There are two main criteria for assessing the usefulness/uselessness of a particular type of sports nutrition: the opinion of scientists about it (results of scientific research) and reviews from real users. Recommendations from bodybuilding professionals and sellers are very subjective. As for creatine, from a scientific perspective, it is harmless, has clear positive benefits for athletes, and some negative side effects. In this article, we have gathered reviews from athletes about creatine from various platforms on the internet that, in our opinion, can be trusted.
Main thoughts:
Real athlete reviews about creatine
Below are reviews about creatine from athletes of various levels (professionals and amateurs) from various platforms on the internet (mainly NOT online stores) that, in our opinion, can be trusted.
The selection criterion is subjective, personal perception: reviews written for hire are always obvious, their goal is to sell.
Amateur athlete’s review about creatine: overdose, heart problems
Source of the review: webmd.com.
Purpose of taking creatine: muscle mass gain.
Review author: amateur athlete, 25-34 years old, duration of creatine intake 1-6 months.
“I have been taking creatine monohydrate for 2 months. At first, I took the recommended dose (that is, 5 grams a day, without a loading phase), the results were excellent: muscle strength increased and there were no side effects. However, after that, I decided to double the dose. Side effects began: very strong fatigue (not related to dehydration) and heart arrhythmia (premature ventricular contractions). The arrhythmia occurred sometimes, but quite often (about 10 times a day). I don’t know if the strong fatigue was related to the arrhythmia. I have always had an irregular heartbeat, and I think that taking creatine in an increased dose exacerbated the problem.”
Amateur athlete: “After doubling the dose from 5 g a day to 10 g – very strong fatigue, heart arrhythmia”
Review of a professional athlete about creatine: results were better.. without creatine
Source of the review: webmd.com.
Purpose of creatine intake: sports, endurance increase.
Review author: female athlete, 25-34 years old, duration of creatine intake ~2 years.
“I run. I experimented with creatine for 2 years. No improvement in sports performance. Creatine leads to water retention, and for a sprinter, extra weight is unnecessary. Creatine was then imposed on our entire team by our coach. Personally, I showed better results during the summer when I was NOT taking creatine. Since then, 15 years have passed, and now for those of us who took creatine regularly, it is much harder to lose excess water weight than for those who did not take it. To determine whether creatine is beneficial, more thorough scientific studies are needed, with larger groups of athletes and longer durations. In most experiments, the group size does not exceed 40 people (which is VERY small).”
Professional athlete: “I showed the best result without creatine.. For those of us who took creatine, it is much harder to lose excess water weight”
Review of an amateur athlete about creatine: the most unpleasant side effect
Source of the review: webmd.com.
Purpose of creatine intake: sports.
Review author: 19-24 years old, male, duration of creatine use from 1 to 2 years.
“The most unpleasant problem with creatine is water retention in the body. The degree of this side effect varies among different types of creatine.”
Amateur Athlete’s Review of Creatine: Liquid Form is Bad
Source of the review: webmd.com.
Purpose of taking creatine: sports, muscle mass gain.
Author of the review: 35-44 years old, male, duration of creatine use from 5 to 10 years.
“Creatine is the best sports supplement on the market. Combined with protein, it increases muscle size and energy. AVOID creatine in liquid form: creatine is NOT stable in liquid form and loses its effectiveness within a few hours.”
Professional Senior Athlete’s Review of Creatine: Muscle Mass Gain
Author of the review: user Reviewer3099688 on the site iherb.com:
“I am 46 years old, a professional athlete and coach since 1990. I used creatine when it first came out many years ago: back then it was like sand, the effect was minimal and did not last. Recently, I decided to try creatine again and was surprised, the results impressed me. I quickly gained about 1.5 kg (definitely NOT fat, as I am currently on a strict diet) and noticed an increase in muscle strength of ~10%. I take 5 grams of creatine 3-4 times a day, not following the “loading high dose, then maintaining a lower dose” scheme. My weight is 72 kilograms.”
Amateur Athlete’s Review of BodyTech Creatine: No Effect
Author of the review: user Alex Fisher on the site amazon.com:
“I bought a jar of creatine for $20, I take it by the teaspoon a day, half a jar is gone, but I see no results. Not sure if it makes me stronger, maybe there is some psychological effect, the placebo effect: when you take something useless, but just believe in its effectiveness and get results. By the way, this supplement increases weight due to water retention in the body.”
Review of CreaPure Creatine Monohydrate
Author of the review: user bctuthill on the site supplementreviews.com:
“Great. After a week of ‘loading’ with creatine, I saw the main effects – the number of repetitions increased by 1-2 per set, the overall size and thickness of my muscles noticeably increased (especially biceps and shoulders). Recovery time decreased.The instructions on how to take it are very clear for the loading phase, and I liked that they even suggested taking some carbohydrates with creatine to increase absorption speed. I usually eat a banana or a piece of bread with creatine.Creatine works, and I don’t think anyone will ever regret taking it.Its effect does NOT manifest instantly, but the gradual increase in muscle mass, number of repetitions, and recovery speed happens consistently. It works as it should.”
Amateur athlete: “Creatine works as it should: the number of repetitions increased, the size and thickness of muscles (especially biceps and shoulders), and recovery time decreased.”
