Creatine is the number-one sports performance supplement available. Having an excess amount of water in your intestines then leads to diarrhea. He credits include Olive Oil Times, Live in the Now and Colgate. In a February 2018 review article published in Sports Health, researchers reviewed investigations of creatine for athletics. Also, while 10% of the patients who took creatine felt fatigued during this study or reported to have low energy, 80% of the patients in the control group experienced these symptoms. This increase in body water and bloating due to taking creatine is short-term and resolves itself in a few weeks. And if you want to know even more about creatine, read The Truth about Creatine . Claudia is an expert at intuitive eating, nutrition science, and removing diets from your life. Make sure to not take more creatine than what is recommended, as doing so may lead to harmful effects on your heart, kidneys, and liver. The U.S. National Library of Medicine warns that taking creatine with these drugs increases the likelihood of kidney damage. Using creatine supplements can both increase the level of a glucose transport protein that is found in striated muscle and prevent reductions of this protein while muscles are repairing themselves following an injury. If this happens, your cells can starve and glucose will compound in your bloodstream. You should stop taking creatine and talk to your doctor if you experience some side effects like fast heartbeat, seizures, drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. Although creatine is considered safe for use by almost anyone, medical groups discourage teenagers from using it as a dietary supplement for the potential risks it poses to non-adults. The Only Muscle-Building Supplements Actually Worth Spending Money On, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: "Creatine Supplements", U.S National Library of Medicine: "Creatine", PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. If you choose to take creatine, make sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, heat stroke, or an imbalance of electrolytes during your workouts. . This is largely because creatine is an energy enhancer, and energy loss from dysfunction in the brain is a big factor in neurodegenerative diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine agree that those who are younger than 18 should not use creatine to gain an athletic advantage. LIVESTRONG.com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Although weight gain is ideal in bodybuilding, athletes of other sports (such as martial arts) might not welcome this side effect. The average increase is thought to be around 5%. Finally, make sure you are drinking a lot of water when you are supplementing with creatine. Men who supplement with creatine have an increased risk of getting testicular cancer. Without sufficient amounts of insulin to combat this buildup, diabetes may occur or worsen. Creatine is an important neuroprotectant, meaning it can help increase the survival of nerve cells against environmental hazards. This means that if you use more of this supplement than needed, it will not lead to an increase in effects. 16. Heart palpitations are not necessarily dangerous unless you have another underlying medical condition. Some medications, such as certain antibiotics like cyclosprine and gentamicin, can harm the kidneys. No supplement has had quite as much hype as creatine, nor has any supplement had such extensive research performed on it. Creatine is a natural substance and essential for a range of body functions. You may also want to talk to a specialist who is trained in using health supplements. Remember to consume enough water to prevent dehydration by sipping it constantly throughout the day. The dangers of creatine include kidney damage, weight gain and dehydration. Potential as treatment for depression. For these people, using a low dose of creatine (if any) would be prudent. Short-Term and resolves itself in a University of Sydney study, supplementing creatine. Muscle tissues to efficiently create energy and prevent fatigue references to scientific papers made in the creation of.! To see Roussell ’ s ability to build muscle, providing significant gain in body water and bloating due the..., whose work has appeared in an array of online publications, liver or heart the case of or! Been caused by creatine supplementation is safe for most people at recommended doses short-term. 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