Fab or fad: Creatine supplementation

By Erica Schwartz

Graphic by Josie Zevin

If you’ve ever watched a gym influencer on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve likely heard them praise the virtues of some mythical substance called creatine — but what is this secret ingredient, and do you need it to hit your wellness goals?

Creatine may sound like a foreign chemical, but it isn’t. Creatine is a substance that our own bodies can produce. It is a necessary part of our quickest energy-production pathways and helps our muscles store more glycogen, the primary storage form of the glucose we need for fuel during exercise.

When we talk about creatine supplementation, we are referring to consuming exogenous creatine to augment our endogenous creatine stores. Typically, this creatine is in the form of creatine monohydrate, available as powders or tablets. However, many people supplement their creatine every single day without realizing it. If you eat meat and seafood, you are already consuming exogenous creatine.

Exogenous creatine is one of the most extensively researched athletic supplements. It has been proven to improve resistance training performance by increasing muscular strength, size and power. If you like to lift weights, creatine can be a helpful boost to achieve your fitness goals.

Even if you aren’t into weightlifting, there are even more benefits of creatine. For starters, there is a growing body of research demonstrating that creatine can reduce symptoms of depression. There is also some burgeoning research that suggests creatine can help fight sleep deprivation symptoms — a common issue for college students.

There is still more research to be done on the “bonus effects” unrelated to anaerobic exercise. Plus, there are a few minor side effects to keep in mind. Excess consumption can cause stomach upset, cramping and other possible side effects.

Creatine can be a powerful tool in your wellness regimen — but it’s not a miracle cure. If you regularly engage in high-intensity, anaerobic exercise, it’s worth giving creatine a shot. It’s safe and relatively cheap enough to experiment with as part of your routine, because at the end of the day, wellness is about what makes you feel your personal best.