If increasing muscle mass and strength is high on your gym agenda, then one supplement that consistently stands out is creatine, thanks to being one of the most well-researched and studied supplements. The International Society of Sports Nutrition dubs it as "one of the most popular nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes".
Creatine helps our body recycle ATP (our body’s energy currency) more quickly, helping us to push harder during training, aiding us in building more muscle mass and strength. But, how much muscle can you actually gain from taking creatine? A meta-analysis in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning has revealed the answer to this very question.
The study
The analysis sought to look at whether taking creatine could make resistance training more effective in adults under the age of 50, specifically when it came to gaining muscle and reducing body fat. The researchers looked at 1,694 records in total and settled on the 12 strongest studies to compare data.
The results? On average, they found that taking creatine alongside resistance training increased lean body mass by an average of 1.14 kg and reduced body fat mass by around 0.73 kg.
Some people argue that when you gain weight from taking creatine, most of it isn't actual muscle tissue, it's just water being stored in your muscles. Well, 76% of our muscles are water, so this isn’t exactly a bad thing. Not to mention, if you’re able to lift more and your muscles look fuller, it’s a win-win.
Was the fat loss a direct result of the creatine? Probably not. It’s most likely to do with the fact that the individuals had gained more muscle, thus increasing their resting metabolic rate and due to having a higher energy expenditure during training. Either way, there’s no point overanalysing the details – the individuals still lost body fat.
Although everyone will respond differently to creatine, and the results from this analysis are averages, it gives us a more realistic idea of what to expect from taking creatine.
Also, remember, creatine doesn’t only help us in the gym either; studies suggest it may also enhance cognitive function, improve short-term memory, and even support those with depression. For helping you build strength and muscle though, it really is one of the easiest and most effective supplements on the market.
This creatine powder from ESN is super fine, helping it blend effortlessly in drinks and food. This bag contains around 142 servings of creatine, delivering a decent 3.5g per serving. It's also unflavoured, so you can add it into pretty much anything.
This creatine from Optimum Nutrition is excellent value for money, provifing you with 186 servings! Ideal if you're in need of a big re-stock of your favourite supplement. It also mixes very well with water.
Warrior serves a hefty 5g of creatine with every scoop, for those looking to get a slightly higher supplement intake. It's also blue raspberry flavoured (although you can get it in unflavoured too) and an absolute steal, coming in at under £10. The packaging is also pretty cool.
