Does creatine affect the kidneys? Creatine - how to take it, everything you need to know. Treatment for elevated creatinine

Scientists from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil have a completely different point of view. They based their findings on a recent study of the effects of creatine on kidney health in eighteen healthy young adults. Researchers assessed kidney function and health using a new, more accurate method.

The traditional method doctors use to assess kidney health and function is to measure the rate at which creatinine, a byproduct of creatine, is cleared from the blood. The faster this happens, the better our kidneys work. But this method cannot be used if you are taking Creatine supplements. creatine is converted into creatinine in the body, accordingly, your tests will show an increased creatinine content, on the basis of which you can draw the erroneous conclusion that the kidneys are not working very well and creatine is to blame. Therefore, this method is completely unsuitable for determining the effect of creatine on kidney health.

Brazilian researchers divided the subjects into two groups of nine men. The first group received about 10 grams of creatine every day for three months. To be more precise - 0.3 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight per day. A second group of nine men received a placebo. Before the start of the study, all the men did not exercise at all, but during the experiment, each of the subjects began to train for at least 1 hour, 2-3 times a week.

The graph below shows what happened to the creatinine levels in the subjects' blood. As you would expect, it rose and was higher in the group that took creatine as a dietary supplement.

These are the results obtained by the standard method of analyzing kidney function, but Brazilian scientists used another, more accurate and correct method. They monitored the level of the protein Cystatin C in the blood of the subjects; the lower the level of this protein in the blood, the better the kidneys worked. As you can see in the graph below, by the last week of the experiment, the level of Cystatin C in the group that consumed creatine was lower than in the group that received only placebo.

Thus, we can conclude that consuming creatine is not only harmless, but even beneficial for the health of your kidneys.

Therefore, feel free to use creatine, because the bonuses it provides during training are very significant, and there are no side effects harmful to health.

The benefits of taking creatine have been proven. It is known to help increase training time and endurance in an athlete. However, it is very important to correctly draw up a scheme according to which sports nutrition is taken. In this case, an increase in muscle mass will soon be noticeable. But like other supplements, creatine has its drawbacks. So, does creatine have side effects or not?

Can creatine be harmful? When taking this supplement, severe side effects are observed quite rarely, in 4% of cases. However, they are usually associated with the products with which it was mixed.

Creatine monohydrate has been proven to have no harmful effects:

• To the liver and kidneys,
• On female reproductive function,
• On the cardiovascular system.

The supplement does not have a significant effect on the kidneys even when taking large doses, more than 30 g, of the drug. Renal markers remain normal. Despite the fact that the concentration of the substance in the urine increases significantly during the course, the kidneys cope with this load.

The only “but” is that the properties of creatine have not yet been sufficiently studied, so the kidneys remain at risk. There is an opinion that if you take the drug too often and significantly exceed the norm, you should be wary of the formation of stones and toxic effects on the kidneys.

Many male athletes are interested in the question of how creatine affects potency? To date, there is no evidence that creatine monohydrate has a negative effect on potency. Therefore, any rumors on this matter are a myth.

There is no evidence that it increases blood pressure. No carcinogenic or other negative effects on the body were observed. There is no evidence that the supplement is addictive. Creatine monohydrate does not cause any irreversible harm to health. Moreover, its benefit is that it prolongs life and improves its quality.

Most side effects are associated with products that are taken together with creatine - simple sugars and vasoactive amino acids. Scientists have studied creatine and identified contraindications such as diseased kidneys and taking medications that affect kidney function.

Water retention in the body

Many athletes who regularly take creatine monohydrate have noticed that the body retains water. In this case, there are no complications. Weight increases, but there is no swelling, so there is no need to take diuretics.

Dehydration

Despite the fact that the body saves water when taking the supplement, the athlete may experience dehydration. Under the influence of the drug, water accumulates in muscle tissue. In this case, side effects of the supplement are observed, such as metabolic disorders, acid-base balance and thermoregulation. Therefore, the benefits of taking the powder will be if you drink 3 liters of water daily. Replenishing lost fluid will normalize the electrolyte balance in the body and reduce other side effects.

