Creatine: How Does It Work, Is It Safe & When Should You Take It?

2025-09-02    107

"Creatine is the most commonly used performance supplement," says Dr. Vijay Jotwani, a sports medicine doctor at Houston Methodist. "It's a reasonable one for a lot of our patients to take since it has studied benefits. It's also not banned among competitive athletes ― unlike some performance-enhancing supplements."
Still, you might have some questions about creatine supplementation. Dr. Jotwani answers the most common ones below.

What does creatine do?
Creatine isn't just a dietary supplement: your body naturally makes it every day ― primarily storing it in your muscles, where it can be used as a quick source of energy when needed.
"Creatine is particularly helpful during short bursts of intense activity, like weightlifting, sprinting or high-intensity interval training (HIIT)," explains Dr. Jotwani. "Available as an immediate energy source, it's used to quickly power muscle contractions."
It's easy to see why fitness-minded folks would be interested in muscles having access to plenty of creatine. The body makes about 1 gram per day, and small amounts can also be consumed through certain foods like seafood and red meat. But for those who wish to load their muscles with even more creatine than that, supplementation is all but required.

But do creatine supplements really work?

"Creatine isn't just one of the most widely recommended supplements in the fitness industry, it's one of the more researched ones, too," says Dr. Jotwani. "Several studies demonstrate the beneficial role of supplementation in people who exercise."

Creatine benefits include:
Enhanced exercise performance – helps boost muscle strength and power during short bursts of intense exercise
Improved muscle recovery and growth – helps increase water content in muscle cells, aiding protein synthesis

Source: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/