Is Creatine Safe?

What do the studies tell us?

Is creatine safe?...

YES!

For many people, there is no creatine safety concern with using creatine monohydrate.

It's one of the most widely used bodybuilding supplements, with a large majority of people seeing positive results.

For a small group of people, it's a supplement that has caused unwanted side effects, however there are no noted long term, or serious side effects of creatine. Some of these minor side effects can be avoided.

If you read about serious side effects occuring from using creatine monohydrate, the supplement was probably not the culprit. There was one forum thread I read that stated some guy heard that creatine caused jaundice.

Jaundice causes you to turn yellow. It occurs because bilirubin builds up and your liver cannot flush it out. Bilirubin is produced when your red blood cells are broken down.

So people read that they heard about a guy that got jaundice from taking creatine and start telling people about the dangers of creatine use.

Based on scientific studies, creatine monohydrate is effective and safe.

Is creatine safe? What about my kidneys?...

Creatine monohydrate has been used for many years, by thousands of people, yet we rarely hear of any relation to kidney problems. Most of these are associated with pre existing medical conditions.

People who don't support creatine will tell you that it's dangerous towards your kidneys. Based on the studies, supplementing with creatine has never been shown to be toxic towards your kidneys.

I heard that creatinine is bad for your kidneys?...

For some people, supplementing creatine will raise your creatinine levels. Creatinine is a by product of creatine, but it is not a cause of kidney troubles.

Creatine may raise creatinine levels, but creatinine is not toxic towards your kidneys.

Bottom line:

There are no noted long term side effects of creatine.

How long is "long term"?

Well, creatine has been used for many years. No longterm side effects have been stated by any scientific study.

Directions must be followed.

Too much of any type of supplement may be harmful. If you don't follow the recommended dosages, you have a greater chance of experiencing a side effect.

Drink lots of water.

All the people who have stated positive results with no side effects will usually tell you about all the water they drink. Stay hydrated, it's important.

If a problem arises, stop using creatine.

Everyone is different and reacts differently to supplements. I'm not going to pretend that people have not complained about using creatine.

But what I've noticed when researching their stories is that their unwanted condition disappears when usage is stopped.

Make sure you're healthy to begin with.

If you have a pre existing medical condition, or are taking other prescribed medication, always check with you doctor before trying new supplements.

Also, to see results from creatine, make sure you're exercising regularly.

How old are you?

Most supplements are recommended for people over the age of 18. There's no point of using creatine when you're 16. At a young age you're growing and will make enough natural gains.

Creatine Monohydrate from PROLAB has always been a popular and reliable creatine supplement.