What are the side effects of creatine supplementation for bodybuilders?

Creatine supplement is one of the best exercise supplements you can use to improve your athletic performance. Creatine is naturally present in the body and makes up one percent of human blood. The most common form of creatine supplement is creatine monohydrate, which has a significant effect on increasing muscle strength. However, there is a lot of talk about the side effects of creatine supplementation, which is why some athletes avoid it. For example, some people believe that creatine bodybuilding will have an adverse effect on their liver and kidneys. We have dedicated this article to the side effects of creatine supplementation.

What is creatine?

Creatine in the human body is obtained from a combination of 3 amino acids. These amino acids are L-arginine, L-methionine and glycine. 95% of the creatine in the body is stored in skeletal muscle and the remaining 5% is in the brain. Creatine travels through the bloodstream to all parts of the body. Creatine can also be supplied to the body through the consumption of certain foods such as red meat and fish. Another way that most bodybuilders use is to take creatine supplements, which are easily found in high quality pharmacies.

How does creatine work in the body?

Creatine is found throughout the human body but is stored in most muscles. We said that creatine is made from both amino acids and certain foods. Creatine storage in the body is usually not maximized through the consumption of food and the amount that is naturally produced in the body. The average creatine stores are about 120 mmol / kg. Creatine supplements, on the other hand, can increase these reserves to about 140 to 150 mmol / kg.

When an athlete does high-intensity exercise, creatine stores in the body help the muscles produce more energy. This improves athletic performance. When muscle creatine stores are maximized, the excess is broken down into creatine, metabolized in the liver, and excreted in the urine.

Benefits of Creatine Supplements for Bodybuilders

Before we get into the side effects of creatine supplementation, let’s explain why it is so popular in bodybuilding. The benefits of creatine for athletes include:

• Improve muscle strength and power
• Increase lean muscle mass
• Improve recovery
• Increase energy in the body
• Improve brain function

In general, creatine supplementation can improve athletic performance, which is very important for people who exercise.

Creatine is a safe and secure supplement

Despite the negative publicity you may have heard about creatine, we must say that the International Association of Sports Nutrition recommends the use of creatine supplements as very safe and one of the most beneficial sports supplements. Leading researchers who have studied creatine supplements for decades have also concluded that creatine is one of the safest supplements on the market. One study looked at 52 health markers after taking creatine supplements for 21 months and found no side effects. In addition to being useful in exercise, creatine is also used to treat neuromuscular disorders, concussions, diabetes, and others.

Some of the side effects that creatine supplement users consider to be related to:

• Damage to the liver and kidneys
• Weight Gain
• kidney stone
• Flatulence
• dehydration
• Muscle cramps
• Digestive disorders
• Compartment Syndrome
• Rhabdomyolysis

We will examine the most important of these complications in the following.

Take a look at this infographic:

Side effects of creatine supplement

The side effects of creatine are as follows: Most of them need further research:

The effect of creatine on the liver and kidneys

Creatinine levels in the blood are usually tested to diagnose liver and kidney problems. Research has shown that creatine supplementation has the ability to increase creatinine levels in the blood to some extent. An increase in creatinine in the blood does not necessarily mean that the liver and kidneys are damaged. Numerous studies have so far not shown any damage to the liver and kidneys with creatine. However, all people with kidney and liver problems are advised to take creatine supplements with caution and only if approved by a doctor.

Is there a relationship between hair loss and creatine supplementation?

Many people think that hair loss is one of the side effects of creatine supplementation. But most studies show that hair loss is usually due to a factor other than creatine. But you should know that creatine supplementation increases dihydrotestosterone, which is a type of hormone. There is a link between hair loss and an increase in this hormone in the body. In fact, this male hormone reduces the hair growth cycle and the hair strands enter the hair loss phase prematurely. Now, if a person is genetically predisposed to hair loss, he may be more affected by the side effects of creatine and suffer from double hair loss.

Is creatine consumption harmful for women?

No; Creatine is also completely safe for women. But you should be aware that women do not have as much testosterone as men and therefore do not grow muscle mass as much as men. However, creatine in women increases muscle size slightly, strengthens muscles and accelerates recovery. Therefore, women athletes, like men, can use this supplement along with their training.

