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Creatine Side Effects
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Creatine Negative Side Effects
Your body produces a small amount of creatine but it also gets creatine from meat and fish. Some athletes take creatine supplements in hopes of improving their athletic performance, and people with certain medical conditions take creatine to try to minimize symptoms of their condition. Although creatine's side effects are usually mild, there may be a risk for more serious side effects.
When your body gets creatine in the food you eat it converts the creatine you consume into phosphocreatine, which your muscles use for energy. Taking supplemental creatine may increase the stores of phosphocreatine in your muscles.
But the problem is that there is a limit to the amount that can be stored, and consuming more creatine after this point doesn't have any additional benefits, says Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center or BIDMC. We will briefly discuss these symptoms.
The most common side effects of taking more creatine than your body needs include diarrhea, muscle cramps, nausea and stomach pain. It can help a lot if you split up your dose during the day rather than taking it all at once, you're less likely to experience these side effects.
Because creatine brings water into your muscles, you may become dehydrated if you don't drink enough liquids while taking this supplement. More serious possible side effects include kidney, liver or heart problems when you take creatine in high doses. However, there have been very few documented cases of serious side effects, according to BIDMC and MedlinePlus.
It should be noted here that because the kidneys process creatine, if you have kidney disease or diabetes you should avoid taking creatine due to the possible added stress it could cause to your kidneys. Pregnant and nursing women should avoid creatine as well.
The quality of the creatine that you take is vitally important if you are going to take creatine for a long time. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't monitor the purity of supplements. If you take creatine for a long time or in high doses, any amount of contaminant will quickly add up in your system, so you want the purest possible formulation.
Creatine Side Effects
This information presented is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). This supplement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.