5 Myths about creatine — and its reality

Creatine can increase muscle and performance. But, some of the myths associated with it are too common to be real. Dispel these myths to understand the supplement better.

Exercise & Fitness By : Himanshu Sharma , Onlymyhealth Editorial Team / Date : Sep 24, 2015

Creatine is just for body builders

Apart from bodybuilding training, athletes competing in various other sports (such as football, basketball) can benefit from creatine. Low-dose creatine supplementation helps muscles to store more glycogen, a readily available source of energy besides improving endurance for athletes.

Creatine helps build muscle mass without pumping iron

Creatine alone can’t help you to gain muscle mass. It has been found to help the cause when combined with resistance training exercises. If you’re not exercising and taking creatine, it can bulk you up.

You lose muscle when you stop taking creatine

When you take creatine, it adds water volume. When you discontinue, your muscles start to look smaller. If you continue to lift, you will maintain the muscle size.

Creatine can affect kidneys and liver

There have been several studies to see if creatine has any negative side-effect on the liver or kidneys. None of the studies has found scientific evidence to suggest that chronic supplementation interferes with kidney and liver function.

Creatine causes cramps and dehydration

Creatine does not cause dehydration, but increases total body water, which helps maintain hydration levels. Moreover, there has been no substantial evidence to say that the supplementation has an effect on muscle cramping.

Disclaimer

All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers’ discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.

More For You

Related Slideshow

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK

Diseases

Diet & Fitness

Grooming

Pregnancy & Parenting

Relationships

Videos

Slideshows

Health News

Baby Names

Experts

Topics

Bmi Calculator

QNA