Creatine: Worth the hype or much ado about nothing?

It’s three weeks into my ongoing trial with creatine, and I really haven’t seen much in terms of results.

In a nutshell, creatine is a popular supplement that helps with muscle function. It’s not a steroid, and it is legal in professional sports and the Olympics. To find out if you’re a good candidate for creatine, read last week’s post.

Last week, I reported that I had gained 3 pounds since starting my creatine regimen. Creatine-related weight gain is very common among first-time users, but the gain is mostly additional water that is flushed into your body’s muscles. It’s not fat, and doesn’t give a “pudgy” effect. This morning, I stepped on the scale only to discover that I’m back to my pre-creatine body weight of 158 pounds. Moreover, when I look in the mirror, I don’t look different - and at the very most, I feel only slightly stronger while exercising.

Creatine is touted as a powerful supplement that yields great, quick results. So what gives?

1. Non-responders. As it turns out, a small number of people don’t respond to creatine supplements. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible that I fall into this category. Moreover, frequent meat eats (like myself) tend to see less dramatic results.
2. Water. Water intake is key to the proper functioning of creatine. The benefits of creatine occur from the flushing of water to the body’s muscles - and so it’s crucial to drink more water than usual while on creatine. I’m going to up my water intake to see if it helps.
3. Juice. Drinking creatine with a sugary drink delivers maximum results. The insulin spike created by the fast-acting carbs in sugary substances will allow for greater uptake of creatine within the muscle cells. I’ve been taking my creatine with a carb-rich power bar, but the carbs are admittedly slower to act than something like grape juice. Moving forward, I’m going to buy juice boxes to consume with my creatine.
4. Powder. Creatine is available in a variety of forms including power, pills and liquid. It is generally recommended that fitness enthusiasts stick to powdered creatine. Pill forms are expensive, they absorb slowly and it’s harder to adjust the dosage size. Liquid creatine is less stable, and is not advised. I’ve been using powdered creatine - so it looks like I’m on the right track here.
5. Dosage size and loading. This is something that each person will have to experiment for themselves. Daily dosage recommendations are anywhere from 2 grams to 20 or 30 grams. I’ve been using a technique called loading. I’ve been ingesting 5 grams on my “off” weeks and 15 grams on my “on” weeks. From the studies that I’ve read, it seems that loading yields quicker short-term results, but that both loading and a constant amount of creatine yield the same longer-term results. At any rate, I may have to do some longer-term adjusting to see if it impacts my results (or lack thereof).

It’s also worth noting that alcohol tends to damper the results of creatine. But as someone that doesn’t drink, this isn’t a factor for me.

So, for me, the creatine jury is still out. Many people are big believers in the supplement. But my personal experience has been that it’s much ado about nothing. Of course, this doesn’t discount the results that other people have experienced - and it doesn’t mean that creatine won’t help you. I will try modifying my creatine regime with the above recommendations, and keep you posted on the progress.