Convulsions

Creatine monohydrate, when taken regularly, can also cause muscle spasms and cramps. This is due to the body being dehydrated. You just need to establish a drinking regime. Increasing training performance helps the athlete recover better. The cramps that accompany this process are completely normal and will pass quickly.

Digestive disorder

Some athletes have noticed that when taking an increased dose of the drug, the body reacts with nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. This effect was observed in athletes who were especially diligent in the gym. Their digestion of this amino acid was disrupted. You can prevent this and see the benefits of taking creatine by reducing the dosage of the drug and choosing only the highest quality and reliable sports nutrition.

Skin problems

Some athletes using creatine monohydrate have complained of skin problems. In fact, we can say that these are the benefits of creatine, because the level of testosterone in the body increases. And an increase in the amount of male hormone promotes increased muscle growth.

Allergic reactions

An allergy to creatine is usually associated not with the drug, but with the illnesses of the athlete himself. For example, people with asthma often experience shortness of breath, itching, peeling and rashes on the skin. In healthy people, this effect was observed quite rarely. In both the first and second cases, it is best to stop taking the drug.

The disadvantages of creatine do not end there. When taking the supplement, an allergic reaction may soon develop to other sports nutrition. That is, creatine monohydrate somehow helps the athlete’s body stop taking other drugs. Negative properties appeared when creatine was taken simultaneously with another supplement. How to minimize side effects in this case?

First, you need to make an appointment with an allergist and undergo an examination to find out if there is an allergen that causes all these effects.

It is very important to carefully analyze the composition of the drug before purchasing it. You should refuse to purchase if the packaging contains an ingredient that has allergic properties.

There is a widespread belief among athletes that allergy symptoms can be eliminated with special medications. And after that, continue to use sports nutrition. However, we must remember that such drugs simply hide the symptoms of the disease, but do not in any way affect their cause. It is best to completely avoid foods that pose a potential danger. Many athletes reached unimaginable athletic heights without special drugs.

Abuse

Despite all the disadvantages of creatine, an overdose of this drug has not yet been recorded. When consumed in excess, the amino acid tends to leave the body on its own. The kidneys actively remove it along with excess fluid.

So is creatine monohydrate harmful to health? Everyone must answer the question independently, based on the characteristics of their body.

Many sports dietary supplements do not contain something essential. So is creatine. This supplement has proven effectiveness, but it may well be synthesized in the body. We get creatine phosphate from amino acids, that is, with a sufficient amount of protein food. If there is a protein deficiency, the supplement will solve the problem of insufficient creatine. The overall goal of its use is to increase strength and training output. Creatine is used in bodybuilding, crossfit, powerlifting and general amateur fitness. It is suitable for men and women, and can be used during adolescence. This is a supplement without side effects for a healthy person. But many trainers believe that its use is not necessary. Why is this happening?

Creatine phosphate is a derivative of amino acids. It is mistakenly called an amino acid, although from a chemical point of view it is a metabolite.

To synthesize creatine, our body uses:

• Methionine;
• Glycine;
• Arginine

That is, technically, it is enough to simply eat protein foods, and the body itself will “make” the required portion of creatine to maintain the contractile activity of muscle fibers.

Interesting fact: foreign athletes massively prefer wild fish and farm beef. The reason is simple - the meat of trained animals contains about 20% more creatine and amino acids. But poultry, conventionally produced veal and farmed fish are “weak” options for replenishing creatine reserves.

Why should we take creatine if we already have to eat large amounts of meat in order to stay strong and beautiful? Creatine phosphate has been repeatedly recognized as a revolutionary supplement in sports nutrition. It's simple. Heat treatment of meat and fish leads to the reverse breakdown of the substance into amino acids. Thus, the body has to synthesize creatine again from amino acids. All this does not allow us to consider meat the optimal product for obtaining creatine phosphate.

In addition, the less heat treatment, the more creatine the meat contains. Few people are ready to eat raw fish and rare steaks every day. And it is not safe for digestion.

