My last in-depth piece on the latest research for how creatine supplementation could be the secret weapon for endurance performance received a lot of feedback and comments.

Surprisingly, I got quite a few replies with questions about using creatine.

Many of these were questions formed from long-standing myths about potential issues or side effects of taking creatine.

Since I received well over 150 replies and I haven’t yet been able to get back to everyone, I thought I would use this article to address some of these myths.

Plus, I’ll be able to dig a little deeper into how many of these myths started and the science and specific studies that have busted them.

Myth #1: Creatine Causes Weight Gain

The belief that creatine causes weight gain likely originated from the fact that the early study and adoption of creatine came from bodybuilders and powerlifters.

Specifically, many bodybuilders and powerlifters noticed rapid weight increases during the first week of supplementation.

Much of this stemmed from the traditional “loading phase”, which is a protocol where athletes consume 20 grams per day for 5–7 days to quickly saturate muscle creatine stores (another myth I’ll debunk later in this email).

This rapid intake leads to an increase in intracellular water retention within muscle cells.

Storing more water in the muscles will cause temporary weight gain, but it’s avoidable and may actually be a benefit to endurance athletes.

The science that busted this myth

As I mentioned quickly, multiple high-quality studies have since clarified that the weight gain associated with creatine is modest, temporary, and mostly water and not fat. Powers et al. (2003), Kreider et al (2007).

In fact, the small amount of additional water is typically stored within the muscle cells (where it belongs), which can even be beneficial for muscle function, especially during long runs and workouts, as it will help you stay hydrated.

This temporary gain in water weight can also be avoided if you skip the loading phase.

Research shows that muscle creatine stores can still be fully saturated over 3–4 weeks with a smaller daily dose, minimizing any noticeable water retention or body weight changes.

I also feel the need to add a small caveat here and say that creatine supplementation can actually cause “weight gain”, but in a good way (and not how the myth originated).

Creatine is widely regarded as one of the most effective performance enhancing supplements and this is because of how well it helps build and maintain lean muscle, especially in older athletes.

There’s a lot of research to support this, so a good way to summarize is to look at the 2017 meta-analysis of 22 studies which showed older adults supplementing with creatine gained ~1.4 kg (3lbs) more lean mass on average than non-users during training.

Lean muscle is extremely important and beneficial to health and performance so this added weight is actually a big benefit.

Myth #2: You Need a Loading Phase for Creatine to be effective

As I hinted at earlier, the initial protocol for creatine supplementation was to begin with a loading phase of about 20 grams per day for 5-7 days.

The loading phase recommendation dates back to early creatine research in the 1990s, when scientists aimed to find the fastest way to saturate muscle creatine stores.

This rapid increase was useful for researchers who wanted to observe performance effects in a short study window.

As a result, supplement companies adopted the loading phase as the “standard” method for creatine use.

However, what was lost in translation was that a loading phase isn’t the only way to saturate muscles, it’s just the fastest.

Thus, the misconception that loading is required for creatine to work took hold and spread widely in fitness circles.

The science that busted this myth

Several studies have since confirmed that muscle creatine stores can be fully saturated without loading. The saturation just happens more gradually.

One key study by Hultman et al. (1996) demonstrated that taking 3-5 grams of creatine per day for 28 days produced similar muscle saturation levels as the traditional loading protocol.

So, if you do decide to supplement with creatine, the choice is yours as to whether you aim to quickly saturate the muscles or if you prefer the gradual method. Both have their pros and cons and it’s personal preference.

That said, it’s still recommended to maintain a daily dosage of 3-5 grams per day to keep the muscles saturated.

The research is pretty clear about this being the most efficacious dose when it comes to overall health and performance.

Myth #3: Creatine Causes bloating and stomach problems

One of the most common concerns surrounding creatine supplementation is that it causes bloating, stomach discomfort, or digestive issues.

I know this is definitely a strongly held myth that I hear from runners who fear (or may have experienced) stomach issues when using creatine.

And honestly, this is the myth on this list that is closest to the truth – because creatine can cause these issues (but I’ll dig into the science on how to easily avoid this).

As I’ve already discussed at length, many of the people who experience stomach issues when using creatine do so when trying to implement a loading phase.

If you eliminate the loading phase, you significantly reduce the risk of having any stomach issues.

Another common reason for stomach issues is using forms of creatine that are not as easily absorbed by the body.

