{"id":170823,"date":"2025-06-09T17:40:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/170823\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T17:40:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:40:11","slug":"i-tried-creatine-to-get-stronger-and-age-better-heres-how-it-went","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/170823\/","title":{"rendered":"I Tried Creatine To Get Stronger And Age Better \u2013 Here’s How It Went"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll be honest: I\u2019m a supplement sceptic. I\u2019m not convinced by claims that taking vitamin C can help to cure a cold, for instance (nor is the NHS<\/a>). <\/p>\n

But I am not beyond persuasion. I take vitamin D tablets, recommended by the NHS<\/a> and recently linked to longevity,<\/a> in part to help boost my iron supplementation<\/a> as a lifelong anaemic.<\/p>\n

And two months ago, I started taking creatine \u2013 one of the most researched supplements<\/a> going, which has been linked to better ageing<\/a>, an easier menopause<\/a>, improved strength<\/a>, and even better cognitive ability<\/a> \u2013 too. <\/p>\n

Still, some worry about<\/a> increased weight gain, bloating, and kidney issues from creatine. So, as someone who has been taking 5g of creatine monohydrate a day for two months now, I thought I\u2019d report back. <\/p>\n

What is creatine, and why is it helpful?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contrary to my pre-research prejudices, creatine is not a steroid-style artificial muscle booster. <\/p>\n

GP and medical director of Midland Health<\/a>, Dr Rupa Parmar, explained: \u201cWe naturally produce half the body\u2019s creatine supply in our liver, kidneys, and pancreas, but the other half comes from our diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtein-rich foods, like red meat, seafood, and milk, all contain creatine, but nowhere near the amount found in supplements.\u201d <\/p>\n

Creatine contributes to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, \u201cthe molecule our cells use for energy and muscles use to contract,\u201d the doctor told us. <\/p>\n

That means you can push yourself further in the gym, but its benefits are not limited to athletes.<\/p>\n

The supplement reduces muscle loss <\/a>as we age, for instance, preventing falls and injuries; it\u2019s especially useful for those<\/a> going through menopause, when bone density and muscle mass levels both plummet.<\/p>\n

\u2033[Creatine] can be especially beneficial for women going through menopause, as they\u2019ve been found to improve brain function and mood<\/a>, contributing to overall well-being,\u201d Dr Parmar added.<\/p>\n

Creatine has shown promising benefits <\/a>in those with depression, though we don\u2019t have enough data<\/a> to recommend the supplement for mental health reasons.<\/p>\n

It may also, the doctor told us, \u201cimprove general cognitive functions<\/a> as we age.\u201d <\/p>\n

Weight gain associated with the supplement seems to be linked more to the addition of water<\/a> to our muscles than fat, meanwhile, and study after study has debunked the one-man case study<\/a> that first suggested creatine may cause kidney issues when consumed by healthy people at normal doses. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how I found it
<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did I gain weight?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the research prepared me for,<\/a> I was bloated and gained weight for the first few days. But (also as expected)<\/a>, this went away after about a week.<\/p>\n

Within a month, my weight had actually gone down a couple of pounds; fat loss has been linked to<\/a> creatine as it can help to keep you less fatigued in the gym, meaning you can progressively overload your muscles to help them grow.<\/p>\n

Did it upset my stomach?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I did experience some slight GI issues in the first couple of days, which were expected<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These were alleviated by drinking more water and ensuring I scooped exactly<\/a> 5g a day from my container. Going over 10g <\/a>a day is linked to an upset stomach.<\/p>\n

Did I get stronger?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. This was, perhaps, the most predictable outcome<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My squat PR is up 30kg, my VO2 max has gone from \u201cfair\u201d to \u201cexcellent\u201d<\/a> (not least because I can push myself further), and my recovery is far better. <\/p>\n

This is all good news for my longevity, as increased muscle mass is linked<\/a> to a longer, healthier life.<\/p>\n

\"MyMy VO2 max growth from February 2025 to June 2025<\/p>\n

Did my mood change? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Again, I\u2019ve noticed a slight uptick in mood. Nothing wild, and possibly due<\/a> to the increase in \u201chappy chemicals\u201d linked to exercise \u2013 still, a welcome change.<\/p>\n

So, should everyone take creatine?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Parmar told HuffPost UK, \u201cWhile creatine can be helpful, like any supplement, there are some side effects and limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cThe main reported side effects are gastrointestinal issues like diarrhoea and bloating, but these can easily be managed by reducing your intake\u201d (that certainly worked with me).<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have kidney disease or bipolar disorder, creatine may make symptoms worse,\u201d she ended. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a good idea to talk to a GP before introducing any new supplement into your diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once you get the go-ahead, though, I can\u2019t recommend creatine enough \u2013 I\u2019ve loved how much stronger, faster, and even happier it\u2019s made me, and I hope its healthy ageing claims prove just as well-founded over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ll be honest: I\u2019m a supplement sceptic. I\u2019m not convinced by claims that taking vitamin C can help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[973,1630,105,4434,16,15,1292],"class_list":{"0":"post-170823","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-ageing","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-women"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114654637249435378","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}