Influencers tout the advantages of creatine dietary supplements. Is it wholesome or all hype? : NPR
Creatine dietary supplements have lengthy been standard amongst iron-pumping gymnasium goers. Social media influencers tout the advantages of creatine for every little thing. Does the proof assist the hype?
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Creatine dietary supplements aren’t only for gymnasium bros, apparently. Social media influencers promote advantages in your muscle tissues and even your mind. So let’s use our brains. What is the proof present concerning the hype? This is NPR’s Maria Godoy.
MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: On wellness TikTok, there’s a variety of enthusiasm round creatine.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOBBY PARRISH: Increase your hand should you’re taking creatine proper now. It is the complement of the 12 months.
GODOY: Like this video from influencer Bobby Parrish.
PARRISH: Creatine is legit. You discuss muscle energy, muscle energy, muscle restoration. They even say that when you have a horrible evening’s sleep, should you do a 20-gram dose of this, it reverses the impact of it for that day.
GODOY: So what’s creatine? It is a compound produced from three amino acids, says Jose Antonio. He teaches train and sports activities science at Nova Southeastern College in Florida.
JOSE ANTONIO: Consider creatine as a supply of power.
GODOY: It is saved in our muscle tissues, and it might probably assist present power to energy by tougher exercises. The physique makes some creatine, and it additionally comes from meals.
ANTONIO: So beef, hen, pork. However actually, the meals that has probably the most creatine is fish.
GODOY: Analysis reveals that growing the quantity of creatine saved in muscle tissues can assist so as to add lean muscle mass and enhance athletic efficiency and velocity restoration from exercises. You could possibly get additional creatine by food plan, however you’d need to eat lots.
ANTONIO: We’re speaking, like, two kilos of uncooked beef day-after-day, and never many individuals are keen to try this.
GODOY: Some folks flip to creatine dietary supplements. And on the subject of including lean muscle mass, the proof for creatine is fairly sturdy. It really works, however Antonio says there is a caveat.
ANTONIO: It is at all times coupled to train.
GODOY: Research have proven that while you mix creatine dietary supplements with resistance coaching, adults can add round two to 3 kilos of lean muscle mass. For older folks particularly, since we are likely to lose muscle mass as we age, it may be vital, says Abbie Smith-Ryan.
ABBIE SMITH-RYAN: Two kilos of muscle for me as a middle-aged girl is definitely actually useful versus a teen.
GODOY: Ryan is professor of train and sports activities science on the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She says research have proven that middle-aged girls who take creatine dietary supplements and do resistance coaching also can preserve bone, and that is essential as a result of girls are likely to lose extra bone mass than males with age.
SMITH-RYAN: I like that each girl is speaking about creatine proper now.
GODOY: As for different potential advantages, like bettering reminiscence, serving to your mind perform higher while you’re sleep-deprived and possibly even boosting cognition, she says the analysis is attention-grabbing, however…
SMITH-RYAN: I might say, as a scientist, I might love extra information.
GODOY: Nonetheless, she says, if you wish to strive creatine dietary supplements, go for it.
SMITH-RYAN: Creatine shouldn’t be going to be the magic bullet, however I do assume that it is a low-hanging fruit that has minimal unwanted effects that has potential profit that may very well be useful.
GODOY: Typically, specialists suggest taking three to 5 grams a day to see the muscle-building advantages of creatine dietary supplements. Dr. Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical College research complement security. He recommends shopping for dietary supplements that comprise creatine monohydrate, probably the most extensively studied type, as the one ingredient.
PIETER COHEN: When somebody needs to make use of dietary supplements, we have to know precisely what ingredient we’re getting and precisely the exact dose.
GODOY: He says, be certain that it is licensed by a third-party certification program, like NSF Licensed for Sport.
Maria Godoy, NPR Information.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts could fluctuate. Transcript textual content could also be revised to right errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its unique broadcast or publication. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
