I Tried Creatine To Get Stronger And Age Better – Here's How It Went

Creatine in a scoopI’ll be honest: I’m a supplement sceptic. I’m not convinced by claims that taking vitamin C can help to cure a cold, for instance (nor is the NHS). But I am not beyond persuasion. I take vitamin D tablets, recommended by the NHS and recently linked to longevity, in part to help boost my iron supplementation as a lifelong anaemic.And two months ago, I started taking creatine – one of the most researched supplements going, which has been linked to better ageing, an easier menopause, improved strength, and even better cognitive ability – too. Still, some worry about increased weight gain, bloating, and kidney issues from creatine. So, as someone who has been taking 5g of creatine monohydrate a day for two months now, I thought I’d report back. What is creatine, and why is it helpful?Contrary to my pre-research prejudices, creatine is not a steroid-style artificial muscle booster. GP and medical director of Midland Health, Dr Rupa Parmar, explained: “We naturally produce half the body’s creatine supply in our liver, kidneys, and pancreas, but the other half comes from our diet.“Protein-rich foods, like red meat, seafood, and milk, all contain creatine, but nowhere near the amount found in supplements.” Creatine contributes to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, “the molecule our cells use for energy and muscles use to contract,” the doctor told us. That means you can push yourself further in the gym, but its benefits are not limited to athletes.The supplement reduces muscle loss as we age, for instance, preventing falls and injuries; it’s especially useful for those going through menopause, when bone density and muscle mass levels both plummet.″[Creatine] can be especially beneficial for women going through menopause, as they’ve been found to improve brain function and mood, contributing to overall well-being,” Dr Parmar added.Creatine has shown promising benefits in those with depression, though we don’t have enough data to recommend the supplement for mental health reasons.It may also, the doctor told us, “improve general cognitive functions as we age.” Weight gain associated with the supplement seems to be linked more to the addition of water to our muscles than fat, meanwhile, and study after study has debunked the one-man case study that first suggested creatine may cause kidney issues when consumed by healthy people at normal doses. Here’s how I found it Did I gain weight?As the research prepared me for, I was bloated and gained weight for the first few days. But (also as expected), this went away after about a week.Within a month, my weight had actually gone down a couple of pounds; fat loss has been linked to creatine as it can help to keep you less fatigued in the gym, meaning you can progressively overload your muscles to help them grow.Did it upset my stomach?I did experience some slight GI issues in the first couple of days, which were expected.These were alleviated by drinking more water and ensuring I scooped exactly 5g a day from my container. Going over 10g a day is linked to an upset stomach.Did I get stronger?Yes. This was, perhaps, the most predictable outcome.My squat PR is up 30kg, my VO2 max has gone from “fair” to “excellent” (not least because I can push myself further), and my recovery is far better. This is all good news for my longevity, as increased muscle mass is linked to a longer, healthier life.My VO2 max growth from February 2025 to June 2025Did my mood change? Again, I’ve noticed a slight uptick in mood. Nothing wild, and possibly due to the increase in “happy chemicals” linked to exercise – still, a welcome change.So, should everyone take creatine?Dr Parmar told HuffPost UK, “While creatine can be helpful, like any supplement, there are some side effects and limitations.”She added, “The main reported side effects are gastrointestinal issues like diarrhoea and bloating, but these can easily be managed by reducing your intake” (that certainly worked with me).“If you have kidney disease or bipolar disorder, creatine may make symptoms worse,” she ended. “It’s always a good idea to talk to a GP before introducing any new supplement into your diet.”Once you get the go-ahead, though, I can’t recommend creatine enough – I’ve loved how much stronger, faster, and even happier it’s made me, and I hope its healthy ageing claims prove just as well-founded over time.Related...I Took My VO2 Max From 'Fair' To 'Excellent' With This Running PlanI Tried 'Jeffing' And My Running Pace SkyrocketedI Tried 'Anti-Ageing' Workouts For A Month – Here's How It Went

Comments

Breaking news

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey starts filming in Scotland

The Herald

Comments

Breaking news

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey starts filming in Scotland

Swinney defends his claim Hamilton by-election was contest between SNP and Reform

'If I weren't a chef - I probably would have ended up as an extra on EastEnders.'

