Yesterday I was reading this thread on the Muscle & Strength Forum (great forum by the way) and I thought it was about time to make a post about creatine myths. Since I got into the gym in 2001 I have heard all sorts of stories about creatine. Some of them are so far fetched it’s laughable!
So I’m going to list all the creatine myths I can think of, and hopefully spread a good word to what really is an awesome supplement for muscle building and increasing strength. In fact, for several years creatine has been the most commonly used supplement by Olympic athletes.
List of creatine myths:
- Creatine is a steroid. Believe it or not, this is about the most common myth I have heard. Creatine is a 100% natural product, it’s actually found in foods like red meat and oily fish. The problem is, the amount of creatine in these foods is so minute that it’s unrealistic to try and get a reasonable amount of creatine from them. For example, you would need to eat around 2kg (4.4lbs) of raw red meat to get the same amount of creatine as 1 heaped teaspoon of creatine monohydrate provides.
- Creatine causes kidney damage. Unless you have a pre-existing medical condition, creatine use should not damage your kidneys or liver. Most of the hype has been the result of anecdotal reports. In one study which tracked healthy athletes over a five-year period, football players who used creatine at levels up to 15.75g of creatine per day showed no effect on markers of renal or kidney stress.
- You can get enough creatine from your diet. Read myth number 1, it’s virtually impossible to get enough creatine from diet alone. When you cook foods the creatine is lost, so what little creatine was in there is now gone.
- Creatine makes you fat. This is impossible! It’s not uncommon for lifters to report an almost immediate gain of weight when they start taking creatine. This is due to water retention inside the muscles, not fat gain. This is also known as “water weight”.
- Creatine must be loaded. Studies are beginning to suggest that the loading phase of creatine is not essential. In most cases, taking between 5 to 10 grams of creatine per day is sufficient. While the loading phase is not essential, it may saturate your muscles with creatine faster. While it may be faster, it’s definitely not essential.
- Creatine benefits all athletes. This is false because creatine will only benefit you if you need short bursts of power. Athletes like long distance runners for example may not benefit from supplementing with creatine.
- Creatine increases anabolic hormones. This is not so common, but untrue. While creatine can boost strength and lean mass, research from the University of Leuven in Belgium has shown that it doesn’t not alter anabolic hormone response to training. These hormones included growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol.
- All creatine is the same. Not true. Creatine can contain contaminants such as creatinine, sodium, dicyandiamide, and dihydrotriazine.
- The more creatine you take the better. Last, but not lease, the old favorite - take more creatine to get bigger! No study has suggested that taking more creatine is beneficial in any way. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Even on a 220 pound bodybuilder, studies have shown that up to 40% of the daily 10g dose is wasted. Less is more, 5g per day is sufficient.
Have you heard any creatine myths that I haven’t listed here? I’d love to hear them, post them in the comments below! Get your cheap creatine supplements here.
Pic credit: bodybuilding.com
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I have heard that because CEE is a much “cleaner” more quickly absorbed form of creatine that you don’t need to take as much as the monohydrate, ie; 3g vs. 5g Is that true?
Hi Vanessa,
It is true that recommended dosages of CEE are less than regular creatine monohydrate (3 vs 5g, like you said). But there is no conclusive evidence that CEE is absorbed any better than monohydrate.
The reason that recommended dosage are often lower is because CEE products contain other ingredients that help with creatine absorption like caffeine and simple carbohydrates (sugar/dextrose).
I believe it’s possible to achieve the same absorption rates with creatine monohydrate by taking it with grape juice or dextrose, especially post workout.
-Jeff
Some people say that creatine can make you’re sexual organs shrink! is that true?
LOL, no, that’s absolutely not true!
That’s what happens when people associate creatine with steroids
well, u take creatine after workouts… ive heard that if u take if after a workout before you fall asleep, it actually makes you sleep better, as it puts you in a deeper type of sleep. Whats your opinion of this veiw?
regards howard
Howard - I have honestly never heard that one before! There’s nothing in Creatine that would make you sleep better. IMHO, it’s a total myth
You sure you were not getting mixed up with ZMA which can help you sleep deeper and longer?
hi jeff,- i have customers that tell me taking creatine makes them aggresive, i disaree with them!! they obviously associate this with steroid’s.
Correct me if im wrong
Hi Carol, you are completely right. There is nothing linking creatine with an aggression. Creatine is simply energy for your muscles, it’s found in red meat and other foods. People need to get it out of their head that’s it’s associated with steroids in any way!
Hi, jeff. I’m a skinny guy. 140 pounds and height is 5ft. 11inches. Does Creatine will make me tall? Do I need to cycle creatine after 8 weeks using it? What happen if I stop using creatine completely after 8 weeks? Do I benefit from gaining weight without exercise? (my life is busy “school and job”)
Which is the best creatine I can use?
Hi Cody.
No creatine does not effect your height.
Yes, you should cycle off creatine every 8 weeks for 2 weeks
Nothing would happen if you stopped using it. Maybe lose a bit of water weight.
No, you will not gain weight if you don’t train.
Since you’re new, just grab some creatine monohydrate. Here’s a good place to get it from cheap:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/category/creatine.html
id like to tell you all from my own personal experience that creatine effected my hormones. im 21 and id say at the peak of puberty, and upon taking creatine i developed a tender lump under my right nipple. i stopped taking it, the lump stopped growing, the tenderness went away. a month later i took just 1 more tablespoon to see what would happen, i awoke the next morning with tender nipples. everything (diet, attitude, training program) was the same, creatine was the only changed variable on both occasions. everyones different
hiya. thanks for the myth buster on creatine and the questions answered. have a question for ya which id appreciate an answer to.
whats the best form of creatine i could buy. there seems to be alot of tat now on the market, stuff that is mixed with other ingredients and not potent enough.
i dont want to put my body through the cheap stuff id like the creatine i buy to be of the purest form.
please explain the different types of creatine and what stuff to buy.
thank youuu…(from the UK)
hi can some one tell me wat type of creatine i should take and wat brand im new in all this and want to gain weight and muscle. im currently taking gnc xxx mass and whey protein. in my 3 weeks of working out i went from 145 to 152.
if some one can write back i will greatly appreciate it. thanks
go for 100% pure creatine monohydrate most research is based on this and for a good brand go for dymatize