{"id":346388,"date":"2025-12-14T00:09:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T00:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/346388\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T00:09:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T00:09:17","slug":"creatine-supplements-benefits-risks-and-what-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/346388\/","title":{"rendered":"Creatine supplements: Benefits, risks and what experts say"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As more people set fitness goals for 2026, interest in supplements is rising alongside New Year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>\n<p>Fitness has steadily grown as a top resolution in recent years. Surveys show 39% of people listed fitness as their main goal in 2023, increasing to 48% in 2024 and 60% in 2026. With that growth, health experts say many people are asking how supplements like creatine fit into a healthy routine.<\/p>\n<p>\n    What creatine is and how it works<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newson6.com\/entity\/cleveland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Cleveland<\/a> Clinic, creatine is a compound made from three amino acids that helps supply muscles with energy and strength. Research shows it can improve exercise performance, support muscle growth and reduce muscle fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>Creatine is also naturally found in food and does not always require supplementation. It is most commonly found in animal products, including red meat, fatty fish and some dairy products.<\/p>\n<p>\n    Potential benefits<\/p>\n<p>For people who do take creatine supplements, the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newson6.com\/entity\/cleveland-clinic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> reports users may gain two to four pounds of muscle over four to 12 weeks compared to people who do not supplement.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers are also studying benefits beyond athletic performance. Preliminary studies suggest creatine may support cognitive function, sleep and bone health. A 2024 study found creatine supplements may help manage depression in women and adolescents. However, that same research raised concerns about increased manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n<p>\n    Who should avoid creatine<\/p>\n<p>Medical professionals caution that creatine is not safe for everyone. People with active kidney disease or certain chronic health conditions should avoid using creatine unless advised by a healthcare provider.<\/p>\n<p>For those who are cleared to use it, experts recommend choosing supplements that are third-party tested. Specialists say creatine monohydrate in powder form is the preferred option.<\/p>\n<p>Health professionals stress that anyone considering supplements as part of a fitness plan should consult a medical provider to determine what is safe and appropriate for their individual needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As more people set fitness goals for 2026, interest in supplements is rising alongside New Year\u2019s resolutions. Fitness&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,137,532],"class_list":{"0":"post-346388","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346388","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=346388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}