The Effects of Creatine Supplementation

[BigTex]

This is a meta-analysis so quite a few studies were combines. The authors found that creatine supplementation showed a beneficial effect for hypertrophy when compared to placebo. However, the size of the benefit was relatively small (0.11). The data showed similar improvements for both the the upper body and lower body musculature. They also found greater gains in younger compared to older (>55 yrs) adults.

While there were minimal results in hypertrophy for both young and even less for old, despite its cost creatine may have other beneficial effects other than muscle-building, including benefits on strength and power as well as a variety of health-related outcomes. Thus, its use should be considered based on individual goals and needs.

The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this paper was to carry out a systematic review with a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that examined the combined effects of resistance training (RT) and creatine supplementation on regional changes in muscle mass, with direct imaging measures of hypertrophy...

www.mdpi.com

 

[sammmy]

Creatine allows you to workout more because it provides more energy during a workout. Because you workout more, your muscles will increase.

I don't think creatine has a muscle building effect by itself i.e. just taking creatine will not increase the muscle protein synthesis. It does draw more water to the muscles, which make them appear bigger but that quickly goes away if you stop supplementing.

Creatine Bloating: What It Is and How to Avoid It

Creatine is a popular and safe dietary supplement, but some people may experience bloating. This article explains what causes creatine bloating and steps you can take to avoid it.

www.healthline.com

Creatine also interacts with the immune system - it has some anti-inflammatory properties.

 

[bixt]

I like creatine, don't get me wrong. But just keep the below in the back of your mind when reading the study:

"Conflicts of Interest​

B.J.S. formerly served on the scientific advisory board for Dymatize Nutrition, a manufacturer of sports supplements including creatine products. D.G.C. has conducted industry sponsored research involving creatine supplementation and received creatine donations for scientific studies and travel support for presentations involving creatine supplementation at scientific conferences. In addition, D.G.C. serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Alzchem (a company that manufactures creatine) and as an expert witness/consultant in legal cases involving creatine supplementation. S.C.F. formerly served as a scientific advisor for a company that sold creatine products. In addition, S.C.F. sells creatine educational videos."

 

[BadassBlues]

Studies have also shown creatine increases the conversion from T to DHT:

Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players - PubMed

Creatine supplementation may, in part, act through an increased rate of conversion of T to DHT. Further investigation is warranted as a result of the high frequency of individuals using creatine supplementation and the long-term safety of alterations in circulating androgen composition...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players​

Johann van der Merwe 1, Naomi E Brooks, Kathryn H Myburgh
Affiliations expand

• PMID: 19741313
• DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f

Abstract​

Objective: This study investigated resting concentrations of selected androgens after 3 weeks of creatine supplementation in male rugby players. It was hypothesized that the ratio of dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a biologically more active androgen) to testosterone (T) would change with creatine supplementation.
Design: Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study with a 6-week washout period.
Setting: Rugby Institute in South Africa.
Participants: College-aged rugby players (n = 20) volunteered for the study, which took place during the competitive season.
Interventions: Subjects loaded with creatine (25 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose) or placebo (50 g/day glucose) for 7 days followed by 14 days of maintenance (5 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose or 30 g/day glucose placebo).
Main outcome measures: Serum T and DHT were measured and ratio calculated at baseline and after 7 days and 21 days of creatine supplementation (or placebo). Body composition measurements were taken at each time point.
Results: After 7 days of creatine loading, or a further 14 days of creatine maintenance dose, serum T levels did not change. However, levels of DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance (P < 0.001). The ratio of DHT:T also increased by 36% after 7 days creatine supplementation and remained elevated by 22% after the maintenance dose (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Creatine supplementation may, in part, act through an increased rate of conversion of T to DHT. Further investigation is warranted as a result of the high frequency of individuals using creatine supplementation and the long-term safety of alterations in circulating androgen composition. STATEMENT OF CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although creatine is a widely used ergogenic aid, the mechanisms of action are incompletely understood, particularly in relation to dihydrotestosterone, and therefore the long-term clinical safety cannot be guaranteed.

