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Creatine increases phosphocreatine stores in skeletal muscle, enhancing ATP production during high-intensity exercise like sprinting and weightlifting.
view on pubmed ↗← BACK TO VEDA
SUPPLEMENTS
• BACKED
Creatine for Muscle
RESEARCH
- Creatine reliably builds muscle and strength when you lift consistently, mainly by fueling intense exercise—real gains, but modest and only if you actually train hard.
COMMUNITY
- Most find it effective and safe, though a few report mood changes; results require consistent training and patience for effects to show.
⚠
SAFETYGenerally safe for healthy adults; those with kidney disease or on certain medications should check with a doctor first.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
ALL 8 ON PUBMED ↗02
Supplementation at 3-5g daily enhances skeletal muscle mass, strength, power, and muscular endurance; safe for long-term use.
view on pubmed ↗03
5g creatine monohydrate doses sustained plasma concentration ~1000 μmol/L with repeated dosing every 2 hours over multiple days.
view on pubmed ↗04
Creatine shows beneficial effects on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage, reducing soreness and impaired muscle function.
view on pubmed ↗WHAT PEOPLE SAY
READ THREADS ON REDDIT ↗COMMUNITY SENTIMENT
65% positive
“Yep. I love creatine, it seems to help a lot of things and is one of the most well studied compounds for safety on earth.”
U/SHAIDARHARAN2 ↗“I saw no improvements because it is a daily supplement that takes a long time to reach saturation levels. I can't tell the difference it makes, but the studies on it are quite thorough so I know it does something. The way it helps is it increases muscle endurance in I something like the 3-8 rep range (if someone knows exact number feel free to correct). That means if you would normally have barely failed on your 4th rep, you might get manage 5 reps with creatine. 5 successful reps hits the muscle better than 3 and a failed 4th, leading to additional stimulus and growth.”
U/INTERNATIONAL-FIX233 ↗“> nearly no downsides to it I will say that, when I've tried creatine, it messes with my emotions and I get angry much easier. I've tried creatine a few times and a few different brands, and get the same result every time, so i know it's not just a coincidence. After maybe a week of taking creatine, I can tell that I irrationally angry about little things. I'm much more chill otherwise. Other people have reported this side effect, too. https://www.reddit.com/r/Creatine/s/mvTWGW0wdq https://www.reddit.com/r/Creatine/s/ACJHvAnLEI”
U/TWENTYX4 ↗COMMENTS
Add context that might help others — skin type, conditions like PCOS, what you'd tried before. The more specific, the more useful.
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