Are There Any Side Effects to Taking Creatine?
Ғылым және технология
Is creatine bad for you? A misinterpretation of lab tests may explain concerns over kidney safety with creatine supplementation.
If you missed it, check out the previous video: What Is Creatine? Can It Treat Sarcopenia (Muscle Loss with Age)? (nutritionfacts.org/video/what....
I first talked about the contamination issue a decade ago in Creatine Brain Fuel Supplementation (nutritionfacts.org/video/crea....
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Пікірлер: 153
Love seeing our plant based boss finally talk about creatine 🙏🏻
@AnHourOfWolves
9 ай бұрын
There is one other video from a couple years ago too , this one is much more detailed tho…
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
No any new info added
@chrisevans2328
9 ай бұрын
@@AnHourOfWolves v
Something that has mixed evidence and is one hypothesis as to how it can improve muscle mass with exercise is an increase in DHT without an increase in overall testosterone in men, especially with higher doses, which has an effect on different types of prostate cancer. There's anecdotal evidence from many men who supplement with creatine that it can possibly increase the rate of androgenic alopecia, which would at least point in the direction of some change in androgens at larger doses when combined with strength based exercise.
Could Mr. Greger explain the fuss about creatine and hair loss? I know this only comes from one (2009) study but it amazes me that creatine is one of the most studied supplements and we still have no clear answer about the relationship between creatine and hair loss... Would be so nice to get a video on nutritionfacts about this...
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
Brad Stanfield has a good KZread video on that study and the subject of creatine and hair loss
@user-cf3ce4ke4l
9 ай бұрын
@@davin8r Thanks :-
I wonder what supplements Dr. Greger takes
finally a real doctor talks
How long does it take for the excess Creatine to be cleared from the body to the extent that it will not impact our lab tests? It is good to hear that I can possibly put Creatine back on my supplementation schedule. It does give me an energy boost during my workouts.
2:10 if I add the supplement on top of a (very) hot meal, would that pose the threat of creating those carcinogens? ...or: what's the allowed temperature? Thanks for the video!
I remember taking it in the 90s and it used to make the glands in my neck swell up and made me feel sick! Tried it again this time creapure from bulk starting about 6 months ago and as a man in my mid fifties is really helping with strength and muscle fatigue. I would say i am about 15% stronger when taking creapure. No percieved side effects this time either.
@scuba453
9 ай бұрын
I always used to buy Creapure but nowadays many brands stopped using it. Also creatine prices have doubled/tripled since Covid. Which brand do you buy?
@botzer8817
9 ай бұрын
In the video he's referring to Creapure?
@6681096
9 ай бұрын
@@botzer8817no crepure is a brand made in Germany. Several supplements manufacturers do use crepure brand creatine
@javadivawithdog
9 ай бұрын
Gastrointestinal effects have seriously limited my ability to take creatine 😢
@marcr5100
9 ай бұрын
1:33 might have just been caused by a contaminant back then!
Very interesting!
Very interesting! Have there been any studies on L-glutamine supplementation to protect against sarcopenia?
Good to know about kidney test readings being elevated. 👍
Does anyone know the risks involved with cycling off creatine? I find the "comedown" particularly bad... brain fog, lethargy, memory loss etc...
Creative raised ALT dramatically if you have liver problems such as being a hep B carrier.
I’ll pass on it. Thank you for another informative vid
I mix 3 g into my protein powder that I take every day. There are too many confounding variables in my life for me to say whether it's had any benefit. I also take a dozen types of dietary supplements in pill form, so I can't really associate cause and effect with any of them. But overall, it seems like a pretty good bet, and cheap compared to things like medical insurance and doctor's bills.
How are creatine supplements sourced?
I eat everything. Since I am 65 yrs old. Can't afford all these supplements except I buy Vit D mag+ K+. Also my Creatinine (related to Kidney function) is 1.3, high-normal, so I'm not taking Creatine. Great info, thanks !
Could you talk about Creatine and the correlation with hair loss?
@truthbetold6496
3 ай бұрын
no its a bogus study
I had the worst, most painful putbreak of gout I have ever had after being on creatine for a week or so. Threw the rest away.
@shiv_ring
9 ай бұрын
How much did you take and what was the quality (cost), or brand of the product?
Everything I start taking creatine, I get joint pain after a few days. Have tried several different brands, even increased the amount of water I take, but the problem still persists for me with creatine
@Drgluee
9 ай бұрын
I suffer from PVCs.. I only get them once in a while, but if I take creatine, almost a week after the loading period my PVCs happen at least 10x as much as without it. Hardly any side effects? BS... they are hiding them.. And this stuff has been around a long time.