 

[BigTex]

Heck, I have been using creatine since about 1990. Definitely not going to stop even though I am considered elderly now. I just wish the prices had have not go up so ridiculously high.

 

[BadassBlues]

Creatine supplementation can lead to a false positive test result due to conversion to creatinine. There is a lot of junk theory that creatine supplementation can harm normal kidney function. If a person has underlying kidney problems or a predisposition to kidney problems (genetic / hereditary), then it would be prudent to perhaps avoid taking supplemental creatine.

Potential Adverse Effects of Creatine Supplement on the Kidney in Athletes and Bodybuilders - PubMed

Although creatine supplementation appears to have no detrimental effects on kidney function of individuals without underlying kidney diseases, it seems more advisable to suggest that creatine supplementation not to be used by sportsmen or women with pre-existing kidney disease or those with a...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Potential Adverse Effects of Creatine Supplement on the Kidney in Athletes and Bodybuilders​

Dorna Davani-Davari, Iman Karimzadeh 1, Shahrokh Ezzatzadegan-Jahromi, Mohammad Mahdi Sagheb
Affiliations expand

• PMID: 30367015

Free article

Abstract​

Introduction: Nowadays, creatine is one of the most common oral supplements used by professional athletes for boosting their strength and muscle mass. In this review, we collect available experimental and clinical data about renal safety of both short-term and long-term use of creatine.
Materials and methods: Scientific literature was critically searched by keywords "creatine," "renal insufficiency," and "renal dysfunction" and their synonyms in medical databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, EMBase, and ISI Web of Knowledge). Overall, 19 relevant clinical and experimental articles were selected for this review.
Results: Short- and long-term creatine supplementations (range, 5 days to 5 years) with different doses (range, 5 g/d to 30 g/d) had no known significant effects on different studied indexes of kidney function such as glomerular filtration rate at least in healthy athletes and bodybuilders with no underlying kidney diseases. In addition, although short-term (range, 5 days to 2 weeks) high-dose oral creatine supplementation (range, 20 g/d to 0.3 g/kg/d) stimulated the production of methylamine and formaldehyde (as potential cytotoxic metabolites of creatine) in the urine of healthy humans, there was currently no definite clinical evidence about their adverse effects on the kidney function.
Conclusions: Although creatine supplementation appears to have no detrimental effects on kidney function of individuals without underlying kidney diseases, it seems more advisable to suggest that creatine supplementation not to be used by sportsmen or women with pre-existing kidney disease or those with a potential risk for kidney dysfunction.

 

[BadassBlues]

Heck, I have been using creatine since about 1990. Definitely not going to stop even though I am considered elderly now. I just wish the prices had have not go up so ridiculously high.

Part of my preworkout "cocktail" for over 20 years And yes... WTF is up with the pricing? It's not like this is a new product.

 

[USMC]

I have normal kidney function. When I took creatine monohydrate for about 6-8 months it drove my creatinine up to 1.4 and my GFR down to 52. I discontinued creatine for 1 month, got retested and my kidney function returned to normal. My guess it was the creatine along with other meds / supplements that I was taking. Other than that, I saw great results from it.

 

[tareload]

GFR

eGFR based on creatinine?

eGFR Calculator

www.kidney.org

 

[sammmy]

@USMC What dose creatine monohydrate per day were you taking?

 

[USMC]

@sammmy 5 grams / day

 

[sammmy]

What is your creatinine level now when you don't take creatine?

 

[USMC]

@sammmy It went from 1.4 to 1.2

 

[Fernando Almaguer]

I remember taking creatine regularly when I had "low T" in the 300's. It gave me an increase sense of well-being and a better sex drive and stamina. Maybe that had to do with an increase conversion to DHT.

 

[MDavidW76]

Speculation that creatine is a myostatin inhibitor

Creatine is a myostatin blocker

The chemical sports world waits with baited breath for the arrival of myostatin blockers: new muscle strengthening substances that sabotage the protein myostatin in muscle tissue, and thereby boost muscle build up. According to a human study in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology a supplement...

www.ergo-log.com

Follow the other urls to see that it raises DHT as well…