Creatine is all the rage right now. I’m sure that you’ve heard about how you “should be taking it” from one person or another. And if you haven’t, bless lol.

Let’s start with the basics, what is creatine?

Creatine is one of the most research backed supplements outside of caffeine. It helps your muscles produce quick energy during high-intensity exercise, allowing you to push harder in strength training and short bursts of activity. Over time, this can lead to increased strength, improved performance, and greater muscle growth. It also supports recovery between workouts, making it a simple but powerful tool for anyone looking to get stronger.

Should you be taking it?

I’m not a doctor or trying to sell you anything, so I’m not going to tell you that you *should* be taking anything. 

If you want to, sure, it can be particularly effective if you don’t eat meat, especially red meat. If you have kidney disease or are pregnant, check with your doctor first.

But first I want to ask:

Are you eating enough food? Are you getting in enough protein, fats, carbs, and fiber in your day? 

Because taking creatine is great and all, but if you’re not getting in enough food, it’s like choosing to pick something as small as food dye and make it your whole personality. We’ve got to think about the bigger picture.

Unless you’re an elite athlete in search of a microsecond advantage, creatine supplements alone are unlikely to deliver significant athletic gains.

Okay, let’s say you’re going to take it:

If you are going to take creatine, it doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy creatine. Take 3-5mg of Creatine Monohydrate (we like Optimum Nutrition or Bulk Supps because it’s inexpensive.) There are powders, pills, or gummies. 

Don’t get sucked into a marketing scheme of “women’s creatine” or “vegan creatine” it’s all vegan and women’s creatine is just a more expensive version of the exact same thing but jacked in price because patriarchy.

Make sure you drink enough water throughout your day and around 8 oz when you take creatine to help with absorption and to decrease the risk of bloating.

Okay, I feel like that’s all that I have to say on the matter for now!