Unlike other protein metabolism derivatives, creatine is difficult to obtain from food. Only a person who consumes about 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight has a chance. Agree, there are not many of these among non-professional athletes. Therefore, even for the purposes of regular fitness, it makes sense to take creatine separately, as an additional food supplement.

Creatine is hardly metabolized in the body when taken as a supplement. It goes straight to the muscles and is stored there. The average athlete can store up to 450 g of creatine phosphate per month. How much do you need for active training? Various sources give figures of up to 20-30 g per day. For ordinary people - about 5-8 g. At the same time, the average dosage of creatine announced by companies selling sports nutrition is about 5 g.

Even theoretically, it is impossible to obtain such an amount of creatine from food. You need to eat several kilograms of meat per day. This will quickly lead to failure of the digestive system.

Is creatine needed for normal body function? Modern sources on sports medicine classify it as an essential substance. Creatine affects the following processes in the body:

• "Mobility" of cholesterol. This term refers to the ability to remove “bad” cholesterol and transport “good” cholesterol. Creatine affects the health of the cardiovascular system and can indirectly be considered a means of preventing high blood pressure;
• Increased lactate threshold. The lactate threshold is the body's ability to resist the effects of lactic acid. If you consume creatine, the body's performance will increase due to;
• Fluid retention and binding. This effect applies only to the muscles, and causes a pump during training, and a more “full” appearance after it;
• Improving oxygen supply to white muscle fibers, and, accordingly, improving their performance;
• Improves overall performance during training through fluid retention and improved angles.

Contrary to popular belief, creatine does not help “heal joints” or “fill” them with joint fluid. It only improves metabolic parameters, but does not affect joint health.

Creatine supplements are popular in strength sports. Indeed, this is a godsend for a bodybuilder who likes bulky muscles and just wants to look big. There is an opinion among bodybuilders that creatine can be used constantly while bulking, and at the very beginning of cutting, too, in order to maintain the speed of metabolic reactions.

But athletes who need to stay within a weight class are not very fond of creatine. It is known from practice that with the help of creatine supplements you can gain 2-3 kg of weight. Again, after stopping creatine, this weight quickly disappears, but many people don’t like the idea of ​​gaining weight, so they are against creatine supplements.

In strength sports and bodybuilding, creatine promotes:

1. Rapid muscle pumping, this is especially noticeable when taken together with arginine;
2. Mass growth;
3. When used together with selective androgen receptor modulators – acceleration of anabolic processes and a significant increase in strength;
4. When used “solo” - an increase in strength indicators for the duration of use;
5. Overcoming the “power plateau”;
6. Accelerating metabolism by gaining muscle mass;
7. Increasing the efficiency of the heart;
8. Glycogen binding and more efficient muscle function;

You can find information that creatine increases performance by 35%, which contributes to both strength and endurance. Moreover, the effects of creatine are not directly anabolic and therefore do not affect the athlete’s hormonal system.

It works indirectly. Creatine retains water, muscles plump up faster. This requires more oxygen consumption, improves blood circulation and muscle nutrition. As a result, a person breaks through a strength plateau. It turns out that the pumping effect helps to overcome a strength plateau and a plateau in endurance due to creatine.

Muscle pumping itself promotes:

• Increased oxygen supply;
• Glycogen retention

Creatine thus helps indirectly increase strength endurance. The normal effect of taking it is that the athlete learns to overcome heavy loads in a multi-repetition mode. Thus, working weights can increase from 50% to 60-70 of 1 RM in basic exercises. Over time, this leads to an increase in the athlete’s fitness and strength indicators.

Conclusion: creatine does not affect the human hormonal system. It is also not a selective androgen receptor modulator. It simply promotes the retention of glycogen and water in the muscles, which mechanically increases their performance. Creatine helps you become stronger and more resilient, but all this happens with an increase in the athlete's own weight.

"Filling" with water

Many bodybuilders specifically drink salty mineral water and increase the salt content in their diet during the off-season. This should promote greater endurance and strength, and serve as a means of injury prevention. Creatine works in much the same way. Its “mission” is to retain water. In the offseason, this could be promising in terms of injury prevention.