This issue was born from most of the early marketing of creatine being catered to bodybuilders and thus trying to “invent” more expensive formulas like creatine HCL, buffered creatine, etc.

Luckily, research has caught up and we now know there are forms of creatine that are more bioavailable and better absorbed by the body, leading to less stomach issues.

The science that busted this myth

A 2022 analysis of 17 “forms” of creatine found that micronized, creatine monohydrate consistently outperformed all others when it came to bioavailability and effectiveness.

This is due to micronized creatine being the most water soluble and thus absorbed quickly, which makes it gentler on the stomach.

So, if you do fear or have had stomach issues using creatine before, micronized creatine is the easy solution.

Plus, gummies, rather than creatine powder, are much easier on the stomach and way easier to be consistent with.

That’s why we developed MAS Edge Creatine  – a gummy specifically for endurance athletes that uses micronized creatine.

Myth #4: The Benefits of Creatine are Mainly for Weight Lifters

If you’ve heard or read about creatine before, it was likely in the context of building muscle mass and boosting lifting performance.

This long-standing association has fueled the myth that creatine is only useful for strength and hypertrophy training, and that it offers little to no benefit for endurance athletes.

Like many of the myths on this list, the origination of this misconception stems from the focus of the early research.

Since initial research mainly focused on the benefits creatine conferred to explosive power and maximum strength, many assumed that creatine’s benefits wouldn’t translate to endurance athletes.

It was mistakenly believed that because creatine primarily supports ATP regeneration for short, intense efforts, it wouldn’t contribute to performance during longer, steady-state activities.

The science that busted this myth

More recent research has shown that creatine does much more than just boost short-term energy.

In fact, creatine has been shown to be one of the most effective supplements for endurance performance.

While an in-depth look at all the research would make this email far too long, here’s a brief look…

• A 2003 study found that creatine supplementation improved time to exhaustion during high-intensity cycling efforts and reduced lactate accumulation, which can delay fatigue in endurance events.
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• Another study published in Metabolism (1998) examined creatine use in triathletes and reported improved anaerobic performance and faster interval recovery without negative effects on endurance capacity.
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• A 2021 review emphasized that creatine enhances glycogen storage when combined with carbohydrates, which is critical for marathon runners.
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• Additionally, creatine has been shown to reduce markers of muscle damage and inflammation and may act as a buffer for lactic acid, helping neutralize hydrogen ions and delay the onset of muscle acidosis.

Myth #5: Creatine Causes Hair Loss

I’ll admit, this is the myth that made me most hesitant a few years ago when I first started looking into creatine.

It’s a little vein, but as someone who’s already losing their hair I didn’t want to do anything that might hasten this process.

But, this myth is the result of one poorly interpreted research study.

In 2009, a study involving rugby players reported a 56% rise in DHT after a 7-day loading phase of 25 g/day of creatine.

For those that don’t know, DHT has been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss.

Thus, the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss gained some momentum and has persisted to this day.

The science that busted this myth

First, this has been the only study that has demonstrated these types of changes in DHT and has not been able to be replicated.

Second, and the more important point, is that this study did not evaluate actual hair loss—only hormone levels.

Like a lot of research, especially when it comes to nutrition, we need to be careful about the leaps we take with changes in specific measurements or variables and actual outcomes.

Finally, a 2021 systematic review by the same sports nutrition group eventually concluded that: “current evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation… causes hair loss/baldness

Myth #6: Creatine Isn’t for Women

Historically, creatine marketing catered almost exclusively to men.

The packaging was aggressive, the messaging all about muscle mass, and there was a persistent myth that creatine would cause bloating or bulkiness.

It’s no surprise then that the myth has persisted that creatine wasn’t effective or designed for women.

The science that busted this myth

Luckily, nutrition and sports performance researchers have started to focus more attention on the unique differences and needs of women and using women as research participants.

In addition to many more recent studies demonstrating that creatine is just as effective for women as it is for men at enhancing strength, lean mass, and muscular endurance, a 2021 study published in Nutrients also highlighted that creatine can help women…

• Reduce fatigue.
• Improve high-intensity performance.
• Support muscle strength, bone density, and mood regulation in women during and after menopause.
• Maintain lean muscle mass and support cognitive function during hormonal fluctuations, especially as estrogen declines with age.

I hope you enjoyed this step away from the more traditional articles directly related to running workouts and training performance.

After all the emails I received, this was something I was excited to dive into and I hope you learned something new.

Are there any other myths about creatine you’ve heard?