When it comes to A-listed supplements creatine is top of the list, being one of the most researched and evidence-based ergogenic aids on the market. However, for some people this white powder is still mysterious and questionable… as it often raises concerns of water retention, kidney health, dosing protocols and the like.
Swipe through the above slides to read our evidence-based take on creatine, where we answer and provide reassurance for these common questions —>
The purpose of creatine in the body is to form creatine phosphate, which can rapidly regenerate ATP from ADP through phosphate donation. Creatine supplementation will “saturate” your muscle creatine stores, which can assist you in being more explosive, powerful, and stronger during exercise. This is because creatine phosphate is used as the very first energy source when you perform an exercise at maximal effort, such as a 100m sprint or 1RM squat.
A multitude of studies have shown that creatine can increase strength, power, and lean muscle mass in a range of different athletes across various sporting modalities. Also, creatine can positively influence cognition, including short-term memory and reasoning, and combat athletes who routinely supplement have been shown to have lower rates of TBIs.
The recommendations are to consume 0.03g/kg of bodyweight per day, which for most people equates to a daily dose of 3-5g creatine. You can simply start with this and expect muscle creatine stores to be saturated within ~30 days, however if you’d like to increase the rate of saturation you can consider a “loading phase”. This would involve consuming 20 grams of creatine per day for 5-7 days (split into 4 x 5g boluses). After this you can do a "maintenance" phase, which means consuming 3-5 grams of creatine every day following.
*Creatine can be sourced from the diet through meat products. However, to consume the same amount of creatine as you would from supplementation you would need to eat ~4-5kg of chicken/beef per day... we think most of us can agree creatine powder is more practical!