Important: “filling with water” also improves the biomechanical characteristics of the muscles, and therefore serves as a good way to prevent injuries resulting from poor technique.

“Filling” can also have side effects. It is a common cause of cramps, as an imbalance of mineral salts and water is created in the body. When performing heavy approaches in this condition, the athlete should always use the help of a spotter. The problem with cramps is solved by additional consumption of potassium and magnesium, but this also leads to a slight decrease in the amount of water in the muscles.

Increasing the amount of fluid in the muscles is considered beneficial, but it must be borne in mind that this point is not suitable for those who have problems with kidney health and high blood pressure.

So, creatine starts the process of increasing the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles. With adequate training loads, its use will also contribute to the growth of muscle mass. Creatine “gains mass” only when all conditions for normal protein synthesis are present. The athlete must eat normally and recover. Otherwise, creatine will be a useless supplement. These are not anabolic steroids to correct lack of regimen, lack of nutrition and too heavy, incorrectly selected training programs.

The work of creatine can be schematically represented as follows:

• When loading it in the muscles, fluid retention also occurs;
• A muscle pump leads to increased oxygen consumption and increased blood circulation;
• Amino acids that enter the body through nutrition are used for muscle growth;
• Anabolic processes are also supported by the partial resynthesis of creatine into amino acids;
• When increasing strength indicators, this scheme works better

So, creatine really helps you recover faster and build muscle. What about other sports indicators?

This substance is deservedly “disliked” by beginners who became acquainted with the phenomenon of creatine withdrawal too early. What it is? Over time, the substance accumulates in tissues, and all metabolic processes are concentrated on its removal. The body stops accepting creatine and simply tries to get rid of its excess. There is no point in drinking more. The athlete must stop taking it.

When you stop taking creatine, the following happens:

1. The substance accumulated in the muscles is removed from the body;
2. The liquid retained by it is “drained”;
3. The body no longer looks the same - the muscles become flatter;
4. Endurance indicators drop;
5. Pumping disappears

Important: Recovery from creatine is never complete. If you compare dry mass indicators before and after a course of creatine, they will differ.

It is advisable to cycle creatine intake according to your training plan. That is, when an athlete reaches the peak of strength, creatine supports his efforts. Then, when the reception stops, the athlete reduces the volume and intensity of the load and rests.

Creatine and bone density

Athletes supplementing with calcium and D3 may benefit from taking creatine. It serves as an indirect transport of these substances, which means that with its intake the bones are also strengthened.

Bone density is a value that depends on the athlete’s muscle mass. If muscles grow at a fairly slow, physiologically natural rate, as happens with creatine, the athlete receives stronger bones in addition to improved body quality. This allows him to be more protected from injury.

Creatine supplementation is therefore advisable in sports where there is a high level of impact and injury. There he is adjusted to the off-season, in which the athlete is engaged in general physical training.

Some athletes practice taking creatine while cutting. But this applies to those who have already completed several cycles of it and have a fairly small percentage of body fat. Such athletes do not need to significantly deplete glycogen stores, and they remove carbohydrates significantly only in the last weeks of cutting. Creatine helps them protect themselves from injuries, since in this case high-intensity training is used during cutting.

Most people do not use creatine when cutting. They immediately begin to practice a low-carb diet, and combining creatine with it is counterproductive.

1. Creatine retains glycogen in muscles.
2. When cutting, the goal of the diet is to deplete glycogen reserves so that the body begins to burn fat.
3. Creatine slows down this process.
4. The additive retains water. It is impossible to assess the athlete's physique. This leads to irregularities, mistakes, and suboptimal nutrition and training plans.
5. Creatine can contribute to the occurrence of cramps, since the water-salt balance during drying is disturbed.
6. In the final stages, the supplement can become the reason why “water does not drain”, since creatine retains water, and the athlete, on the contrary, strives to get rid of it.

