As the most studied supplement on the market, creatine has become a supplement stack mainstay. You’ve probably heard about its benefits, which include supporting muscle growth, brain health, and bone density.
Most of the time, taking a supplement is done to meet a nutrient need you aren’t getting through your diet. But creatine is different. “It would be almost impossible to get enough creatine to give you a performance-enhancing benefit from any food. You’d have to eat a crazy amount of red meat or fish, which could harm health in other ways,” says registered dietitian and personal trainer Max Snider, RD.
Since you can’t get enough creatine from food to make a noticeable impact, it means turning to a supplement. But when it comes to creatine, there’s a sweet spot of how much to take; too little won’t lead to any noticeable benefits and too much can be harmful. That’s why it’s important to know exactly how much creatine to take every day.
Who can benefit from taking creatine?
If you’re going to take a supplement, it’s important to know what it is and why it’s beneficial. Joel Ramdial, RD, the program director of nutrition in the department of allied health, kinesiology, and sport sciences at Southeast Missouri State University, explains that creatine is a compound made in the kidney and liver from two amino acids (L-arginine and glycine) and a compound derived from another amino acid, methionine.
Creatine is primarily stored in the muscles. “Its main job is to help your body rapidly produce energy specifically for short bursts of high-intensity effort like lifting, sprinting, or anything explosive. Think of it as a quick-access battery for your muscles,” says exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Harley Pasternak, MSc. “Its whole job is to rapidly generate ATP, which is your body’s immediate energy source,” adds Jordan Mazur, RD, the director of nutrition for the San Francisco 49ers and founder of Peak Performance Nutrition.
Ramdial says this means that if your workouts consist of short-burst activities like resistance training at lower reps, high intensities or interval training, supplementing with creatine can up your game. “It can also be helpful for explosive movements, which could include anything from a sprint-based sport, swinging a bat or golf club, powerlifting, and any sport in which improving sprinting or explosive strength and endurance would be beneficial,” he adds.
Click here to read more about the benefits of taking creatine.
