Creatine as a supplement is highly effective and enhances the workouts of millions of fitness enthusiasts all over the world. However, like all good things, there is a degree of skepticism and a whole ton of misinformation floating around that can be incredibly harmful in so many ways. While it is always advantageous to research a supplement before incorporating it into your regular routine, these common myths explained below should ease your mind somewhat in this journey.
Myth One: Kidney Damage is Likely with Prolonged Creatine Use
The kidneys’ role in the human body is to remove waste from the blood and pass it through to urine. While creatine does slightly increase creatinine levels in the body to a certain extent in some people, any pair of healthy kidneys will be able to deal with the elevation as it normally would. So, the only case where there may be a slight concern to think about is if you have kidneys that are not functioning as they should be. Which, for most people, is not going to be an issue.
Myth Two: Creatine Causes Gut Problems
The thing to keep in mind here is that if you ingest an amount of any supplement that is too high, your gut will suffer in some way. So, the main focus here should be on ensuring you are managing the doses correctly and never over-exerting the core intake. Anything as little as a 5mg increase over the recommended amount may cause symptoms like diarrhea and it all depends on how much you can handle personally and what you are used to taking. For instance, those dedicated to a muscle-building journey may have a routine of 20mg over the course of the day so in order for this to not cause gut problems, it should be divvied up into four doses of 5mg just to be safe.
Myth Three: You Will Get Cramps
There are a lot of people out there who would suggest that creatine makes you cramp up. While the logic somewhat checks out, for example, because this supplement takes a lot of water from the body, it can be managed. As long as you manage your water intake over the course of a workout, there should be no call at all for creatine to cause this type of problem.
Myth Four: Creatine Makes You Dehydrated
Following on from the cramps theory, and for the very same reason, it is also suggested that taking creatine can lead to a higher risk of becoming dehydrated during or after a workout. Obviously, there are many dangers to dehydration but the good news here is that this is a complete and utter mistruth. Yes, creatine attracts water but the flipside of this is that your body can handle it if you have the right amount of water during a workout.
Myth Five: Your Body Will Be Bloated
The bloating story comes up time and time again. A person starts taking creatine and then suggests that they look more bloated, or their skin appears puffier. However, there is no scientific reason why creatine would cause this type of symptom to occur.
Myth Six: You Will See a Weight Gain
The only weight gain you will see from creatine usage is from how it influences water storage in your muscles, and the fact that your muscles will also be growing. As your muscles get bigger, it is unrealistic to expect that they will not hold any weight. So, you will see a natural gain in this respect and this is actually a positive thing. You are not taking on more fat, and creatine won’t make you heavier in this context. It will do what you need it to do which is enable you to build muscle more efficiently. It is important to frame any weight gain in this light so that you don’t lose track of what’s important.
Myth Seven: Creatine is Actually a Steroid Supplement
Creatine supplements and anabolic steroids are two completely different things. There is nothing in the way they act or are produced to support this myth! Factually, a clean creatine HMB is a completely different, distinct product from any workout steroid out there and this will be clear as soon as you read the label. The biggest difference to take on board is that creatine is created from amino acids whereas steroids are created with cycloalkane rings which are entirely separate components.
Myth Eight: You Need a Lot for It to Work
You don’t! In fact, the recommended dose is somewhere between 3-5mg in any single sitting. If you go over this, you will have too much in your system and it can lead to unwanted side effects like GI problems. What you do need is a balanced diet, the right workout to complement it, and to take on enough water as well.
Myth Nine: There’s No Point in Taking Creatine If You’re Not a Bodybuilder
Creatine is not just for bodybuilders, nor is it solely a supplement for men. Anyone with fitness goals and muscle-building aspirations will benefit from creatine if they take it correctly and it can be highly effective for reaching fitness targets regardless of gender.
Myth Ten: Once You Stop, All Is Lost
The last myth to discuss is about what happens when you stop taking creatine supplements. Too many people in the world continue to believe that as soon as your creatine journey is over, you will lose everything you gained during the workouts. While there will always be a natural lull once the body is not receiving creatine any longer, your muscle strength and core mass should remain unaffected if you continue the rest of your routine as usual. You won’t immediately see a decrease in the shape or size of your muscles overnight, and you can keep it up.
So, there you have it. There are ten big myths that continue to circulate about creatine, but they are all debunked easily. The facts speak for themselves, and it is always better to move with the truth than believe gossip and misinformation.