But when losing weight in strength sports, creatine can be used. Let's say the preparation for the competition lasts 4 weeks. 2 of them, the athlete follows a diet with a slight calorie deficit and takes creatine. Before the start, the supplement is removed, which gives “minus 2 kg” at the weigh-in, and before the competition itself, a loading dose of creatine is taken to increase performance. This weight loss scheme is quite widespread.

Regular herring contains 26% creatine phosphate. It can be considered a good source, but only with heat treatment its beneficial properties are reduced, and it turns out that the athlete receives even less creatine. In fact, without sports nutrition products, it will not be possible to obtain normal dosages of creatine sufficient to solve the problems of building a body. Therefore, you should either admit that sports nutrition sometimes makes sense, or abandon the idea of ​​“breaking through a plateau” with creatine.

Indeed, to obtain creatine you will have to eat 4 kg of herring. And if someone is capable of such a feat, then he should know that the fish will have to be chewed raw, since cooked fish will contain even less creatine. The conclusion suggests itself - either put up with sports nutrition, or use other means of building muscle mass and recovery.

Side effects of taking

Creatine has been used in the sports nutrition market for more than 30 years. During this time, no serious problems associated with its use were identified. From the first examples back in 1996 to today's advanced forms of cre-alkaline, it is a relatively safe supplement.

However, discomfort may still occur when using it:

• The gastrointestinal tract may “rebel” during loading. This is due to a short-term local disturbance of the water-salt balance and tissue dehydration;
• Cramps due to electrolyte deficiency. They can be easily prevented by supplementing with electrolytes;
• Swelling of the face;
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency

You should not start taking creatine if you have kidney problems. Otherwise, it is a safe supplement. Side effects are closely related to the beneficial properties and mechanism of creatine, so it is not possible to completely get rid of them.

Taking creatine may affect your heart health. If an athlete practices loading, or simply consumes quite a lot of creatine, his heart may experience increased stress. Lactate buffering helps increase heart rate and strength. This can lead to tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbances, and even muscle microtrauma.

Important: the fast loading scheme has a greater impact on the heart. Sometimes it is recommended that if there is a high degree of risk, simply refrain from loading creatine, and take it exclusively at an even background.

There are two options for taking creatine. You can drink it with a load, or you can drink it without it. Proponents of the first format believe that this way the supplement starts working faster, and you can get benefits from using it almost immediately. The second option is milder in terms of side effects and prevents the body from retaining too much water or suffering from excess creatine. But the athlete will only feel the effect of the supplement for 2-3 weeks.

Loading involves consuming 20 g of pure creatine per day. This indicator does not depend on the athlete’s own weight. Loading increases supplement consumption quite significantly and may be too costly for some athletes.

In this case it is accepted as follows:

• 10 g in the morning, immediately after 1 meal, with sweet juice;
• 2 hours before training – about 7 g;
• In the evening after dinner - the remaining 13 g
• In all cases, creatine is drunk with sweet juice or water.

Once the peak is reached, and this becomes visible in muscle fullness and tolerance to training, it will be possible to reduce the dosage to maintenance. This is 5-6 g of creatine per day. The maximum duration of taking the supplement is 8 training weeks, then for a couple of days the dosage is reduced to 2-3 g, and then the creatine is completely “turned off”. How much rest do you need? There is no clear opinion on this matter. Athletes usually adjust the intake of such supplements to their “massing” and “cutting” cycles. Standard cutting lasts about 8 weeks, eliminating creatine for 12 weeks will help achieve the goal of reducing body fat.

The regimen for taking creatine without loading is simple. 5-6 grams before training, with sweet juice or any sweetened drink, 2.5 grams before and after training, no special benefits.

Note: Cre-alkaline has a different loading pattern. You need to follow the manufacturer's instructions, which we see on the packaging.

Top Creatine Phosphate Supplements

Creatine can be found in all brands of sports nutrition:

• Optimum newtrition;
• Ultra;
• Biotech, Dimatize, others

Domestic sports nutrition manufacturers are not lagging behind, and each offers us their own versions of creatine.

