No doubts, creatine is the most popular supplement among the fitness and bodybuilding communities. This is a favorite choice of many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts when they want to build solid muscles. Whether it's weight gain or drying time, using it can significantly increase the speed at which you can build muscle mass and achieve a level of physical fitness that only a small number of people can achieve.
So, although this is an incredible supplement, it has a certain number of side effects. Evaluating the overall effectiveness of creatine and weighing it in pros and cons, you will find that when it comes to supplementing your diet with creatine, the side effects are certainly justified by the resulting effect.
The 4 Most Common Side Effects of Creatine Supplementation
The most common side effects of creatine are those that are usually quite often manifested when using any sports supplements. These side effects are often easy to overlook and ignore, since they are usually temporary and do not have a noticeable impact on everyday life.
1
Stomach pain and increased gas formation
The same as with many other supplements, while the body gets used to the new circumstances of "normality", the stomach is usually the first to rebel. The bloating will almost certainly happen, but it will have to go away a couple of hours after the addition. Stomach pain is less common, but the amount of gas can be so large and serious that it can cause some pain and discomfort. Again, this is temporary. [1]
2
Nausea
This is considered a common side effect, although significantly less common than the inevitable increase in gas formation. Some people report feeling nauseous after consuming creatine for the first couple of times. To avoid this, try mixing a dose of creatine with protein. Eating something on an empty stomach in many cases is known to cause nausea in people with sensitive digestion.
3
Diarrhea
The least common side effect is diarrhea, it is even less common than nausea. As we have already mentioned, the body simply gets used to consuming a healthy dose of a new compound. Part of his reaction will be a self-cleaning process. Loose stools can be part of the process, but it should not last more than a couple of days. [3]
4
Extreme weight gain
This may come as a surprise to those who initially planned to gain muscle tissue when using creatine supplements.
Creatine will make your muscles retain water, which is especially useful when you gain weight, which is not so bad. Unfortunately, for a very small number of people, this additional weight will be critical and it will be incredibly difficult to get rid of it. People who have problems with the thyroid gland should be extremely careful. [4]
The absolute majority of users do not experience any of them, but everyone should be aware of them. Suddenly, you are one of those less fortunate people who will face them.
William Toro ‧ CPT & Nutritionist
William is a certified personal trainer from NASM, he has also been a rehab physiologist for sports persons. He has more than 15 years of experience training people. And has featured in multiple publications like FoxNews, CNBC, Bustle, and other.
References:
1. Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD, Does Creatine Cause Bloating? Everything You Need to Know, retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/creatine-bloating
2. Drugs.com, Creatine, retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/creatine.html
3. Sergej M. Ostojic, Zlatko Ahmetovic, Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation in athletes: are side effects dose dependent?, retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18373286/
4. Thomas W. Buford, Richard B. Kreider, Jeffrey R. Stout, Mike Greenwood, Bill Campbell, Marie Spano, Tim Ziegenfuss, Hector Lopez, Jamie Landis, Jose Antonio, International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise, retrieved from https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-4-6
