Creatine Dangers - Can Creatine harm Your Body?

Today I’m going to talk about the creatine dangers, or should I say, extremely rare but possible dangers. Creatine is one of those supplements that most people know very little about, this leads to wild accusations and claims being made about it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this creatine myths post and you’ll get it.

Creatine is one of the most widely used supplements in sports all around the world today. From 1996, it has been one of the most (if not the most) used supplement at the Olympic games. Such wide use has lead to numerous scientific tests being carried out on creatine in a whole array or situations. In the early 1990’s little was known, but as of today creatine is one of the most understood sports supplements available.

You have to understand that creatine is a 100% natural product. It’s found in oily fish and red meats. The problem is, that it’s in such small quantities and is destroyed when you cook food. For example, a 1lb beef steak has around 1 gram of creatine. Almost all of this is lost when you cook it. So you would have to eat 5lbs of raw beef steaks to get as much creatine as you can get from 1 teaspoon of creatine supplements.

Are there any creatine dangers?

Yes, there are a few creatine dangers that need to be discussed. The first danger is with pre existing medical conditions and medications. For me, this is common sense. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are on any medication you should seek professional advise before taking any form of creatine (or any supplements for that matter!). There is a chance that increasing your creatine levels may effect your condition. This is extremely rare, but it’s always good to be sure.

Secondly, creatine has been known to cause dehydration. Dehydration can lead to a whole array or problems, from headaches to crystals forming in your liver. You must be aware that you do need to increase your water intake when you take creatine. Athletes should already have a much higher water consumption that your average Joe six pack, this amount will need to increase again when taking creatine. Generally, this is nothing to worry about…you might need to drink an extra glass or two of water per day. Some people may experience more dehydration than others. If you do feel dehydrated when taking creatine, drink water immediately.

The other possible negative effect from creatine that I want to mention is bloating. Some people will experience bloating when taking creatine monohydrate. If this is you, you can take another form of creatine called creatine ethyl ester which is slightly more expensive but is reported to absorb better, meaning dose is lower and you do not feel the effects of bloating.

To sum up…

Creatine is a natural product that has little or no negative effects on the body. There are really no such thing as “creatine dangers”, unless you’re taking medication or have a pre existing medical condition.

If you have any questions about the dangers of creatine please leave them in the comments below.