Manufacturer brands more or less cope with the task of supplying high-quality creatine. This supplement is difficult to spoil, so it makes sense to consider only the types of creatine

Creatine monohydrate. It loads quickly, as you can consume up to 50 g of creatine per day. It is well absorbed by the body, does not contain any impurities or additives, and is easy to use.

Creatine phosphate. This is a cheaper supplement with lower bioavailability. Therefore, you need to exceed the dosage recommended by the manufacturer by about a quarter so that the body absorbs all the creatine provided.

Creatine with transport system. An option for those who don’t want to waste time searching for sweet juices and drink a lot of tea. It is convenient to stir it and drink it before training to satisfy the body's need for creatine. Usually creatine with transport is the most expensive, so for loading they take regular one, and this one they simply drink before training to reduce the time spent on taking supplements.

Creatine hydrochloride. This is an innovative product from Biotech, designed to provide all the benefits of creatine without flooding the body with water. Designed for those who want to maintain a drier, more toned appearance. In fact, creatine hydrochloride does not have any proven advantages over monohydrate, so you should decide for yourself whether to purchase it or not.

Creatine, as you know, is an amino acid produced by the body with the help of glycine, arginine, methionine and metabolized in nervous tissues, myocardial and skeletal muscles. It is necessary, first of all, as the main activator of ATP resynthesis, effective pumping and powerful recovery. These properties are very important for athletes, and since natural production cannot fully satisfy their needs, almost all active athletes consume creatine as part of sports nutrition. Many athletes who think about the possible harm of this substance are concerned with the question - can the kidneys hurt when taking creatine, given that these organs are not only its initial depot during self-synthesis, but also its final depot - when removing metabolites - creatinine?

In fact, the effect of creatine on the kidneys of healthy people is practically reduced to zero, even with increased loading dosages. In general, creatine does not have any negative effect on internal organs, but if they are sick, its metabolites are not fully excreted, which can lead to negative consequences. Let's look at how creatine affects the kidneys and how it is possible to prevent such side effects from taking it.

So, if creatine hurts your kidneys and other pronounced symptoms of deteriorating health are observed, these could be:

• Acute renal failure, when this organ begins to work poorly and creatinine, as well as urea, accumulate in large quantities in the bloodstream. Because of this, water metabolism is disrupted. This disease often occurs due to poisoning with toxic substances, in shock conditions characterized by significant loss of blood, and burns.
• Chronic renal failure.
• Serious massive injuries, postoperative condition.
• Prolonged compression (occurs in people who have spent a long time under some kind of rubble).
• Dehydration (dehydration).
• Kidney diseases.

All these disorders appear not because creatine affects the kidneys, but because of its significant accumulation in the blood, as a result of the fact that the organ itself cannot cope with the removal of final metabolites. And not only increased consumption of creatine at this time can negatively affect health, but also even intake, for example, of high-protein mixtures.

How creatine helps identify kidney disease

Due to the unique way creatine and kidneys interact, many dangerous diseases can even be detected at an early stage using a standard blood test. So, for example, in a healthy woman, the standard norm for creatine content will be 53-97 µmol/l, in a man this figure is slightly higher - 55-115 µmol/l. Excess values ​​detected during the examination help to begin treatment before it enters a critical phase.

The effect of creatine on the kidneys, with significant consumption, has not yet been identified, with the exception, again, of dehydration, which can be prevented by drinking at least 3 liters per day. liquids, including water, milk, compotes, juices and even broth from soups, as well as taking high-quality supplements from trusted manufacturers.

Who doesn't dream of a beautiful, sculpted body? Athletes who are fanatics can hone their muscles for hours, but this is never enough to achieve their goal. In order for workouts to produce quick results, bodybuilders turn to various nutritional supplements, including creatine. This is an amino acid that is synthesized from arginine, glycine and methionine and takes part in the energy metabolism of nerve and muscle cells. Is creatine harmful to health and what are its benefits?

Enzymes that are involved in the synthesis of creatine are produced by the pancreas, liver and kidneys. After this, the substance enters the muscle tissue through the circulatory system and accumulates there. Smaller amounts of creatine can be found in the human heart muscle, scrotum and brain.

