Creatine: the scientifically backed supplement and my misplaced fear

Around 18 months ago I bought my first bag of creatine and it sat in my cupboard untouched ever since. I did a even did a YouTube video on the benefits of creatine and its scientific backing. So why didn’t I jump at the opportunity to potentially improve my performance in the gym? In all honesty, misplaced fear and vanity.

Reading time: 6 minutes

You don’t need supplements.

Phew, glad we got that out of the way with quickly. Yep no matter how much the health and fitness industry tries to convince you, supplements are the least of your priorities when you are wanting to change your body composition or improve your fitness. When I say “supplements” I’m referring to products commonly used for fat loss, muscle gain or exercise. (Please note: I would recommend you speak to your doctor or a specialist who can guide you on supplementation for gut, joint, hormone and general health). But in terms of health and fitness, supplements are the “cherry on top” of an already well rounded diet and exercise regime.

Before you consider taking supplements, have an honest look at your diet and ask yourself: am I eating enough? Am I eating too much? Do I eat a wide range of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein? Do I manage my stress levels well? Do I sleep enough? All of these factors will have a bigger impact on your body composition and exercise efforts than supplements, so make sure you’re nailing these first!

So what is creatine?

I’m going to cut back the science and simplify this a little, but creatine is a molecule naturally present in the body and used for immediate energy production. It provides energy for short duration, high intensity bouts of activity such as when lifting heavy weights for low repetitions, sprinting for 50-100m or jumping as high as you can in the air. By supplementing with creatine and having more creatine present in your muscles, you are able to produce more energy for strength and power.

Ok just a little bit of science…

Creatine is very well researched and has the most scientific backing for its effectiveness out of any fat loss or exercise supplement. Creatine has been shown to significantly increase power output in both males and females as well as increasing the size of muscles, predominantly due to an increase in water content. It may also contribute to the building of lean muscle mass, but the jury is still out on this one!

The main dietary source of creatine is through the consumption of meat, eggs and fish products. Both vegetarians and vegans have been reported to have lower levels of creatine naturally occurring in their bodies, so supplementation may be useful to normalise this. Creatine monohydrate from MyProtein is a vegan and gluten free product!

I encourage you to read more information on examine.com where creatine research is summarised all in one place. But finally, the science which put me off taking creatine all this time… is that there is a strong correlation between creatine supplementation and an increase in body weight, due to water retention in muscle tissue.

Creatine and water weight gain

Trust me, I knew my mindset was ridiculous. But for so long I just couldn’t face that initial hurdle of possibly seeing the scale jump up overnight (and stay up, as you continue to supplement daily). I had done all the research. I knew the weight wasn’t fat. I knew it wasn’t bloating. I knew it would be water weight, in my muscles, and likely not even noticeable in the mirror. But for so long it just never felt like the “right time” to start taking it.

Perhaps this sounds crazy, but I also know that I’m not alone in this. I conducted a poll on my Instagram story, and over 200 women voted saying that they had never tried creatine, but wanted to. I received dozens of messages from women who were also concerned about the weight gain. So after 18 months of the bag getting dusty in my cupboard, I started taking creatine. I wanted to prove to all the ladies that messaged me that there was nothing to fear and the benefits are worth it, and I wanted to prove it to myself to.

Did I gain weight from creatine?

No.

My weight did not drastically jump up from the day I started taking creatine. It wasn’t even higher over the course of the week. I monitor my weight quite closely (closer than most people should) and I am certain that creatine did not cause any impact on my weight.

I did not implement any kind of “loading” protocol for creatine, I just started taking 5g a day and have continued, every day, including my rest days.

I don’t want to give the impression that because I didn’t gain weight, you shouldn’t expect to either. For me the most important step was just committing to start taking it, and realising that the benefits were too good to pass up when no one even cares about your weight anyway.

Have I noticed a difference in gym performance?

I am definitely stronger today than I was 7 weeks ago when I started taking creatine. But this is due to a number of factors, the most important ones being that I am eating more food, and I have a coach who writes very precise programs for me to increase my strength. I am feeling fantastic in the gym; I feel strong and powerful and confident; but I cannot attribute these effects to creatine alone. There are just too many other variables! But I don’t intend to stop taking it any time soon.

What to buy and how to take creatine

There’s no need to buy anything fancy when it comes to creatine. If you are already taking BCAAs or preworkout, I would first check your label to see if there is also creatine added in. Creatine monohydrate is the cheapest, most researched, and most effective form of the supplement. It’s dirt cheap from MyProtein who ship worldwide. Personally I have been taking 5g of unflavoured creatine monohydrate with water post-workout. I’m always sure to take it with water as it has been reported to cause stomach cramping in some individuals, but personally I haven’t had any issues. It’s not essential to take creatine post-workout; if you are going to take it just do it at the time of day that suits you best and you will remember to do so consistently.

To summarise

There is no reason to fear that creatine will possibly cause an increase in muscle water weight, which may show as increased body weight on the scales. If you have made it this far, then you probably know that creatine can assist you with your goals. It took me time to overcome this hurdle, but your body weight does not define you and the benefits of this supplement outweigh the perceived risk. If you are that concerned about your weight – do not weigh yourself. Focus on your strength, your performance, continuing to push yourself and better yourself as a human being.