The ads for creatine monohydrate are everywhere. Magazines show pictures of big, muscle-bound men and women giving testimony to the powers of supplements. Claims of their product being the "pure" form splash across the pages. The colors, wording, and font are designed to create excitement in the product.
What is creatine? Creatine is naturally produced by the body and is found in red muscle tissue, heart, and the brain. Creatine monohydrate, a nutritional supplement, claims to increase anaerobic output in events lasting 6 sec-4min. It claims to work with the body to further delay fatigue and increase energy. However, there is no evidence that it works other than testimonials on various sites that sell the supplement.
The long-term effects of creatine monohydrate are still unknown. It may affect the liver and kidneys if used long-term; however, there is just not enough evidence one way or the other. The long- and short- of supplement use is to try to find research behind the supplement and then decide if you really need it. If you are eating a well-rounded diet, with a variety of vegetables, then you will not need supplements. If you are doing an extreme sport like bodybuilding or iron man triathlons, then you may want to supplement.
The important thing to remember about all supplements is there are very little regulations. The FDA does not approve supplements, and no one does quality checks until someone becomes ill. Be careful of which ones you purchase and do your homework; saving money by going to the bulk stores is not always the best choice.
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