CREATINE MYTH BUSTING
Creatine is one of the most used athletic supplements known for helping ATP energy production in muscle cells. Creatine also supports muscle protein synthesis and promotes cellular hydration. Ask any of your gym-goer friends or swipe through fitness influencers on social media and you’ll likely see creatine as part of their daily routine. There’s a lot of debate in the fitness world and web about some common creatine myths, such as creatine loading phase myth or creatine hair loss myth. But have no fear, GNC is here to help you sort through the noise…. It’s time for creatine myth busters.
MYTH: CREATINE LOADING IS NOT NEEDED.
Fact: Creatine loading decreases the number of days for muscle cells to be fully saturated with creatine.
Creatine loading is a hot topic – to load or not to load. Some will say it’s not necessary and others say it’s the only way. So, is it a myth or fact? Based on the scientific evidence, creatine loading is far from mythical. In fact, reviewing creatine supplement research shows around 50% of study protocols include a creatine loading phase.
Creatine loading consist of taking 20 grams of creatine for 5-7 days followed by a maintenance phase of 3-10 grams per day [1]. The loading phase reduces the amount of time it takes for the muscle cells to become saturated with creatine. Either from our diets, or our liver making creatine on its own, we only get to 60-80% saturation. Which means supplementing is a great tool to max out our cellular capacity for creatine. The International Society of Sports Medicine supports creatine loading because it is more efficient than taking a daily 5 gram dose of creatine to fully saturate the muscle cells. Going this route would take approximately 28 days to fully saturate muscle cells, so loading helps expedite the process [1]. So no, it’s not a myth.
MYTH: CREATINE CAUSES HAIR LOSS
Fact: There is no scientific evidence to support this claim
The only speculation about creatine causing hair loss is based on one study conducted in 2009 with college-aged rugby players. Researchers found higher levels of dihydrotestoerone (DHT) in the group who took creatine supplements compared to the placebo group. However, there were no physical reports of hair loss documented during the study period. This myth is related to hair loss because some hair loss in men has been associated with DHT levels causing hair loss or baldness [2]. These results have not been replicated, providing no evidence creatine supplementation causes hair loss.
MYTH: CREATINE CAUSES WATER RETENTION
Fact: Creatine does increase water retention in the beginning of use, but long term the evidence isn’t there.
A function of creatine in our bodies is that it helps provide hydration to cells in the muscle. When first taking a creatine supplement, water retention appears due to increases in intracellular volume (sciency words for “space inside the cell”). However, long-term creatine studies show no significant changes in total body water weight [3]. Meaning, you won’t see long-term water retention from creatine supplementation. In other words, you don’t need to worry about creatine causing water bloat.
MYTH: CREATINE CAUSES KIDNEY DAMAGE
Fact: Creatine supplementation does not change kidney function in healthy individuals.
Creatine supplementation has been deemed as safe for consumption with a large body of scientific evidence to support safety. In 2009, The American College of Sports Medicine called for further investigation of creatine supplementation to prove its safety for consumers [1]. From the scientific evaluation, in healthy individuals, kidney and liver functions are within normal limits. There is no evidence to suggest creatine causes kidney damage [3]. As with any products, certain individuals may have an unwanted reaction but generally, creatine has substantial scientific evidence to support the safety of consumption.
In conclusion, there are quite a few myths about creatine that just aren’t supported by scientific evidence.
Read more: 3 Benefits of Creatine
References
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.
- van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med. 2009 Sep;19(5):399-404. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f. PMID: 19741313.
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, Gualano B, Jagim AR, Kreider RB, Rawson ES, Smith-Ryan AE, VanDusseldorp TA, Willoughby DS, Ziegenfuss TN. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Feb 8;18(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w. PMID: 33557850; PMCID: PMC7871530.