As suggested in the video, the side effect I had is that it messed-up my creatinine bloodwork results, alarming my GP. I quit creatine and tested normal 4 weeks later. I'm not comfortable foregoing the creatinine metrics, so I'm staying away from creatine. Age 55 at the time.
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
Yes stay away of creatine. it isn't for you.
@pstuelpner
9 ай бұрын
I am a 74 year old. I took only 1 gram of creatine for a few months and it also made my creatinine levels go out of the normal range. I quit the creatine and it went back to normal at my next blood test. My doc said she never heard of that but thanked me for bringing that to her attention.
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
@@pstuelpner she lives in the outer space.
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
Creatinine is a terrible marker of renal function in people who resistance train and take creatine supplements. Cystatin C is a much more accurate test and is widely available if you just ask.
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
@@davin8r Also beta-trace protein (BTP).
After taking creatine for a few weeks, I began to have cramps in my legs at night. Googled it to find that it is a side effect-apparently takes water from cells in the muscle. Stopped taking creatine and the cramping stopped.
@truthbetold6496
3 ай бұрын
take 3-5g per day and drink more water, what i notice is that i pea a lot more when i take creatine.
Should you use it with cirrhosis of the liver
I drink coffee in the morning. Is it safe to take creatine later in the afternoon or evening even if I drink some tea?
It gave me a painful outbreak of gout. It took me a few weeks to find out it was creatine.
How do you reconcile this with your other videos? Creatine apparently increases IGF-1, which you have scorned in your previous videos.. and you're recommending this?
@Mikathedog100
Ай бұрын
He's reading out the data. He's not telling anyone to take it.
I'm glad you are discussing the older adult population and one of the main concerns when they come into long-term care facilities. We are now admitting residents with severe to extreme malnutrition, all associated with sarcopenia. It seems that there is still no "magic pill" to improve their muscle mass quickly. Goos nutrition assessment and team intervention remain the key.
I don't know what it was, but I stopped taking it because it started to give me severe insomnia. Haven't taken creatine since. I started taking a natural extract of cordyceps mushrooms instead, it's been great.
@botzer8817
9 ай бұрын
Lol I take it just before sleeping, no issue for me
@venkatsai1405
9 ай бұрын
@@botzer8817 All bodies are not same.. Yes... Even I faced issues with sleeping, so left... It's not coincide because I have tried trice in my life and the 3 times I was affected by bad sleep..
@TheDTVOfficial
8 ай бұрын
I started taking micronized creatine mono 2 weeks ago, 5g daily.. 1st week, felt normal.. 2nd week of taking it, I felt dizzy a couple of minutes after taking it.. I also felt anxious and had difficulty sleeping.. so I stopped taking it yesterday, and today I feel good.. I'll let my body reset for a couple of days then try decreasing the does to 2.5g daily and see how it goes.. I think the standard does of 5g daily is too much for my current weight.. (note that i don't drink caffeinated beverages, i eat mostly whole foods throughout the week and supplement with whey and get 6-7 hours of sleep daily)
awesome 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I have gout and I saw a paper saying creatine can increase uric acid levels, did you find this when making this video? I am interested in creatine supplementation but will hold off if it means more gout flareups.
@megeek727
9 ай бұрын
I didn't know about that. Are you Vegan or Plant Based?
@cindi79
9 ай бұрын
I have RA and OA and had a bout of gout 3 years ago. After research I started sipping ACV for the uric acid level and gout left in about 3 days never to return. Still sip ACV for prevention. I started creatine 5 days ago and am curious to see if my gout comes back. I take folic acid for the uric acid to keep it under control already.
@supermills03
9 ай бұрын
@@megeek727 I'm not but I have cut way back on animal based foods the past year, I had a flareup on Monday that I think must have been from a couple oktoberfest beers and eating a lot of beets this weekend of all things.
@supermills03
9 ай бұрын
@@cindi79 I'm taking allopurinol for it and seems to be working pretty well, although my levels are still elevated from a recent blood test, but that's probably just because I forget to take the meds some days.
The Sultan of sarcopenia speaks!!
So does Dr Greger recommend we take creatine or not? Previous videos concluded the risk of adulteration tipped the balance against it. Has that advice changed?
