in the brain do increase when you take creatine, it’s unlikely there’ll be much of a cognitive effect for healthy, unstressed individuals, as natural creatine levels are often sufficient to support the brain’s needs.
“While research is beginning to highlight how certain groups may experience cognitive benefits of creatine supplementation more than others (older adults, those with low-creatine diets such as vegans and perimenopausal women, for example), more research is needed to explore and understand these benefits, as creatine and cognition is still a developing area,” he says.
Do I need to take a supplement?
Creatine is a carninutrient. That means that most of us can ingest it only through animal products. If you eat wild game, red meat and fish – particularly oily fish such as herring, salmon and tuna – you will be naturally consuming creatine. Other good sources are milk and cheese.
Vegans might need a helping hand as they will be relying on creatine stores their body can produce through amino acids. But seeds, grains, nuts and legumes provide the amino acids that the body uses to synthesise creatine.
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