The harm of creatine to human health

In pursuit of a beautiful body, athletes introduce creatine into their diet as a dietary supplement. The thing is that, regularly entering the body, this substance promotes muscle mass gain and significantly accelerates this process. This substance acts as a lactic acid buffer, helping muscle tissue recover faster after physical activity. Why is creatine harmful to health and is it so dangerous?

1. Creatine retains fluid. Since the number of muscle cells is constantly increasing, the body experiences additional stress, so urea is produced in smaller quantities. Kidney function is slightly suppressed and there is a risk of swelling in the extremities. However, no cases of edema have been identified - this is due to the fact that water retention is insignificant. Diuretics are not compatible with a dietary supplement, and if a bodybuilder is overly concerned about his health due to insufficient fluid output, then it is best to stop taking this product.
2. Dehydration. Active growth of muscle mass requires the intake of additional fluid, so the water balance in the body may be disrupted. This is a natural process, because the body is rebuilding to a new regime. If physical activity is the same, then, as a rule, there is nothing to worry about. It is enough to constantly drink water throughout the day. As for the use of creatine during the period of increasing load or during the drying period during heavy cardio training, then health can really be harmed. Therefore, you can administer the supplement while maintaining your usual sports regimen.
3. Among the side effects of taking this substance, several more unpleasant reactions can be identified. At the beginning of use, you can observe frequent dyspeptic disorders: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain. Manufacturers claim that this is a normal phenomenon, especially at the beginning of taking the supplement, but no one has canceled the concept of individual intolerance. When such symptoms appear, it is better to listen to your body for a while, and if such reactions continue to appear, then this only means one thing - you need to stop taking this remedy.
4. Skin rashes. Creatine can often cause such harm to the female half of the population. This is due to the active production of hormones while taking the nutritional supplement. The fact is that muscle growth is accompanied by an increased release of male hormones: androstenedione and testosterone. That is why the stronger half of the planet's population is distinguished by more developed muscles - these hormones are secreted more actively in its representatives. In women, their excess can cause an imbalance, which usually affects the condition of the skin. Men are also susceptible to acne while taking the supplement, but this occurs less frequently.
5. An increase in muscle mass under the influence of creatine occurs due to muscle hypertrophy. It is believed that it is precisely because of this ability that steroid drugs negatively affect the heart. While taking the drug, some complained of interruptions in its work and the appearance of respiratory arrhythmia. An overdose of creatine threatens the manifestation of arterial fibrillation, and this is dangerous because the heart rhythm is disrupted, and scars can even form on the organ itself. If such reactions are detected, creatine intake should be stopped or the dose reduced to 5 g per day. The occurrence of such symptoms is also associated with a lack of fluid and blood thickening as a result.

What are the benefits of creatine?

So is creatine really harmful? Opinions are divided, some say that creatine is like a poison, while others attribute incredible healing powers to it. However, there are also health benefits from this substance, and they are as follows:

• taking it regularly lowers cholesterol levels;
• the use of a dietary supplement allows muscles to quickly recover after active growth and physical activity;
• it is used to treat atrophy and weakness of the corset muscles;
• creatine has an anti-inflammatory effect in various types of inflammation;
• As a result of taking the substance, muscle mass quickly increases.

Features of using the supplement

This substance cannot be used constantly, as the body quickly gets used to the next dose and stops producing creatine naturally. Thus, the harm of creatine to health is that a strong dependence develops, because if you stop taking it, the production of the amino acid will not resume immediately, and muscle mass will decrease.

Teenagers involved in sports cannot use this supplement, since their bodies are not yet formed and are in the growth stage. Taking creatine in this case can result in problems in the functioning of the heart muscle and hormonal imbalances.

The truth is also hidden in the fact that manufacturing companies downplay the importance of individual intolerance and are silent about the possible side effects of the drug.

You should not rely on rave reviews about creatine - before you start taking it, you need to weigh the pros and cons yourself. Perhaps it’s worth thinking about the fact that to form beautiful muscles, it’s enough to eat right, sleep well and work out in the gym, and introducing any additives that are harmful to your health is a piece of cake.