Is there any side effect of taking creatine?

Since the first creatine supplement, Phosphagen, was released by the supplement business EAS in the early 1990s, it has become one of the most well-known sports supplements. What follows is history. The main function of creatine is to produce and produce ATP, our body's natural source of energy. Fast-twitch muscle fibres, which are used for activities like weightlifting, sprinting, and functional training that call for brief bursts of energy, have demonstrated in studies that creatine supplementation can increase performance measurements. Nevertheless, despite the fact that creatine monohydrate is supported by clinical research as an ergogenic aid, there are a few drawbacks that everyone should be aware of before determining if it's appropriate for them.

Before you click the "buy it now" button, let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of taking creatine monohydrate.

What Is Creatine?

The human body naturally contains the chemical creatine. The amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine, which are found in meals like red meat and fish, are used to make creatine in the liver. Phosphocreatine, a form of creatine that is retained in the skeletal muscles, is used as an energy source during rapid bursts of activity or intense exercise. One of the most widely used ergogenic aids, studies show that taking creatine supplements raises the levels of the amino acids creatine and phosphocreatine in skeletal muscle tissue by 15 to 40%, which boosts the ability to train anaerobically and improves performance.

Pros of Creatine:

• Provides Strength & Muscle Mass

  Numerous research have looked into how creatine affects strength. 30 male research participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups in a study that was published in the journal Metabolism: creatine (Cr), creatine plus resistance training (CR-RT), or placebo plus resistance training (PL-RT). Creatine groups received doses of 20g on days 1–5 and 10g on days 6–28. The body mass and water content of the CR and CR-RT groups significantly increased after 28 days of creatine administration. The strength of CR-RT significantly increased after 28 days of treatment. Lean body mass and strength are increased over the long term through long-term adaptations that occur when creatine supplementation and exercise programmes are combined. According to research, increases in athletic prowess and the capacity to execute high-intensity exercise as a result of enhanced creatine availability and ATP synthesis lead to tougher and better training results and increases in muscle growth and strength. It's vital to remember that ergogenic effects only occur after creatine loading. This indicates that 20g of supplements must be taken daily for 5-7 days before phosphocreatine levels are sufficient to enhance performance.

• Provides Power 

  Studies indicate that taking a creatine supplement can boost maximal power and performance, especially when used in conjunction with high-intensity training methods like CrossFit and HIIT, which demand constantly changing motions and frequent periods of work and rest [R].
  
  There is a tonne of literature on the impact of creatine supplementation on peak performance. Creatine can boost cycling power, total work capacity, as well as time trials in swimming and sprinting, according to short-term adaptations.

  Creatine Monohydrate Pros In Summary:

  • Strength
  • Power
  • More Muscle Force
  • More Work Capacity
  • Extra Muscle Mass

  Creatine Monohydrate's Cons:

   It is true that taking creatine monohydrate necessitates a "loading phase" or creatine load. According to studies, 20g of creatine monohydrate, or 5g, given four times daily led to a 20% increase in total muscle creatine reserves after just six days. It has also been demonstrated that increasing muscular creatine levels requires taking a 3g dose four times per day for a total of 12g per day for a period of 28 days. A daily dose of 3-5g of creatine can be used to maintain an elevated creatine concentration after that.
  

  Since creatine monohydrate has a loading period, there are a couple of things to be aware of.

  1. Performance won't be improved until the loading period is through and your muscles are fully saturated with creatine. 
  2. You will have wasted 120g of creatine monohydrate before it even begins to work because it needs a loading period of 20g for 6 days.
   
  Muscle creatine concentration will revert to baseline if creatine administration is discontinued for longer than 4 weeks [R].
  
  Since creatine has a low bioavailability, it must be supplemented. Creatine breaks down into the poisonous byproduct creatinine. Creatinine is a byproduct of the metabolism of creatine and has undesirable side effects such bloating, cramping, and water retention.

In a side-by-side comparison research, pH and stability testing were done to compare Kre-Alkalyn, a ph adjusted form of creatine, to creatine monohydrate in terms of creatinine conversion. The results were published in the International Journal of Pharmacology. For the purpose of figuring out shelf-life stability, both accelerated and real-time testing were done. A negligible quantity of creatine was transformed into creatinine during the accelerated testing at 150 days, or the equivalent of 5 years in real time, and 0.1% at 180 days, or the equivalent of 6 years in real time. When creatine monohydrate is dissolved in water, the pH ranges from 2-3, creating a very acidic environment. Because of the higher acidic environment, it quickly transforms into creatinine, which has negative side effects include bloating, water retention, and poor absorption. Because it is less bioavailable, your body requires more creatine monohydrate, which is why it needs to be loaded.

Responders VS Non-Responders

A study from the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia found that taking 20g of creatine for three days increased total creatine levels in some people (responders), but not in others (nonresponders). The response was highest in those with the lowest baseline total creatine, such as vegetarians.

This basically suggests that people with low muscle tissue creatine concentration already benefit more from creatine supplementation. Since those who eat a plant-based diet have higher muscle creatine concentrations than those who have a protein-rich diet rich in red meat, fish, and poultry, they do not respond as well.

Water Retention

Due to creatine's high hydrophilicity (ability to attract water), water is drawn into the muscle tissue. Your arms, legs, or abdomen may appear bloated or puffy because your muscles may retain water [R]. With creatine monohydrate intake, there is a tendency for an increase in fat-free body mass of up to 1-3 kg.

Body Cramps

 Although there have been many anecdotal reports and claims that taking creatine supplements can make you cramp, there is currently no clinical evidence to back up this claim. Although athletes taking creatine may experience these symptoms, there is no proof that supplementing with creatine increases the likelihood that they will cramp. In light of the study's structure and length, some negative effects might not manifest until after lengthy supplement regimens. A recent policy statement by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in 2000 encouraged people to avoid creatine supplementation if they are maintaining their weight and exercising vigorously or in hot surroundings, despite the fact that a number of published research have disproved these statements. Creatine may cause dehydration if not taken with enough water, especially in hot weather or after intense exercise, even if there is only anecdotal evidence of cramping. To reduce the risk of cramping, drink plenty of water and electrolytes while using creatine supplements.

What’s The Best Form Of Creatine?

Creatine has been shown to increase strength and muscle mass by enhancing power and force through the stimulation of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the body's natural energy source for intracellular energy transfer. This claim is supported by a large body of peer-reviewed literature and clinical research. Despite the evidence from clinical studies, creatine monohydrate can still cause side effects such bloating, anecdotal cramping incidents, water retention, and low bioavailability. Other forms of creatine have been developed to treat these side effects, offer a more effective dose of creatine, and increase performance metrics as a result of these negative downsides. Swolverine offers Kre-Alkalyn for this reason.

 

 Creatine monohydrate has been shown in more than 500 research studies to improve strength and power during high-intensity training. Nevertheless, supplementing with creatine has some drawbacks, including loading, bloating, low absorption, and water retention. According to studies, Kre-Alkalyn is a superior source of creatine that can assist increase strength, power, and force while also enhancing endurance and offering greater convenience and value.