Amateur athlete’s review of Optimum Nutrition creatine: when is the best time to take it
Review author: user sergiosays on the site supplementreviews.com:
“I took creatine in the morning, at night, during the day, and honestly, I didn’t notice a difference in the specific timing of intake.At first, I felt energized in the gym during workouts. Creatine doesn’t provide anything supernatural, but I found that it definitely helps to perform more repetitions per set. I’m sure that anyone taking creatine can do 1-2 more repetitions. I believe in creatine and see that it also helps increase muscle mass and strength.I have tried different brands, forms, and doses of creatine throughout my bodybuilding journey, but I found that Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate at 5 g per day is the most effective. Muscle mass grows when you constantly push your body beyond its limits, and creatine helps to do just that.”
Amateur athlete: “Muscle mass grows when we push the body beyond its limits; creatine helps to do just that. I didn’t notice a difference in when it’s best to take it (morning, day, or evening).”
Amateur athlete’s review of Optimum Nutrition creatine: the effect is not instant, but it exists
Review author: user Zachdylan on the site supplementreviews.com:
“Many athletes think that when they start taking creatine, they will immediately notice a huge increase in muscle strength. This is not the case. Creatine needs to be taken for a certain period of time to achieve maximum effect. I started to notice after a few weeks of taking it that my muscles felt “fuller,” and completing the last few repetitions in a set became much easier than before. Overall, creatine is an exceptional product. It is cheap and effective. It can cause some water retention and bloating. But such side effects do not occur in everyone.”
Amateur athlete: “The effect of creatine is not instant; it starts to work after a few weeks.. the side effect of water retention and bloating does not occur in everyone.”
Review of Optimum Nutrition Creatine
Review author: user elee229 on the site supplementreviews.com:
“I am a big proponent of creatine; I have tried creatine hydrochloride HCl, plain old creatine monohydrate, but I truly believe that micronized creatine has helped me personally. I take 5 grams of creatine on rest and training days. I prefer to take creatine right after training along with protein. I feel that my recovery time has decreased. Sometimes I take creatine before training and then I notice that I get less tired in the gym. My muscle strength has increased, especially when doing squats and bench presses.”
Amateur athlete’s review of Optimum Nutrition Creatine: what happens when you stop taking creatine
Review author: user Nony on the site supplementreviews.com:
“After trying many different brands of creatine monohydrate, I found that micronized creatine is better in the long run. I consider creatine a good supplement for any athlete, and it really affects my training level and workout intensity without any side effects. About 10 days into use, I noticed a real difference in recovery speed between sets: in less than a minute, I feel rested and ready for the next set. Muscle soreness the next day decreased… I wouldn’t say by 100%, but definitely by 20%. As for muscle growth, I noticed that muscle density increases every day. I’m sure that the increased intensity at which I can train stimulates muscle growth. Muscle strength has also increased. I can perform on average 2-3 more repetitions in each set and I feel more confident when working with heavier weights.
After some time using creatine, I really got used to its positive effects and stopped noticing them… until I decided to stop taking it to feel the difference. Here’s what I noticed: drop sets became torture for me, and the ability to perform additional repetitions gradually disappeared. Besides that, severe muscle pain hindered starting the next set: it seemed to last forever; endurance dropped tremendously. Creatine really retains water in the body, as I lost ~2.5 kg in the first 4 days after stopping its intake.”
Amateur athlete: “After stopping creatine intake – severe muscle pain, tremendous decrease in endurance…”
Review of Optimum Nutrition creatine by an athlete
Review author: user theguyisback on the site supplementreviews.com:
“During creatine intake, muscle size increased somewhat, veins became more noticeable… in the gym, I can bench press 15 kilograms more and can do 10 repetitions instead of 6.”
Review of Optimum Nutrition creatine: tremendous positive effects and minor negatives
Review author: user Goodfella on the site supplementreviews.com:
“Among the positive effects of creatine, I can mention:
- increase in muscle size,
- increase in muscle strength and endurance, which manifested in an increase in the number of repetitions and heavier weights;
- tremendous pumping;
- Also, after the workout, the pumping continues, which is noticeable externally.
Among the side effects is an increased feeling of thirst. Creatine monohydrate retains water in the muscles, so drink more water. I also sometimes felt cramps in my foot at the beginning of taking creatine, which indicates dehydration or a lack of sodium and potassium.”
Creatine review from a beginner athlete
Review author: user Tommy31B on the site supplementreviews.com:
“I have been bodybuilding for about a year, so my muscles are growing quite well for a beginner. However, after I started taking creatine, muscle mass and strength increased significantly! Much more than before.”
Review of Optimum Nutrition creatine: muscle mass increases, side effects do not occur in everyone
Review author: user PTfootball54 on the site supplementreviews.com:
“This creatine works just as it should: muscle strength and mass increase. Endurance has also improved, especially in sprints. I noticed that it became easier to perform sets and I can increase the weight at each subsequent workout. Recovery speed between workouts has also improved. Additionally, creatine enhances the pump, after the load, the muscles really look full. No side effects. Most people complain about bloating, kidney discomfort, or significant water retention. I did not experience any of these side effects (except for a slight water retention). I assume that these negative side effects are related to the purity of the creatine.”
Amateur athlete: “Creatine works: muscle strength and mass are increasing. Negative side effects are likely related to the quality (purity) of the creatine.”
