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Creatine Safety:
Caution concerning high
dosing of Creatine should be exercised in light of the opinions of some
researchers. Although no clinical studies have demonstrated hypertension
or any other adverse health conditions resulting from creatine
supplementation, care and caution should be exercised when taking
creatine supplements in very high doses. The concern of some researchers
regarding consistently high doses of creatine supplements hypothetically
involves hypertension caused by increases in water retention in
musculoskeletal tissues. Much of the concern of concerning potential
problems caused by creatine overuse involve the practice of cyclic
loading of creatine supplements at very high doses approaching or
exceeding 20 grams per day.
The use
of creatine in healthy individuals is generally considered safe. Studies
have not yet been able to demonstrate that either long-term or
short-term creatine supplementation results in adverse health
effects.[1][2] Creatine supplementation using recommended dosages has
not been linked with any adverse side effects beyond occasional
dehydration due to increased muscular water uptake from the rest of the
body.[3] An increase in muscle mass and body mass are the most
widely accepted side effect of creatine supplementation.[4][5]
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), "the safety and
bioavailability of the requested source of creatine, creatine
monohydrate in foods for particular nutritional uses, is not a matter of
concern provided that there is adequate control of the purity of this
source of creatine (minimum 99.95%) with respect to dicyandiamide and
dihydro-1,3,5-triazine derivatives, as well as heavy metal
contamination. The EFSA Panel endorses the previous opinion of the SCF
that high loading doses (20 gram / day) of creatine should be
avoided.[6] Provided high purity creatine monohydrate is used in
foods for particular nutritional uses, the Panel considers that the
consumption of doses of up to 3g/day of supplemental creatine, similar
to the daily turnover rate of creatine, is unlikely to pose any
risk".[7]
1. Schilling BK, Stone MH, Utter A, et al. (February 2001). "Creatine
supplementation and health variables: a retrospective study". Med Sci
Sports Exerc 33 (2): 183–8.
PMID 11224803.
2. Arciero PJ, Hannibal NS, Nindl BC, Gentile CL, Hamed J, Vukovich MD
(December 2001). "Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance
training on energy expenditure and limb blood flow". Metab. Clin. Exp.
50 (12): 1429–34. doi:10.1053/meta.2001.28159.
PMID 11735088.
3. Bizzarini E, De Angelis L. (December 2004). "Is the use of oral
creatine supplementation safe?". J Sports Med Phys Fitness..
PMID 15758854.
4. Creatine's Side Effects. Fact or Fiction?, An interview of
Professor Jacques R. Poortmans
5. Poortmans J. R., Francaux, M. (September 2000). "Adverse
effects of creatine supplementation. Fact or Fiction?". Sports Medicine
30: 155. doi:10.2165/00007256-200030030-00002.
PMID 10999421.
6. EFSA Journal 2004 36,1-6
7. EFSA statement, 26 April 2006. |
