Let’s talk Creatine. Is it safe? What do you need to know?

So many times I’ve had conversations with others that have started with, “Oh you take Creatine!?” Like it’s some sort of steroid. Or with a concerned response that someone’s uncle told them it was bad for their kidneys.

The truth is the International Society of Sports Nutrition regards Creatine as extremely safe and research shows it can be taken daily, even over several years.

It occurs naturally in your body, in your muscles and can be obtained naturally by eating meat or fish. As athletes who engage in high intensity exercise it’s important to supplement with additional Creatine as our bodies often don’t create enough and can utilize the extra Creatine to enhance exercise performance.

I often do notice my weight increase almost immediately when supplementing with Creatine, but I understand most of this is due to water distribution and when I stop the weight rips off pretty quickly, I also notice drastic strength increases after a couple days including it in my routine which make a temporary number on the scale going up worth it.

To maximize benefit, research shows you should take it immediately before or after your workout.