Wellness curious
Mysterious white powder has had a wellness glowup, with creatine just one of the products promising to overhaul your health. But does the science really stack up?
There are as many wellness supplements out there as there are songs Taylor Swift is performing on the Eras tour. But if there’s a powder promising more than most, it’s creatine. And if you haven’t come across the purported benefits of it on your swiping and scrolling travels (more energy, more strength, more brainpower), you’re about to.
‘Creatine is an amino acid found in skeletal muscle in the body,’ says Gabrielle Lyon, author of Forever Strong: ANew, Science-Based Strategy For Aging Well. While the nutrient exists in specific foods, such as red meat and fish, many people don’t get enough of it from diet alone. That women seem to have lower creatine stores than men, adds Dr Lyon, means they could benefit even more from supplementation.
Could, because there’s still a lot we don’t know about creatine. So, let’s strength-test the claims, shall we?
Check with your doctor first, and avoid blended products or those with several ingredients. Go to examine.com or labdoor.com to check whether products have been cleared for consumption
It can help you smash your fitness goals
Creatine acts as a quick power source that can improve the effectiveness of high-intensity physical activity, says Nicole Lund, a clinical nutritionist and personal trainer. It does this by boosting ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production, the energy currency of the body that supports muscles and movement. When that process occurs, it leads to what Dr Lyon calls the ‘recycling of energy and energy availability during exercise’. In short, you’ll have more continuous power throughout the entire workout instead of hitting a wall. And if you need a boost while sprinting or trying to hit a new deadlift PB, Dr Lyon and Lund agree that daily creatine supplementation is a low-risk strategy that could help. If your goals are more big-picture – improving your workout performance or building more lean muscle mass, fo
