Exercise Scientist Dr. Mike Israetel took a closer look at arguably the most popular supplement on the market. In a recent YouTube video, Dr. Israetel examined myths around creatine regarding dose, loading phases, timing, health benefits, water weight gain, and stomach issues.
Creatine is a well-studied supplement that can enhance workout performance and spur muscle growth. Gymgoers and athletes alike, including IFBB Pros, use creatine often and consider it a staple in their respective supplement stacks.
Dr. Israetel, who runs the Renaissance Periodization YouTube channel, curates studies and research to provide his audience with science-based facts. Considering the supplement’s popularity and use, Israetel took inventory of common myths and discussed if it could cause undesirable side effects.
Does Creatine Cause Unwanted Side Effects? Exercise Scientist Breaks Down The Popular Supplement
First, Israetel examined myths surrounding the dose of creatine, as some notable health experts have suggested taking as much as 10 grams a day, like neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman.
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“What about the dose? We have the source, how much creatine do we take? Anywhere between 2-5 grams per day is good for almost everyone unless you are Pro strongman size, maybe 5-10 grams on occasion is a fine idea. Almost anyone, including large 200-something-pound bodybuilders, can start with and end with five grams of creatine per day.”
According to Israetel, there’s no reason to take less than five grams and no reason to take more ‘in almost any case.’
“There’s no reason to take less, there’s no reason to take more in almost any case,” said Israetel. “Some folks will try to get you to take more creatine than that because they will allege that you will become superman from doing it but usually they just want to sell it to you and make more money off you.”
He adds that creatine does not have acute or chronic toxicity effects on the body.
“Creatine does not have an acute or chronic toxicity enhancement effect. It’s just not a concern. So fuck ’em. That’s bullshit. Five grams folks, you heard it here first.”
Next, Dr. Israetel discussed creatine loading, which was a common trend when the supplement first hit the market. He says loading ‘definitely works’ but people can reach peak creatine levels by using five grams a day for roughly two weeks.
“What about creatine loading, I get this question a lot. Sometimes on the package, it will say take five grams of creatine four times a day for a week straight. You load it up in the muscles and you coast on just five grams a day for the rest of that time. It definitely works.
It loads the creatine into your muscles faster. However, there is no compelling reason to load it versus not loading it. If you don’t load it, it’s just going to take about two weeks for the creatine to fully fill up. You don’t bloat up super quick,” said exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel.
While some individuals like to take creatine around their workouts, Dr. Israetel says timing doesn’t matter.
“There’s no acute effect of taking creatine. There’s a lot of creatine in pre-workout products. Got to get my creatine in. Except creatine loads into your muscles literally over days and weeks. An acute intake of creatine does nothing to the insides of your muscles. It doesn’t boost performance.”
Not only does creatine have neuroprotective properties, but it also benefits the cardiovascular system and enhances bone health.
“Multiple studies so far have confirmed or gave us huge huge ideas that creatine is neuroprotective, it protects the integrity of your nervous system, making your nervous system healthier for longer, which means you’re probably more intelligent for longer in your life.”
“It is cardioprotective, so it’s good for the cardiovascular system. It reduces the chance of various cardiovascular diseases and it also seems to enhance bone health. Here is how creatine is bad for you. In order to find that out, you’re going to have to go to your school nurse and have her rattle off make-believe because it’s all make-believe.”
Most importantly, Dr. Israetel maintains that no data suggests creatine is inherently bad for your health. He specified that it can be taken for months without adverse effects.
“They have not found any reliable ways in which creatine is bad for you if you take five grams of it per day on months on end. It’s not a thing. So you don’t have to worry about it, creatine is fucking amazing.”
There has been chatter online about whether creatine can cause bloating. However, Dr. Israetel explains that creatine prompts intramuscular gain, not subcutaneous weight gain, which can result in the muscles appearing bigger.
“Creatine actually brings water into the muscle, bringing it out of the extracellular compartment around it which means it’s intramuscular water gain that you get from creatine. Shit, up to five pounds in cases and not subcutaneous gain, not the shit that makes you seem watery. So visually, it makes your muscles pop more which is amazing.”
Lastly, Dr. Israetel tackled whether or not creatine upsets the stomach. Although some people seem to struggle with this issue, Israetel believes changing the brand might be an adequate solution.
“‘It fucking wrecks my stomach.’ Well, creatine doesn’t reliably cause stomach issues in any of the studies that they have done on it and they’ve done a crap load. But some people get stomach issues from all kinds of weird shit.”
“Try changing the brand, maybe the brand is adding some bullshit in there that you don’t like. Get a pure brand like some Optimum Nutrition or something like that,” adds Dr. Mike Israetel.
Dr. Israetel isn’t the only fitness expert tackling myths surrounding creatine. Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger provided study-backed information on the matter and came to similar conclusions.
“Creatine pulls more water into your muscle cells, meaning you have hydrated, healthier muscles — not bloating. And this relates to another myth about creatine causing dehydration.
When researchers looked at hydration, they found that people who used creatine had less cramping, heat illness, dehydration, muscle tightness, and muscle strains than those who took a placebo sports drink.”
Biomedical scientist Dr. Rhonda Patrick also busted misconceptions tied to creatine use.
“The only consistent reported side effect of creatine supplementation has been I would say weight gain but not fat mass. So, this probably is water gain but that’s really the main I would say consistent main adverse effect with creatine supplementation.”
Creatine can offer its users significant advantages when it comes to physical and mental health, as noted by an array of health professionals. While its use does have some side effects, in most cases, five grams a day seems to be an optimal dose for people of varying fitness levels.
RELATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger Discusses If Creatine Can Cause Hair Loss
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