{"id":2435,"date":"2025-07-18T06:37:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T06:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/2435\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T06:37:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T06:37:08","slug":"fact-vs-fiction-creatine-for-rugby-league-players-nrl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/2435\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact vs Fiction: Creatine for rugby league players – NRL News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Creatine<\/a> is having a moment. At least partly, this is due to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s White Lotus character, Saxon, who went viral with a seven-scoop protein shake recipe that thrust creatine<\/a> into the limelight. Schwarzenegger’s \u201cgym bro\u201d persona certainly got people talking about supplements and more, and it wasn’t the first time creatine<\/a> has been a water-cooler topic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It has been a staple for footy players for decades, with the Melbourne Storm, a powerhouse for 20-plus years<\/a> under the guidance of pioneering coach Craig Bellamy<\/a>, promoting creatine as a supplement of choice<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Overseas, it was prominently prescribed even earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, by the late \u201890s, creatine<\/a> was largely \u201cindispensable\u201d in US sports, with one high-profile adoptee being four-time gold medallist Michael Johnson, who triumphed at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics. Over the decades, the uptick has only increased, and last year it was estimated that more than 50 per cent of the NFL players were taking creatine<\/a>, according to BYU<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The popularity is for good reason. Creatine<\/a> is a favourable supplement, because it is a naturally occurring chemical in our bodies, produced by the kidneys, pancreas and liver. Reproduced in powders<\/a>, it has proven an effective way to double down on the benefits. <\/p>\n

Mythbusting: What creatine doesn’t do<\/p>\n

The uptick in prevalence has also increased the myths surrounding the supplement, with many falsely suggesting that creatine<\/a> can cause bloating and balding.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both claims, however, are categorically false: creatine<\/a> is not a hormone, and therefore does not cause any hormonal changes. The myth likely stems from gym locker lore, where it has been confused with anabolic steroids.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Similarly, misconceptions have also been spread the opposite way: that creatine<\/a> causes hair growth, specifically on the back. It has been scientifically proven that creatine<\/a> does not raise testosterone or DHT (dihydrotestosterone) levels, making it increasingly popular with female gym-goers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fact-checking: What creatine does do<\/p>\n

For athletes, creatine leads to increased strength and power<\/a> outputs, allowing for more intense workouts<\/a> and faster muscle growth<\/a>. It is also proven to reduce fatigue, making it easier to recover with more frequent gym sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This, in turn, supports fat loss and the growth of metabolism-boosting lean muscle<\/a>. As an added benefit, creatine<\/a> has been credited with improving cognitive function, memory, and even mood, thereby increasing the energy supply to the brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s a safe and effective supplement for a wide range of gym-goers, including women, as it does not cause hormonal changes or undesirable side effects.<\/p>\n

For an exclusive creatine discount<\/a> offer at www.herculessupplements.com.au<\/a>, enter CREATINEBH15<\/a> at checkout. Link expires on 03\/09\/2025 11:59pm (AEST).<\/p>\n

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning the website may earn a commission from any revenue generated from this article.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Creatine is having a moment. At least partly, this is due to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s White Lotus character, Saxon,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2436,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-2435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}