Does creatine supplementation cause dehydration and muscle cramps?

Creatine alters the body’s stored water content and injects excess water into muscle cells. However, this change in cellular water content is minor, and no studies confirm that creatine causes dehydration. Quite the opposite of the claim that creatine will cause dehydration, a 3-year study of college athletes found that people who took creatine supplements were less likely to develop dehydration and muscle cramps. According to current evidence, creatine not only does not cause dehydration and muscle cramps, but may even help prevent these conditions.

Creatine supplementation is often used concomitantly with other supplements. L-Carnitine is one of the most popular supplements used with creatine:

Is weight gain a side effect of creatine supplementation?

Research has shown that creatine supplements cause weight gain. Starting creatine has two stages: one is the loading stage and the other is the storage stage. During the loading phase, which is about 1 week, a person consumes 20 grams of creatine per day. In this case, you may gain 1 to 3 kg of weight because due to creatine consumption, water retention has occurred in the muscles. However, it should be noted that weight gain with creatine supplementation is due to an increase in muscle mass, not an increase in body fat. Therefore, it can be considered positive and useful. So weight gain, if caused by creatine consumption, is not a negative side effect.

Digestive problems after taking creatine supplement

Are gastrointestinal disorders a side effect of creatine supplementation? Any exercise supplement that you take in excess of the recommended amount may cause gastrointestinal side effects. In the case of creatine supplementation, this can also happen if you take too much. In one study, a 5-gram dose of creatine did not show any gastrointestinal side effects, but a 10-gram dose (per day) increased the risk of diarrhea by 37%. For this reason, the recommended amount of creatine is 3 to 5 grams per day. During the loading phase, 20 grams of creatine can be used in 4 shifts (5 grams) to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal disorders.

Creatine Monohydrate Delays Wound Healing?

Some people think that creatine causes dehydration and thus may delay wound healing. But no investigation confirms this claim. However, if dehydration is one of your health problems, it is best to be careful and talk to your doctor about taking a creatine supplement.

The relationship between compartment syndrome and rhabdomyolysis with creatine consumption

Some people believe that creatine can cause compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome is a condition in which severe pain occurs due to increased tissue pressure in the limb. The resulting increase in pressure disrupts oxygen delivery to the tissue and may cause permanent damage to muscles and organs. In one study, an increase in muscle pressure was observed during two hours of exercise. But this increase in pressure seemed to be mainly due to heat and dehydration, not creatine supplementation. The researchers also concluded that this pressure is short-lived and insignificant.

Others claim that creatine supplements increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle breaks down and proteins leak into the bloodstream. Creatine kinase in the blood increases with creatine supplements. But this increase is small and different from rhabdomyolysis. It is interesting to note that researchers even believe that creatine may be beneficial for rhabdomyolysis. Creatine should not be confused with anabolic steroids as they have nothing to do with each other.

Creatine consumption in children, women and the elderly

No research has shown that creatine is not suitable in the recommended doses for children, women or the elderly. So put aside the misconception that creatine supplements are only for men. In conditions such as neuromuscular disorders, creatine supplementation is usually prescribed by a doctor, even for children.

Drug Interaction Creatine Supplement

Before taking creatine supplement like any other supplement, you should first consult your doctor. If you are taking medication that affects liver and kidney function, it is best to avoid creatine supplements. The most important drugs that may interact with creatine are:

• Cyclosporine
• Aminoglycosides
• جنتامایسین
• توبرامایسین
• Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen
• Drugs that affect blood sugar

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have heart disease or cancer, you should consult a specialist before taking creatine supplements.

Final speech

There is a lot of talk about the side effects of creatine supplementation. But as far as research shows, creatine supplementation is actually one of the safest and safest sports supplements. Most of the side effects of creatine have no scientific basis. In any case, you should be careful that any type of supplement will not be without side effects if taken more than the allowed limit. Creatine supplementation is no exception. You can find the most reputable and best creatine supplements at Green Positive Online Pharmacy.