Creatine is a naturally occurring supplement commonly taken to enhance athletic performance. It may also support cognitive function, help combat certain neurological disorders, and speed up muscle development.
Creatine is a naturally occurring supplement used to enhance athletic performance.
It’s not only safe but also among the most widely used and effective supplements for increasing muscle mass and strength (, , , , , ).
Below are 10 benefits of creatine supported by scientific research.
1. Helps muscle cells generate more energy
Supplementing with creatine raises your muscles’ phosphocreatine reserves.
Phosphocreatine assists in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy molecule your cells use for power and basic physiological processes.
During exercise, ATP is broken down to release energy.
The rate at which ATP is resynthesized limits how long you can sustain maximal effort, because you consume ATP faster than you can replenish it.
Creatine supplementation boosts phosphocreatine stores, enabling greater ATP production to fuel muscles during high-intensity activity.
This is the main way creatine enhances performance.
2. Supports numerous muscle functions
Creatine is a popular and effective aid for increasing muscle mass.
It influences various cellular pathways that contribute to muscle growth. For instance, it promotes the synthesis of proteins that can enlarge muscle fibers.
It may also elevate levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone that fosters gains in muscle mass.
Additionally, creatine supplements can raise the water content within muscle cells. This cell volumization quickly enlarges muscle size.
Some studies suggest creatine lowers myostatin levels, a compound that restricts muscle growth. Reducing myostatin can accelerate muscle gains.
3. Enhances high-intensity exercise performance
Because creatine directly contributes to ATP production, it can substantially improve performance in high-intensity exercise.
Creatine benefits many aspects of performance, including (, , , , , ):
- strength
- explosive power
- sprint performance
- muscular endurance
- resistance to fatigue
- muscle hypertrophy
- recovery
- cognitive performance
Unlike some supplements that mainly help elite athletes, creatine has been shown to offer advantages regardless of a person’s fitness level.
One review reported improvements in high-intensity exercise performance of up to 15%.
4. Accelerates muscle growth
The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position statement names creatine the most effective supplement for increasing muscle mass.
Using it for as little as 5–7 days can noticeably raise lean body mass and muscle size.
Initially, this increase is due to higher water retention in muscles.
Over time, creatine also promotes muscle fiber growth by activating important biological pathways and enhancing workout performance.
In one trial with a 6-week training program followed by 3 weeks of detraining, subjects taking creatine gained on average 4.4 pounds (2 kg) more muscle than the control group, which made no gains.
Likewise, a comprehensive review found clear increases in muscle mass among those supplementing with creatine compared with those doing the same training without it.
Among common sports supplements, creatine consistently ranks near the top for boosting athletic performance. It is relatively affordable and has been verified as safe compared to many other sports supplements.
5. May aid Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease involves a marked decline in dopamine, an important brain neurotransmitter.
This drop in dopamine leads to neuronal loss and symptoms such as tremors, impaired motor control, and speech difficulties.
In mice, creatine has been associated with protective effects, preventing 90% of the typical decline in dopamine levels; however, evidence for the same effect in humans is lacking.
Weight training is often used to counteract loss of muscle function and strength in Parkinson’s patients.
One study showed that combining creatine with resistance training improved strength and daily functioning more than training alone.
Nevertheless, a recent review of five controlled trials in people with Parkinson’s found that 4–10 grams of creatine per day did not significantly enhance their ability to perform daily tasks.
6. May combat other neurological disorders
Lower phosphocreatine in the brain is a feature of several neurological conditions.
Because creatine can raise these stores, it might help slow or reduce disease progression.
In mice with Huntington’s disease, creatine restored brain phosphocreatine to 72% of pre-disease levels, compared with only 26% in control animals.
This replenishment helped preserve daily functioning and decreased cell death by roughly 25%.
Animal research suggests creatine supplementation may also be helpful for other conditions, including (, , , ):
- Alzheimer’s disease
- ischemic stroke
- epilepsy
- brain or spinal cord trauma
Creatine has also shown promise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), improving motor performance, reducing muscle wasting, and increasing survival by about 17%.
While more human research is required, some scientists think creatine supplements could complement standard treatments for neurological diseases.
7. May lower blood sugar and help fight diabetes
Studies indicate creatine may reduce blood glucose by enhancing the activity of GLUT-4, a transporter that moves glucose into muscle cells.
A 12-week trial looked at creatine’s effect on blood sugar after a carb-rich meal. Participants who combined creatine with exercise had better glucose control than those who only exercised.
Short-term glucose response after a meal is an important indicator of diabetes risk. Faster clearance of blood sugar is preferable.
Although these results are encouraging, further human studies are necessary to determine creatine’s long-term effects on glucose control and diabetes risk.
8. Can enhance brain function
Creatine plays a significant role in brain health and cognitive performance.
Research shows the brain requires substantial ATP when tackling demanding tasks.
Supplementation can increase brain phosphocreatine levels to support greater ATP production. Creatine may also support cognition by raising dopamine and improving mitochondrial function.
Because meat is the richest dietary source of creatine, vegetarians often have lower levels. One study in vegetarians reported 20–50% improvements on certain memory and intelligence tests after creatine supplementation.
In older adults, just 2 weeks of creatine supplementation significantly enhanced memory and recall.
Among the elderly, creatine might bolster cognitive function, protect against neurological disorders, and help counteract age-related declines in muscle and strength.
Despite promising findings, more research is needed in young, healthy people who regularly eat meat or fish.
9. May decrease fatigue and tiredness
Creatine may also reduce feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.
In a 6-month trial with patients who had traumatic brain injury, those taking creatine experienced a 50% reduction in dizziness compared with those not taking it.
Additionally, only 10% of the supplement group reported fatigue, versus 80% in the control group.
Another study found creatine reduced fatigue and increased alertness during periods of sleep deprivation.
Creatine has also been shown to lower fatigue in athletes performing cycling tests and has been used to reduce fatigue when exercising in hot conditions.
10. Safe and simple to use
Alongside its wide-ranging benefits, creatine is among the most affordable and safe supplements available. It’s easily purchased online.
Creatine has been studied for over two centuries, and many trials support its safety for long-term use. Clinical studies lasting up to 5 years report no adverse effects in healthy subjects.
Supplementation is straightforward — typically 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder per day.
The bottom line
Overall, creatine is a potent supplement with notable benefits for athletic performance and health.
It may support cognitive function, help counter certain neurological conditions, enhance exercise performance, and promote faster muscle growth.
Consider adding this natural compound to your supplement routine to determine whether it benefits you.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.