Creatine supplementation continues to grow in popularity, making waves with athletes and fitness enthusiasts everywhere. Thousands of people have begun to rely on this supplement for its claimed advantages, such as increased muscle strength and decreased cognitive decline. As new forms and dosages of creatine quickly saturate the market, concerns over efficacy and safety come into play.
Fortunately, recent research shows that creatine has very powerful effects on bone density in both sexes. Recent research demonstrated that oral creatine supplementation is capable of significantly increasing total creatine content in skeletal muscle. That increase isn’t small—it’s between 20 and 40 percent, on average. While these most recent results are promising and exciting, it’s important to understand what you’re actually ingesting. Keep in mind, not all creatine products are created equal.
The body organically synthesizes about half of the creatine it needs each day, about 2 to 4 grams. For anyone who wants to supplement, creatine monohydrate is still the only type with the most research behind it. Experts warn that 20 to 30 percent of the population are non-responders to creatine supplementation. That’s because they don’t know what to change, which means they aren’t going to get the benefits they’re hoping for.
The Issue with Creatine Gummies
With so many ways to take creatine, gummies are some of the most popular. However, recent testing revealed a particularly dangerous flaw. Other brands, like PUSH, were forced to halt sales after it was shown that their gummies had far lower doses of creatine than advertised. Legitimate concerns about underdosing have driven consumers to wonder whether these products can be trusted at all.
“But you’re just taking the company’s word aren’t you? I think the way they have handled it is really shocking.” – Tina Hill
Here’s why experts say consumers should be careful with gummy supplements. Professor Matthew Cooke thinks there’s promise for new formulations to include creatine hydrochloride (HCL), creatine ethyl ester, and creatine nitrate. Creatine vs other formulations. “Creatine monohydrate is still the safest and most effective of these options,” he emphasizes.
“Just remember these supplement companies have really good marketing teams.” – Matthew Cooke
Newer formulations mislead consumers into believing their proprietary blends are five times more effective than creatine monohydrate. They make claims about better absorption rates that would increase your performance. Actual evidence proving these claims out is scarce.
Recommendations for Supplementation
For those who might be thinking of using creatine, there are well-defined protocols for usage. Vary the dietary “loading” phase Start with a dietary “loading” phase of 20 grams per day for one week. Then, transition to a maintenance dose of 5 grams daily. Alternatively, you can jump right in and take 5 grams per day from the outset. This plan could push back the benefits realization timeframe.
As supplementation becomes ever more popular, experts continue to urge a “food first” philosophy. Nutrition needs to be the primary focus before supplementation, and lots of people think that we need to go to dietary sources first.
“A lot of us probably aren’t getting enough creatine from our diet as we’re heading towards more plant-based diets or at least reducing the amount of meat we eat.” – Matthew Cooke
Professor Cooke emphasizes that creatine supplementation could be advantageous for pre-menopausal women, especially when they experience menstrual cycles. This makes a stronger case than ever to focus on individual nutritional requirements.
Consumer Caution is Key
As the market for creatine continues to grow, consumers need to be more aware than ever of product quality and efficacy. Now, allegations have surfaced that some of these companies are changing formulations without notifying their consumers or retailers, resulting in products that are underdosed. This merits a greater discussion of the need for transparency in the supplement space.
As Taryn Richardson explains, it’s important to exercise care when choosing creatine products. “For now I’m telling my clients to stick with powders — they are a lot cheaper anyway,” she states. For this reason, many professionals are concerned about using gummies and other novel formulations. They worry these products might not produce the game-changing outcomes they’re marketed to achieve.
“I think these companies have good intentions but it comes down to the production — with the process of making gummies such as heating likely decreasing the levels of creatine.” – Matthew Cooke
