What You Need to Know About Creatine

By Marley Archibald

We here at The Elderberry Co. are SO EXCITED to be launching a new product: Warrior Strong Wellness Creatine Monohydrate. Our close relationship with Warrior Strong Wellness has brought some of your favorite products (Pure Organic Ashwagandha, Organic Superfood Greens, Vitamins D3 & K2, and Pure Hydrolyzed Multi Collagen Protein Powder), and we are sure that this addition will be no different. Creatine is one of the most widely researched and widely taken supplements available, however there are still some lingering misunderstandings about this powerhouse product. So, we are going to break down these myths and let you know the real deal about Creatine Monohydrate.

1. Myth: Creatine will make women “bulky,” so only men should take it. Reality: Creatine alone does not result in crazy muscle gain. Rather, creatine enhances and boosts your workout results. So, while it does support your muscles and make your workouts more productive, it will not cause you to “bulk up” unless you are doing some serious heavy lifting where bulking is already the goal.

1. Myth: Creatine is like a steroid. Reality: Creatine is an organic compound that comes from amino acids, working to supply your muscles with additional energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). It is naturally found in the body’s muscles, the brain, and in food sources like meat and fish. Anabolic steroids, on the other hand, are synthetic substances that increase the body’s testosterone levels. So, they are two totally different substances/chemical structures with two totally different mechanisms!

1. Myth: Creatine is only good for building muscle. Reality: Creatine also supports cognitive function. A 2023 study found that there is a link between dysfunction of the creatine system and Alzheimer’s Disease. The results of the study support the use and supplementation of creatine as “a potential target for prevention and therapy… in Alzheimer’s Disease.” More clinical research is still needed in all areas of Alzheimer’s Disease, though.

1. Myth: Creatine causes dehydration and water retention. Reality: Creatine can cause mild water retention in the first few days of your new regimen, however this is temporary and not a long-term effect. Additionally, this is generally seen in individuals taking higher doses (10+ grams per day) rather than the typical dose of 5 grams.

1. Myth: Creatine can impact kidney function. Reality: Supplementing creatine can result in slightly increased levels of creatinine. Creatinine is also a waste product filtered by the kidneys. As such, when doctors are examining kidney function, they will often check blood levels for increased creatinine as an indicator of a potential health problem. See where we are going with this? So, while creatine can result in increased creatinine, these increased levels themselves are not a problem. They can, however, be confused for an underlying issue since the markers show similarly. Creatine does no harm whatsoever to the kidneys, as demonstrated by decades of research establishing creatine as one of the safest supplements that an individual can take.