randidiane
Cathlete
Does anyone take this supplement and if so, is it worth taking?
Thank you
Randi
Thank you
Randi
Creatine-Ester
- Thread starter randidiane
- Start date
I looked up some information from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database about the efficacy/safety/hazards of creatine. I am pretty sure this is a site you have to pay for (maybe not) but I get it through the medical school. Some snipits from that:
"Tell patients who are controlling their weight and engaging in strenuous exercise and/or exercising in hot environments to avoid creatine supplementation "
"Creatine typically causes a weight gain of 0.5 to 1.6 kg that increases with prolonged supplementation (3997). This weight gain, most likely due to water retention, has been thought to also increase the risk for high blood pressure."
"POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately. Creatine supplementation appears generally to be safe when used in appropriate doses in healthy adults. POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally in high doses. There is some concern that very high doses of creatine might adversely affect renal, hepatic, or cardiac function and have other adverse effects, such as hypertension; however, a clear association between high dose creatine and significant adverse effects has not yet been established."
There's a lot more information, but this is the basic idea. Our bodies do naturally make creatine. It is converted to creatinine and then filtered by our kidneys. Taking exogenous (supplement-form) creatine can decrease our abilities to make creatine endogenously (inside our bodies naturally). There are certain diseases that benefit from taking creatine supplementation, but if you are fairly healthy, I think it would be in your best interest to just use what your body makes on its own. If you are a vegetarian, it may be harder to make natural creatine, as fish and meat give us the building blocks with which to make it.
Please, if you are on creatine supplementation, let your doctor know when he/she does blood work/kidney function tests. This can alter the results and make it appear as if your kidneys aren't working efficiently.
-Becky
"Tell patients who are controlling their weight and engaging in strenuous exercise and/or exercising in hot environments to avoid creatine supplementation "
"Creatine typically causes a weight gain of 0.5 to 1.6 kg that increases with prolonged supplementation (3997). This weight gain, most likely due to water retention, has been thought to also increase the risk for high blood pressure."
"POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately. Creatine supplementation appears generally to be safe when used in appropriate doses in healthy adults. POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally in high doses. There is some concern that very high doses of creatine might adversely affect renal, hepatic, or cardiac function and have other adverse effects, such as hypertension; however, a clear association between high dose creatine and significant adverse effects has not yet been established."
There's a lot more information, but this is the basic idea. Our bodies do naturally make creatine. It is converted to creatinine and then filtered by our kidneys. Taking exogenous (supplement-form) creatine can decrease our abilities to make creatine endogenously (inside our bodies naturally). There are certain diseases that benefit from taking creatine supplementation, but if you are fairly healthy, I think it would be in your best interest to just use what your body makes on its own. If you are a vegetarian, it may be harder to make natural creatine, as fish and meat give us the building blocks with which to make it.
Please, if you are on creatine supplementation, let your doctor know when he/she does blood work/kidney function tests. This can alter the results and make it appear as if your kidneys aren't working efficiently.
-Becky
winsomehill
Cathlete
I have used it in the past. I think it did help muscle developement while strength training. I could never take anything consistently forever. So, it did end up being another bottle on my shelf. Maybe someday I would do it again, I'm not opposed to it. But, at the same time I'm not doing it right now. I guess ultimatly I prefer to not take supplements of any kind. That being said, I remember the pump I felt after lifting was awesome when I was taking creatine. My body tends to bulk with muscle pretty easily, so I want to be careful about that. I could see it being a help to people who can't keep weight on very easily. At the same time, I could envision it all being placebo and a big waste of money.
Heather
Heather
fit_fairy
Cathlete
I had a patient who was taking creatine. I found out after checking some blood work and his liver functions tests were elevated. I asked him about supplements and he admitted to taking the creatine. He stopped and in 6 weeks rechecked his liver and it had normalized. I personally would not take it.
Catherine
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Catherine
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