Does Creatine Really Work

Creatine is one of the most used supplements today. Often, I have high school kids or Dads ask me about creatine. Does it work? Is it harmful? Is it steroids?

Well lets clear these questions up. Does it work - Yes. Is it harmful - when used properly, no. Is it steroids - NO!


Creatine is a substance your body creates naturally in small amounts and gets from certain food types such as wild game and fish. However, these small amounts typically are not enough to make a real difference - thus, many athletes use creatine supplements.

How does creatine help? Well creatine is not a magic drug that makes you stronger and makes you "blow up" in a month. It still takes a lot of hard work and proper diet to see some decent gains. Creatine helps your endurance, allowing you to pump out a few more reps and aids in recovery time allowing you to work out harder. So, if you work hard, the creatine does its job.

It is also important to drink a lot of water. Creatine tends to make people retain water to aid in muscle recovery. If you are a wrestler or fighter and think you may be cutting a lot of weight you may want to test it out first, I tend to gain a couple of pounds when I am taking creatine. It also makes it harder for me to cut as much. However, I have friends who have no problems - so test it out yourself.

Overall, I would recommend creatine. There is no evidence of negative side effects when taken properly and when stacked with other supplements creatine can be part of a very effective diet.
Try taking some whey protein after workouts and creatine about 1hr before workouts to start. That is a very safe and effective supplement combo that will work for anyone, the results aren't going to be magic, but they are safe and solid if you work hard. Good luck!