@MatthewMartinDean
9 ай бұрын
I think he's implying the evidence is in favor if you use a brand that has been recently checked for impurities by a 3rd party. (also elsewhere in another video he said it could be used when homocysteine were high despite getting enough B vitamins)
@xcast1
9 ай бұрын
And effect is only w serious max out resistance training for sarcopenia treatment or athletic muscle maxing. Otherwise the risks of contamination and lack of long-term data and cost may not be worth it. (And unknown risk of endogenous synthesis capacity suffering long-term)
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
Getting branded creatine such as Creapure (made in Germany) avoids the potential issue of quality, contamination, etc
@Andrew-ug2cy
9 ай бұрын
@@davin8rexplain please. Is it third party tested?
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
@@Andrew-ug2cy just do an internet search
My ex tried taking it and he ended up projectile vomiting all over and he was not one to throw up. It was not easy to clean up either.
Love this man.....with a little butter .
5% just seems not worth the non-zero risk- especially taking it for life. Put the same effort into lifting harder. Almost everyone can do that and zero side effects.
@A_A828
9 ай бұрын
What’s the risk though? If you get decent, third party-tested creatine there’s not really any indications of negative or dangerous effects, and quite convincing positives.
@AR-fx2mv
9 ай бұрын
No long term studies on liver damage. Some indications that it's not good for liver. Even reputable sources have no regulation.
@A_A828
9 ай бұрын
I understand your concern, but with creatine being used by millions for decades I figure we would have seen some sort of enormous wave of anecdotal reports of people suffering liver cirrhosis/failure by now… I’m usually pretty cautious too but I really haven’t seen any particularly concerning stuff regarding creatine.
@AR-fx2mv
9 ай бұрын
In the video, he says confirmed problems with people that have other liver issues. As people age, they develop liver issues. Hence non-zero risk of life time use vs zero risk of just lifting harder. If you really think your lift is already pinned, then maybe this gives you another 5%. I think everyone could lift harder, including me. So i'll focus there instead of adding non-zero risk. There's also additional risk of no oversight of suppliers. Better to avoid.
@A_A828
9 ай бұрын
@@AR-fx2mv He says there might be some risks for those with pre-existing kidney issues taking ridiculously high doses (like 6-7x the normal dose) but even then as far as I understand it’s nothing life-or-death or irreversible. Furthermore there’s nothing mentioned at all about the liver in this video. A normal daily dose of creatine (like 3g) is generally considered to be well-tolerated and safe with plenty of positive effects, especially for vegans who don’t get any creatine through their diet. Of course, you are free to do with your own body as you please, but I just don’t think creatine really warrants that much concern.
I took creatine for 3 months prior to my physical this year. ALT and AST liver enzymes were higher than ever before, out of normal range first time ever. Retested after a month suspecting creatine and low and behold, back to normal. Be careful with supplements.
@Chatoyancify
9 ай бұрын
This is why high purity is necessary. Was it the creatine or was it impurities that caused these levels to rise?
@RichS.73yroldbodybuilder
9 ай бұрын
look at 2:56 and you’ll see that the test is for normal people with normal kidneys. If the level rises, that means there’s something wrong with them. By introducing the creatine, it’s not hurting your kidneys it’s just showing that the levels are higher as if there was something wrong with your kidneys, it is not saying that it’s hurting your kidneys. It’s just saying the level looks like there is something wrong, the standard was made without the idea of putting more creatine into your system. It doesn’t mean your system is breaking down. It just means it’s actually removing what you’re adding, if you stopped it, they would go right back to normal. It does not have anything to do with functionality of the kidneys.💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
I remember starting and loading on Creatine back in the late 1990's and for a week my biceps almost doubled in size because of water retention. It looked awesome but I had trouble even bending my arms at the elbows because they muscle wouldn't stretch.
I started taking micronized creatine mono 2 weeks ago, 5g daily.. 1st week, felt normal.. 2nd week of taking it, I felt dizzy a couple of minutes after taking it.. I also felt anxious and had difficulty sleeping.. so I stopped taking it yesterday, and today I feel good.. I'll let my body reset for a couple of days then try decreasing the does to 2.5g daily and see how it goes.. I think the standard does of 5g daily is too much for my current weight.. (note that i don't drink caffeinated beverages, i eat mostly whole foods throughout the week and supplement with whey and get 6-7 hours of sleep daily)
@mmhmm9271
6 ай бұрын
Can I ask how much you weigh? I'm considering what dosage to use myself, I weight about 73-74kg
@TheDTVOfficial
6 ай бұрын
@@mmhmm9271 i maintain an average of 140lbs.. i'm 5'6".. i settled for 2.25g daily.. whenever i try a dosage above that, the symptoms return.. it may be different for you.. i suggest you start low and increase dosage until you start feeling side effects, then trim down from there..
