It needs to be said upfront that of all the many different supplements that are available online and in the general marketplace creatine is without a doubt shown to have the most non-specific and tolerable resistance. In an extensive study done there is yet to be any proof of negative physiological effects from short term Creatine Monohydrate use.
The majority of negative reports on creatine use come from anecdotal evidence of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or renal dysfunction. However, no published studies have found direct links between short-term creatine supplementation and negative physiological affects.
In a double-blind, crossover study, subjects were administered large doses, 20 grams, of creatine for 5 days. There was no change in their blood liver enzymes from the supplementation (Persky and Brazeau, 2001). In conclusion we have to admit that creatine shows very few known side effects.
Creatine has a known and now well proven effect on both muscle mass as well as exercise and sports performance. Creatine manufacturers and distributors claim that within two weeks of supplementation, users will experience significant gains in lean muscle mass.
Many clinical studies have been performed to examine the efficacy of this claim and the results have been fairly consistent across the board. Recent clinical studies have found that supplementation of Creatine Monohydrate, in combination with resistance training, results in greater increases in strength than placebo.
An extensive study done specifically to critically examine the exercise performance with the use of creatine discovered that the beneficial effects of creatine on muscular strength probably occur because of the following sequence: increased muscle creatine, increased training intensity, greater training stimulus, and enhanced physiological adaptations to training.
The bottom line is that the supplementation industry which is currently well over 24 billion dollars has a lot to gain by exaggerating these claims on how well creatine actually works. But the truth is that it works nearly as well as the exaggerated claims by the manufacturers.
Extensive clinical evidence shows that the claims made by creatine distributors are largely true. It has been shown that supplementation of Creatine Monohydrate combined with exercise leads to increased fat-free body mass and greater strength.
Creatine Risks and Benefits
This information presented is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). This supplement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.