Five senior councillors to appear in court over 'health and safety matter'

Couple find their stolen car and take it back after getting fed up with police

Londoners take graffiti covered Tube trains into their own hands

Teenager jailed in Dubai for family holiday romance appeals to Sheikh for pardon

Plastic surgeon who stabbed rival doctor and tried to burn down his home jailed

What happens to Greta Thunberg and the Madleen crew now?

Vladimir Putin Will Be Able To Attack The West 'Within Five Years', Says Nato Chief

'I Ended A Years-Long Friendship Over A Sunscreen Argument. Was I Wrong?'

Mother details ‘nightmare’ after Trump sends son to El Salvador mega-prison where he’s being held incommunicado

Democrats have a dirty secret - they actually like some of the tax cuts in Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’

Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 15-21

Popular fitness equipment recalled by Costco after more than 100 injuries reported

Search underway for six missing passengers from Cessna plane that crashed off San Diego coast

White House struggles to find qualified people willing to serve under Pete Hegseth: report

Spending review is ‘settled’, says Downing Street

Drinking a soda could be worse than eating a candy bar, researchers find

More than 1,200 mothers and 900 children impacted by Dutch fertility scandal

NHS trust cleared of manslaughter after woman takes life in mental health unit

White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities

FTSE 100 dips while markets watch for US-China talks progress

Dr Phil was embedded with ICE agents during LA raids

Family pay tribute to ‘funny, caring’ boy, 14, stabbed to death in Manchester

Elon Musk’s father says Tesla boss called Donald Trump ‘evil’ and a ‘crook’

Israel seized a Gaza-bound boat with Greta Thunberg on board. Can it do that?

Plastic surgeon jailed for trying to kill colleague during Covid lockdown

Whoopi Goldberg clashes with her ‘View’ colleagues on Elon Musk-Trump breakup: ‘It’s fake!’

Martin Lewis gives his verdict on Labour’s winter fuel payment U-turn

Texas sheriff will not face charges after forgetting gun in Wendy’s bathroom for teen to find and fire

Mom’s heartbreak as hairstylist daughter who mysteriously vanished found dead two months later

Oklahoma prosecutors seek retrial for death row inmate Richard Glossip

‘Hope is not a strategy’: Why Nato is calling for Cold War levels of defence spending

2 people killed in shooting on Las Vegas Strip near Bellagio fountains, police say

British teenager Marcus Fakana jailed in Dubai over sex with girl, 17, pleads for clemency

The future leader of the SNP is not who you think it is

Man jailed for eight years for serious child sex offences

IND VS ENG: Gautam Gambhir stops Rishabh Pant from batting, big news came from England

Samudrik Shastra: Signal is to get government jobs in these 3 places on the body, know

Leo speak .. Big trouble raised at the door of India, this step filled with China, know

Archaeologists find 6,000-year-old skeletons from Colombia with ancient DNA which could rewrite human history

Here’s why Keir Starmer thinks technology will actually make us ‘more human’

Boy’s alleged killer ‘was flat Earth conspiracy theorist inspired by Elon Musk’

Zia Yusuf Says Reform Would Deport All Illegal Immigrants – But Nigel Farage Said It Is 'Impossible'

Palestinians say Israel and its allies fired on a crowd near Gaza aid site. Hospital says 14 killed

‘Too low, now too high’: Rachel Reeves’ winter fuel U-turn reignites fairness debate

Amazon to spend $20 billion on data centers in Pennsylvania, including one at a nuclear power plant

60 minutes host issues dire warning over multimillion-dollar CBS settlement with Trump

FBI adds one Los Angeles protester to its ‘Most Wanted’ list for damaging government vehicles

Nintendo's Switch 2 soups up the graphics, but does it deliver the games?

Nigel Farage calls for ‘re-industrialisation’ of Wales

Kim Novak to receive Venice Film Festival’s lifetime achievement honor

Misty Copeland broke barriers in ballet. Now she’s retiring and moving to ‘the next stage’

Tough talk drags on in Cambodia-Thailand border standoff. But tensions appear to be easing

‘He’s my hero’: Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann’s wife says her husband is innocent in the seven murders

Under Patel, FBI heightens focus on violent crime, illegal immigration. Other threats abound, too

Musk is forced to correct his own AI after X tool claimed he ‘took’ Stephen Miller’s wife

Nina Stemme says farewell to Isolde after 126 performances

Children in tears over school prom ban for lack of attendance and homework