This was part two of his videos on the subject. But I'm sorry to say, hardly conclusive. I was hoping given that so many 'experts' recommend it for a more in depth video.
Creatine (3.75g/day) made me itch like mad on my back and sides. I saw a comment elsewhere a while ago that said the same thing. So I stopped and 10 days later, no itching. Just to check I started the creatine at reduced levels and after about three weeks, the itching started up again. Itching like this is possibly symptomatic of other effects elsewhere, possibly on organs like the kidneys or liver. So I've stopped supplementing with creatine for good.
@botzer8817
9 ай бұрын
Aren't you confusing with beta alanine? Maybe you're allergic
@BigdogDog-rk8ci
2 ай бұрын
Are you sure the itching wasn't from something else 😁
👍 Whole food plant based for the environment and health; vegan for the victims!
@redauwg911
9 ай бұрын
you mean vegans the longest living people on earth
I took it in my 20s while working out with no issues but tried it again in my 40s while losing weight with intermittent fasting and suffered from insomnia. Basically, I'd be wide awake by 3:30am no matter what I did which started when I started taking it and lasted until a week after I stopped. I had the same issue with the low/no calorie artificial sweeteners (or even natural ones).
@goku445
9 ай бұрын
There was coke in your creatine.
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
This is why scientists do placebo controlled research studies. No increased risk of insomnia compared to placebo treatment.
@YTStopCensoringFreedomOfspeech
9 ай бұрын
It might not be from creatine, it's probably from your fasting and caloric deficit. This sounds to me like your body is in a heavy ATP oxidative energy state. Which will lead to fat burning, but the consequence of this will be more difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Your adrenaline is high. Try doing your window of fasting earlier in the day so when you break fast, it's later. Your last meal will be closer to bed time. Also include some starches in the last meal to assist with the reduction of epinephrine, and increase levels of tryptophan in your blood for later brain metabolic conversion to serotonin and melatonin. This will provide a deeper sleep.
@zukodude487987
9 ай бұрын
To me it seems like your creatine might contain stimulants. Check the ingredients.
@TheDTVOfficial
8 ай бұрын
I started taking micronized creatine mono 2 weeks ago, 5g daily.. 1st week, felt normal.. 2nd week of taking it, I felt dizzy a couple of minutes after taking it.. I also felt anxious and had difficulty sleeping.. so I stopped taking it yesterday, and today I feel good.. I'll let my body reset for a couple of days then try decreasing the does to 2.5g daily and see how it goes.. I think the standard does of 5g daily is too much for my current weight.. (note that i don't drink caffeinated beverages, i eat mostly whole foods throughout the week and supplement with whey and get 6-7 hours of sleep daily)
My sons took it while working out and they seemed far more aggressive -- not in a good way. I want to see a study that looks at the effect on the amygdala.
@tj9382
9 ай бұрын
Well they told you it was creatine but they were probably on gear. It’s a common ruse to tell people you’re taking creatine to explain the dramatic gains that come from steroid abuse.
@asldfjkalsdfjasdf
9 ай бұрын
it has been proven that some companies put gear in the creatinine ...
Caused dry bloodshot eyes for me.
Yeah, there are! You get bigger, stronger and smarter in the long run.
Some cooking methods can actually increase the creatine content of food. For example, slow cooking meat in a liquid (sous vide) can increase the creatine content by up to 10%. This is because the low heat and long cooking time can help to break down the connective tissue in the meat, which releases creatine.
I take Creapure, made in Germany, which essentially eliminates the risk of contaminated creatine. It's pricier but worth the piece of mind for such a great supplement.
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
Who knows!
Ive tried it a few times and each time my wife has told me it gives me a bloated face.
I take 3-5g creating every morning depending if I’m physically active or not that day and I mix it with 300ml water
@xcast1
9 ай бұрын
Serious max out strength training or just some 'activity'? In the later case there is likely no real effect. (And unknown risk of endogenous synthesis capacity suffering long-term, and risk of contaminants as explained.)
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
The evidence for creatine preventing sarcopenia in the elderly argues against the necessity of "serious max-out intensity exercise" to reap benefits from supplementation.
