Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate additional questions and misconceptions about creatine monohydrate (CrM), including its effects on muscle benefits without exercise, timing, interactions with other compounds, and safety in specific populations.
Results Summary
The study found that CrM is safe and effective for improving sport, exercise performance, and health across various populations, addressing misconceptions such as its impact on muscle protein synthesis, inflammation, recovery, and safety during pregnancy.
Population
Children, adolescents, biological females, older adults, and general populations.
Effective Dosage
Not specified in the abstract.
Duration
Not specified in the abstract.
Interactions
Mentions potential interaction with caffeine but does not specify the nature of the interaction.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | certain aspects of sport, exercise performance, and health | across the lifespan | - | is a safe and effective intervention for improving | #1 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | water retention | - | - | leads to | #2 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | fat accumulation | - | - | leads to | #3 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | a steroid | - | - | is | #4 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | hair loss | - | - | causes | #5 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | dehydration | - | - | causes | #6 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | muscle cramping | - | - | causes | #7 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | renal function | - | - | adversely affects | #8 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | liver function | - | - | adversely affects | #9 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | children | children | - | is safe and/or effective for | #10 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | adolescents | adolescents | - | is safe and/or effective for | #11 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | biological females | biological females | - | is safe and/or effective for | #12 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | older adults | older adults | - | is safe and/or effective for | #13 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | muscle benefits | - | - | provide | #14 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | timing | - | - | matter | #15 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | addition of other compounds | - | - | enhance its effectiveness | #16 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | caffeine | - | - | oppose each other | #17 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | muscle protein synthesis | - | - | increase the rates of | #18 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | muscle protein breakdown | - | - | increase the rates of | #19 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | an anti-inflammatory intervention | - | - | is | #20 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | following injury, surgery, and/or immobilization | - | - | increase recovery | #21 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | cancer | - | - | cause | #22 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | urine production | - | - | increase | #23 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | blood pressure | - | - | influence | #24 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | no change | pregnancy | pregnancy | - | is safe to consume during | #25 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | adolescents | adolescents | - | enhance performance in | #26 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | male fertility | male | - | adversely affect | #27 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | brain | - | - | require a higher dose | #28 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | symptoms of sleep deprivation | - | - | attenuate | #29 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | decrease | traumatic brain injury | - | - | reduce the severity of | #30 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) | increase | traumatic brain injury | - | - | improve recovery from | #31 |
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) is a safe and effective intervention for improving certain aspects of sport, exercise performance, and health across the lifespan. Despite its evidence-based pedigree, several questions and misconceptions about CrM remain. To initially address some of these concerns, our group published a narrative review in 2021 discussing the scientific evidence as to whether CrM leads to water retention and fat accumulation, is a steroid, causes hair loss, dehydration or muscle cramping, adversely affects renal and liver function, and if CrM is safe and/or effective for children, adolescents, biological females, and older adults. As a follow-up, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate additional questions and misconceptions about CrM. These include but are not limited to: 1. Can CrM provide muscle benefits without exercise? 2. Does the timing of CrM really matter? 3. Does the addition of other compounds with CrM enhance its effectiveness? 4. Does CrM and caffeine oppose each other? 5. Does CrM increase the rates of muscle protein synthesis or breakdown? 6. Is CrM an anti-inflammatory intervention? 7. Can CrM increase recovery following injury, surgery, and/or immobilization? 8. Does CrM cause cancer? 9. Will CrM increase urine production? 10. Does CrM influence blood pressure? 11. Is CrM safe to consume during pregnancy? 12. Does CrM enhance performance in adolescents? 13. Does CrM adversely affect male fertility? 14. Does the brain require a higher dose of CrM than skeletal muscle? 15. Can CrM attenuate symptoms of sleep deprivation? 16. Will CrM reduce the severity of and/or improve recovery from traumatic brain injury? Similar to our 2021 paper, an international team of creatine research experts was formed to perform a narrative review of the literature regarding CrM to formulate evidence-based responses to the aforementioned misconceptions involving CrM.