It’s not only safe to use but also one of the world’s most popular and effective supplements for building muscle and strength (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

Here are 10 science-based benefits of creatine.

1. Helps Muscle Cells Produce More Energy

Creatine supplements increase your muscles’ phosphocreatine stores (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Phosphocreatine helps with the formation of new ATP, the key molecule your cells use for energy and all basic functions of life (8Trusted Source).

During exercise, ATP is broken down to produce energy.

The rate of ATP resynthesis limits your ability to continually perform at maximum intensity — you use ATP faster than you reproduce it (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

Creatine supplements increase your phosphocreatine stores, allowing you to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during high-intensity exercise (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

This is the primary mechanism behind creatine’s performance-enhancing effects.

SUMMARYSupplementing with creatine provides additional ATP energy, which improves high-intensity exercise performance.

2. Supports Many Other Functions in Muscles

Creatine is a popular and effective supplement for adding muscle mass (1Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

It can alter numerous cellular pathways that lead to new muscle growth. For example, it boosts the formation of proteins that create new muscle fibers (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

It can also raise levels of IGF-1, a growth factor, which promotes an increase in muscle mass (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

What’s more, creatine supplements can increase the water content of your muscles. This is known as cell volumization and can quickly increase muscle size (15Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Additionally, some research indicates that creatine decreases levels of myostatin, a molecule responsible for stunting muscle growth. Reducing myostatin can help you build muscle faster (18Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine can stimulate several key biological processes that lead to increased muscle growth and size.

3. Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance

Creatine’s direct role in ATP production means it can drastically improve high-intensity exercise performance (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

Creatine improves numerous factors, including (6Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source):

Strength
Ballistic power
Sprint ability
Muscle endurance
Resistance to fatigue
Muscle mass
Recovery
Brain performance

Unlike supplements that only impact advanced athletes, creatine benefits you regardless of your fitness level (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

One review found that it improves high-intensity exercise performance by up to 15% (2Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine is the world’s most effective supplement for high-intensity sports. It offers benefits regardless of your current fitness level.

4. Speeds Up Muscle Growth

Creatine is the world’s most effective supplement for adding muscle mass (1Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

Taking it for as few as 5–7 days has been shown to significantly increase lean body weight and muscle size.

This initial rise is caused by increased water content in your muscles (15Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Over the long term, it also aids in muscle fiber growth by signaling key biological pathways and boosting gym performance (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

In one study of a six-week training regimen, participants who used creatine added 4.4 pounds (2 kg) more muscle mass, on average, than the control group (23Trusted Source).

Similarly, a comprehensive review demonstrated a clear increase in muscle mass for those taking creatine, compared to those performing the same training regimen without creatine (27Trusted Source).

This review also compared the world’s most popular sports supplements and concluded that creatine is the best one available. Its advantages include being less expensive and far safer than most other sports supplements (27Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine can increase both short- and long-term muscle mass. It is the most effective muscle-building supplement available.

5. May Help With Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a reduction of the key neurotransmitter dopamine in your brain (8Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).

The large reduction in dopamine levels causes brain cell death and several serious symptoms, including tremors, loss of muscle function and speech impairments (28Trusted Source).

Creatine has been linked to beneficial effects on Parkinson’s in mice, preventing 90% of the drop in dopamine levels (29Trusted Source).

In an attempt to treat the loss of muscle function and strength, people with Parkinson’s often perform weight training (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source).

In individuals with Parkinson’s disease, combining creatine with weight training improved strength and daily function to a greater extent than training alone (32Trusted Source).

However, a recent analysis of five controlled studies in people with Parkinson’s noted that taking 4–10 grams of creatine per day doesn’t significantly improve daily activities (33Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine may reduce some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease by improving muscle strength and function. However, certain studies observe no effects.

6. May Fight Other Neurological Diseases

A key factor in several neurological diseases is a reduction of phosphocreatine in your brain (29Trusted Source).

Since creatine can increase these levels, it may help reduce or slow disease progression.

In mice with Huntington’s disease, creatine restored the brain’s phosphocreatine stores to 72% of pre-disease levels, compared to only 26% for control mice (34Trusted Source).

This restoration of phosphocreatine helped maintain daily function and reduced cell death by around 25% (34Trusted Source).

Research in animals suggests that taking creatine supplements may treat other diseases too, including (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source):

Alzheimer’s disease
Ischemic stroke
Epilepsy
Brain or spinal cord injuries

Creatine has also shown benefits against ALS, a disease that affects the motor neurons essential for movement. It improved motor function, reduced muscle loss and extended survival rate by 17% (39Trusted Source).

Although more studies are needed in humans, many researchers believe that creatine supplements are a bulwark against neurological diseases when used alongside conventional medicines.

SUMMARYAnimal studies suggest that creatine can help with symptoms, disease progression and life expectancy in neurological diseases.

7. May Lower Blood Sugar Levels And Fight Diabetes

Research suggests that creatine supplements may lower blood sugar levels by increasing the function of GLUT4, a transporter molecule that brings blood sugar into your muscles (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).

A 12-week study examined how creatine affects blood sugar levels after a high-carb meal. People who combined creatine and exercise were better at controlling blood sugar levels than those who only exercised (42Trusted Source).

Short-term blood sugar response to a meal is an important marker of diabetes risk. The faster your body clears sugar from the blood, the better (44Trusted Source).

While these benefits are promising, more human research is needed on creatine’s long-term effects on blood sugar control and diabetes.

SUMMARYSome evidence suggests that creatine can help lower blood sugar levels after meals, but there is little data on its long-term effects.

8. Can Improve Brain Function

Creatine plays an important role in brain health and function (25Trusted Source).

