Does Taking Creatine Really Benefit Your Body Or Is It Total B.S.?

There are many supplements, herbs and tinctures out there that claim to bolster strength and boost endurance. Many don’t actually live up to their promises, but there are some that actually do. One of those is creatine, which claims to help with muscle gains and strength building.

“Creatine is the most commonly used performance supplement and it’s a reasonable one for a lot of our patients,” said Dr. Vijay Jotwani, a sports medicine doctor at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Jotwani said it’s reasonable to use because it’s not banned among competitive athletes ― unlike some performance-enhancing supplements ― and it also has definite benefits. Here’s what those benefits are, according to experts.

Creatine is useful for certain workouts.

“Creatine is a natural substance found in our muscles, and it’s primarily in the form of a molecule called creatine phosphate,” said Dr. Jordan Hilgefort, a sports medicine and family medicine doctor at the University of Louisville Health in Kentucky. “Essentially, it plays a crucial role in providing energy during short bursts of intense physical activity,” such as sprinting or weightlifting.

In one study, weightlifters who supplemented with creatine were able to increase their single rep max by 20 to 30% when compared to those who did not supplement, Hilgefort said.

“So… if you were trying to bench press, that would be the difference of one athlete being able to bench press 100 pounds, and the next athlete being able to bench press 120 to 130 pounds,” Hilgefort explained. Additionally, creatine use resulted in faster sprint times for runners.

However, taking creatine and not exercising isn’t going to help your strength, Jotwani added. “I think the benefits all just come from being able to