{"id":358059,"date":"2025-11-05T18:56:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T18:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/358059\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T18:56:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T18:56:10","slug":"as-a-doctor-heres-my-advice-on-creatine-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/358059\/","title":{"rendered":"As a doctor, here\u2019s my advice on creatine supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re already training, and are in those higher-risk categories or just want a small edge, then it\u2019s reasonable to discuss creatine with your physician. Some people start at 3-5g a day, although for women, higher doses may be helpful. But remember: creatine isn\u2019t a magic bullet. The magic is lifting consistently. Master that first.<\/p>\n

What is creatine?<\/p>\n

Creatine is considered a non-essential nutrient because it\u2019s produced naturally by your body. It can help form a compound called adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP, an important source of energy for your muscles and organs.<\/p>\n

Creatine supplements are sold as a powder, gummies or pills, but you can also get creatine in your diet from animal-derived foods, like beef or seafood. Plant-based sources don\u2019t contain significant amounts of creatine.<\/p>\n

What the research says about creatine<\/p>\n

Strength<\/b><\/p>\n

Meta-analyses of dozens of clinical trials suggest that the clearest strength and power gains show up in men and among adults below age 50. For instance, younger adults taking creatine powder while resistance training improved their bench and chest press strength by roughly 4 pounds compared with training alone. Some might feel that 4 pounds isn\u2019t life-changing, but especially for higher risk groups, a small edge may be worth it. (One caveat: As with most research on supplements, several scientists in these studies have industry ties.)<\/p>\n

Bone mineral density<\/b><\/p>\n

As a physician, I\u2019d love to see a benefit for my patients in bone mineral density, especially for postmenopausal women, and ultimately a reduction in fractures. Unfortunately, there have been no real-world studies clearly showing this is the case.<\/p>\n

A large randomised controlled trial of postmenopausal women doing regular resistance training found that creatine did not improve bone mineral density compared to placebo over two years. The same group had previously studied creatine supplementation for one year and saw some initial improvements in bone mineral density at the femoral neck (the most common site for hip fractures), so it was disappointing that this did not appear to hold in the long term. It\u2019s harder to remain compliant with creatine supplementation long-term, which could account for this difference.<\/p>\n

Phil Chilibeck, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan and the first author of both studies, noted that even if a clear improvement in bone mineral density didn\u2019t pan out, the two-year study still demonstrated other small but statistically meaningful benefits from creatine.<\/p>\n

Creatine helped increase walking speed and the geometric arrangement of bone \u2013 which, although not quite the same as bone mineral density, also \u201ctheoretically leads to higher bone strength,\u201d Chilibeck said in an email.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it worth it? I would say it is relatively inexpensive and better than most of the other supplements out there for increasing muscle mass and functional performance,\u201d he said. But, Chilibeck cautioned, \u201cmost people can expect only relatively small improvements\u201d.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/b><\/p>\n

Other studies have shown increased performance during short periods among female athletes taking creatine powder, which scientists believe is because creatine can add a burst of energy that helps people work a bit harder.<\/p>\n

And creatine powder combined with resistance training may help older adults with functional ability, such as standing up from a chair as many times as possible in 30 seconds without using your arms.<\/p>\n

Cognitive function<\/b><\/p>\n

The data on cognitive function is still in its infancy, and it\u2019s mixed. For instance, a 2013 randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial of older women did not find that creatine supplementation improved cognition or depression, while a small handful of observational studies have reported a positive association with memory testing and creatine intake among older adults (including from dietary sources \u2013 and not necessarily supplementation). More research on how creatine supplementation impacts the brain is still needed.<\/p>\n

How much creatine should you take?<\/p>\n

Start by discussing creatine with your physician, especially if you have kidney disease, as some case studies have found an increased risk of damage among those with baseline disease.<\/p>\n

In terms of dosage, even 3g of creatine powder a day has been shown to be as effective in the long term, at least for healthy men. For women \u2013 particularly, postmenopausal women \u2013 higher doses may be helpful, and studies suggest that 5-10g per day is optimal.<\/p>\n

One common approach for boosting muscle creatine stores quickly, which is used in several studies, is to take a \u201cloading\u201d dose of about 20g daily (broken up into smaller doses of 4-5g throughout the day) for about a week and then transition to a \u201cmaintenance\u201d dose in the range of 3-5g. But in people who take 3-5g daily, studies have found muscle creatine stores reach similar levels after about a month.<\/p>\n

Should I take creatine and protein powder?<\/p>\n

Protein powders \u2013 like whey, pea or soy \u2013 are often taken to support muscle recovery after exercise, and it\u2019s common for people to take both protein and creatine supplements. It\u2019s worth keeping a few things in mind though:<\/p>\n