What is creatine monohydrate?

Creatine monohydrate is a type of creatine offered for use as a supplement. It contains creatine in the same form in which it occurs in the body. Numerous studies have examined the efficacy of creatine monohydrate, which is the most common form of creatine used for nutritional supplements. Creatine monohydrate is stable, safe and can be easily absorbed by the body.  It also acts reliably.

How much creatine does the body need?

An adult weighing 70 kg needs about 2–4 g of creatine per day. Approximately half of this is produced each day by the liver, kidney and pancreas. The remainder is absorbed through food (meat and fish). Supplementation with creatine can therefore make sense for vegetarians or people who eat very little meat because they consume little to no creatine. Those who want to actively increase their physical capacity during periods of intensive stress, thereby actively increasing their muscle mass, can also benefit from creatine supplementation. Taking creatine helps optimize creatine levels in the body’s tissues. There is no risk of creatine deposits becoming overloaded.

Is creatine harmful?

Creatine occurs naturally in the body. Some of it is produced by the body itself, and some of it is absorbed from the foods we eat. Dietary supplementation of 3 g of creatine per day in the form of creatine monohydrate can have positive effects on the body. Research has shown that when creatine is taken as a dietary supplement, it can improve physical performance. Health authorities and sports organizations around the world have also come to this conclusion. Creatine is easily absorbed by the body and has an excellent safety record when manufactured according to high quality standards and taken at the recommended dose.

Articles found on the Internet suggest that the use of creatine may lead to convulsions, stomach pain or dehydration. However, hundreds of studies in which subjects have taken creatine monohydrate have not provided any scientific evidence whatsoever related to these side effects.
The only side effect that has been shown is a slight amount of weight gain. On one hand, this is caused by an increase in the accumulation of water in the muscles. On the other, this is caused by a gradual increase in muscle mass, which is exactly what many athletes want.

Supplementation of creatine

Scientific research has shown that using creatine as a dietary supplement improves physical performance during short, intensive and repetitive exercises. This leads to optimal muscle growth and helps to promote long term growth. Higher availability of creatine in muscles improves the energy supply to muscle cells, thereby making it possible to improve performance.

Why take creatine supplements?

Creatine is a natural substance that the body also produces itself. Our body absorbs the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine contained in our food and converts them into creatine. Additional creatine can also be directly absorbed through our food, especially from fish and meat. One kilogram of fish or meat contains between 3 and 7 g of creatine.
 
Those who do not have a balanced diet and eat little fish and meat likely have lower levels of creatine in their bodies. This is particularly true for vegetarians and vegans, who consume little or no creatine through their diet, as well as athletes, who require additional creatine for muscle growth and faster recovery times after strenuous workouts. These groups can benefit from creatine supplementation in the form dietary supplements.

Recommended creatine intake

Taking creatine monohydrate as a dietary supplement boosts the amount of creatine in the body. There are many proven benefits of taking moderate amounts of creatine. We recommend a daily creatine dosage of 3 to 5 g. This amount (3 g) of creatine has been judged to be safe by The European Food Safety Authority. An expert panel in the U.S. has indicated 5 g. The most common form of creatine is creatine monohydrate. Depending on the preference of the individual, this can be taken as a powder, a chewable tablet or as capsules. As with any dietary supplement, purity is particularly important with creatine. Therefore, you should only use creatine products that come from known and reliable sources.