Research demonstrates that your brain requires a significant amount of ATP when performing difficult tasks (25Trusted Source).

Supplements can increase phosphocreatine stores in your brain to help it produce more ATP. Creatine may also aid brain function by increasing dopamine levels and mitochondria function (25Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source, 46Trusted Source).

As meat is the best dietary source of creatine, vegetarians often have low levels. One study on creatine supplements in vegetarians found a 20–50% improvement in some memory and intelligence test scores (25Trusted Source).

For older individuals, two weeks of supplementing with creatine significantly improved memoryand recall ability (47Trusted Source).

In older adults, creatine may boost brain function, protect against neurological diseases and reduce age-related loss of muscle and strength (48Trusted Source).

Despite such positive findings, more research is needed in young, healthy individuals who eat meat or fish on a regular basis.

SUMMARYSupplementing with creatine can provide your brain with additional energy, thereby improving memory and intelligence in people with low levels of creatine.

9. May Reduce Fatigue and Tiredness

Creatine supplements may also reduce fatigue and tiredness (49Trusted Source).

In a six-month study in people with traumatic brain injury, those who supplemented with creatine had a 50% reduction in dizziness, compared to those who did not (49Trusted Source).

Furthermore, only 10% of patients in the supplement group experienced fatigue, compared to 80% in the control group (49Trusted Source).

Another study determined that creatine led to reduced fatigue and increased energy levels during sleep deprivation (50Trusted Source).

Creatine can also reduce fatigue in athletes taking a cycling test and has been used to decrease fatigue when exercising in high heat (51Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine can reduce symptoms of fatigue and tiredness by providing your brain with additional energy and increasing dopamine levels.

10. Safe and Easy to Use

Along with creatine’s diverse benefits, it is also one of the cheapest and safest supplements available. You can find a wide selection on Amazon.

It’s been researched for more than 200 years, and numerous studies support its safety for long-term use. Clinical trials lasting up to five years report no adverse effects in healthy individuals (1Trusted Source).

What’s more, supplementing is very easy — simply take 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder per day (1Trusted Source, 53Trusted Source).

SUMMARYCreatine is one of the safest available supplements and has been studied scientifically for over two centuries.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, creatine is an effective supplement with powerful benefits for both athletic performance and health.

It may boost brain function, fight certain neurological diseases, improve exercise performance and accelerate muscle growth.

Try adding this natural substance to your supplement regimen to see if it works for you.

References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18184753 , https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12546637 , https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/ , https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909923/, https://examine.com/nutrition/do-i-need-to-load-creatine/ (myth about creatine cicle)

Electrolytes

References

1. http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/PrinterFriendly.aspx?ID=1162&lang=EN

2. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-sodium

3. http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/489/The_Wisdom_of_the_Waterboy.aspx

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0226-y

https://www.discountsupplements.ie/blog/creatine-and-electrolytes

The use of electrolytes aids in providing

transporters for creatine from the plasma into the muscles (Allen, 2012; Jäger et al., 2011).

Electrolytes A group of minerals that are found in the body. Aids in

membrane transportation. (Allen, 2012)

While creatine on its own is beneficial, there is little to no research on creatine

coupled with electrolytes. Electrolytes are a common mineral that aids in cell transportation

of creatine, which plays a critical role in creatine absorption (Allen, 2012; Greenhaff et al.,

1994). The current study aims to examine the effect of a creatine and electrolyte supplement

compared to a placebo group on maximal strength, power, and performance while

performing a maximal bench press and back squat set at 80% 1RM load.

Creatine and electrolytes: multi-ingredient performance supplements. Creatine

absorption highly depends on electrolytes such as sodium and chloride availability and usage

as active transporters (Allen, 2012). Allen, (2012) described that sodium and chloride ions

are necessary to actively transport creatine from the blood plasma into the musculature,

increasing the amount of creatine storage available for use. Based on creatine transportation,

other researchers have examined the effects of combining both creatine and electrolytes such

as sodium and magnesium for performance benefits (Barber, McDermott, McGaughey,

Olmstead, & Hagobian, 2013; Brilla, Giroux, Taylor, & Knutzen, 2003; Mero, Keskinen,

Malyela, & Sallinen, 2004).

Supplementing with both creatine and electrolytes such as sodium has been used to

increase creatine transportation (Mero et al., 2004). Mero et al. (2004) found that

supplementing with creatine combined with sodium bicarbonate enhances maximal swim

tests, approximately 0.9 seconds faster than the placebo group. A similar study used creatine

monohydrate combined with sodium bicarbonate compared to creatine supplementation

alone during six 10-second wingate tests (Barber et al., 2013). The creatine and sodium

bicarbonate group displayed a 7% increase in peak power compared to a 4% increase in the

creatine only group. The group supplementing with both creatine and sodium bicarbonate

had their power levels significantly higher than both the placebo and creatine groups during

the six repeated bouts of cycling (Barber et al., 2013). The combined creatine and sodium

bicarbonate only saw a decrease of power on the sixth bout whereas the other groups had

decreases in bouts four, five, and six.

LONGEVITY AND JOINT CARE. COLLAGEN AND VITAMIN C

When you think physical activity, you’re probably thinking “muscles”! But your connective tissue is what supports your muscles — and these tissues make up the second largest “organ” in the body. Collagen supplementation bolsters your connective tissue, which supports your active muscles.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3177172/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594048/

https://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbgg/v19n1/1809-9823-rbgg-19-01-00153.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17076983/

https://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbgg/v19n1/1809-9823-rbgg-19-01-00153.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416885/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22486722/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17076983/