@xcast1
9 ай бұрын
@@davin8r Watch the last creatine episode 2 days back from about min 2:00, and the balance of evidence: Its only the extra volume and intensity of strength training (enabled by C) which helps (re)gain muscle with sarcopenia or generally. If you do just the same as you managed before, or easy peasy activity far from max: doesn't pan out.
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
@@xcast1 yes, but that's fundamental to any resistance training program. Train until close to failure (1 or 2 RIR), occasionally all the way to mechanical failure depending on the exercise, otherwise the resistance training isn't going to work very well regardless of creatine supplementation.
Creatine heightens my anxiety for some reason
@wiezumteufel9024
9 ай бұрын
Increased heart rate, upset stomach, tingling right?
Contaminated with what?
@disky01
9 ай бұрын
Extreme gains
I like it cuz it makes my muscles look bigger.
Creatine increases my heart rate, makes me nauseous and causes tingling all over my body🥴 Has anyone here had a similar experience?
@TheDTVOfficial
8 ай бұрын
I started taking micronized creatine mono 2 weeks ago, 5g daily.. 1st week, felt normal.. 2nd week of taking it, I felt dizzy a couple of minutes after taking it.. I also felt anxious and had difficulty sleeping.. so I stopped taking it yesterday, and today I feel good.. I'll let my body reset for a couple of days then try decreasing the dose to 2.5g daily and see how it goes.. I think the standard doese of 5g daily is too much for my current weight.. (note that i don't drink caffeinated beverages, i eat mostly whole foods throughout the week and supplement with whey and get 6-7 hours of sleep daily)
@JediStockTrader
8 ай бұрын
I ended up at the Hospital one night , Had no clue what happened. I had electrical activity in my chest and anxiety. Thought maybe I was going to have a heart attack. Nothing showed up except high levels of c.
Regarding quality of Creatine, when I went shopping for what I eventually bought I went to the NSF site and searched for their list of NSF certified suppliers of Creatine. (it was a short list) For Americans who, unlike Germany say, don't have any pharmaceutical standards for ordinary supplements, the NSF is your huckleberry. They assure or certify that the contents are Creatine only. Professional athletes rely on this certification because there are 250 odd substances professional athletes can't have found in their blood. I think for Americans this is the best and only 'certified' source of Creatine. I bought for instance 315g of Creatine Monohydrate from "Klean Athlete" that contains a 5g scoop. I was measuring 2.5g (I have a Tanita mini scale, accurate to two places) and adding this to a meal before a workout. I have now increased that to 3g based on these videos.
Use kre alkaline 1.5mg per day problem solved. I been lifting for 38y and creatine works.
from 1-10 - if 1 is toxic, 5.5 is neutral, and 10 is flax/turmeric level - i consider creatine to be like a 6-7 on the health promoting scale however on "quality of life" scale i consider it like a 9 or so, just feels like to have more muscle control/be less shacky
I heard somewhere that it has a relation to hair loss... I guess that was some fake news?
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
Yes, check out video by Brad Stanfield where he goes through the evidence on creatine and hair loss. There is a single study, but it was incredibly poorly designed and essentially worthless.
Creatren
Creatine gives me really really really bad anger
Causes muscle cramps. Heart???
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
No, it doesn't cause muscle cramps. Probably is good for the heart.
@ratherrapid
9 ай бұрын
@@davin8r Suggest reada few comments and report back.
@davin8r
9 ай бұрын
@@ratherrapid comments don't count. Controlled research studies show no increased muscle cramping.
Thanks doc! Is there even vegan creatine though?
@shiv_ring
9 ай бұрын
huh?
@eelkeaptroot1393
9 ай бұрын
@@shiv_ring I meant vegan creatine....
@shiv_ring
9 ай бұрын
Yes, there are vegan supplements. @@eelkeaptroot1393
Everyday a scoop of creatine after my breakfast 😃
@xcast1
9 ай бұрын
For what reason?
Calf muscle cramps for me, annoying af
Side effects: getting monstrously jacked, watching anime rage edits in the gym, developing a caffeine addiction
If you're not using creatine you're doing it wrong, especially vegans. I was the first to write about the non gym benefits of creatine in the print magazines circa mid 90s. Nice to see this and other channels finally starting to catch up...
Naked creatine
Eats meat for over 2 million years - Meat is cancer causing 🥴 A carnivore diet healed up all of my type 2 issues, and more!...
Whenever I eat meat now the colours hoist
Meat doesn't cause cancer
Thurrz a *melk shortage* in dis countray
Just eat red meat!
Your enunciation is unbearable
@samiryan214
9 ай бұрын
are you autistic?