what are the benefits of creatine?

Creatine is a naturally-occurring substance that can be obtained from foods such as meat or fish, but is also produced by the body in the pancreas, liver, and kidneys.

👉 Creatine supplementation increases the levels of phosphocreatine (PCr) in muscles, which is used by creatine kinase to regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in skeletal muscle.  This essentially gives your muscles and whole body more energy.

💪 Studies have long shown that creatine supplementation can be helpful for increasing muscle mass.  However, there is more and more emerging research that shows it also may support cognitive function 🧠 (PMIDs: 39070254, 40395689). Nevertheless, much more research is needed in this area to properly access its ability to support brain function.

📊 There was some early data suggesting that creatine could harm healthy kidneys, but that has since been disproven by multiple studies.  In general, it has been shown to be safe for most people to take, but you should always check with your doctor before starting it or any new supplement.

✅ The generally recommended dose is 2-5 g per day, although some studies have used 20 g per day when analyzing cognition.

🚨 As for creatine and hair loss, a recent randomized controlled trial study showed that creatine supplementation did not increase the chances of hair loss (PMID: 40265319).