What's wrong with Creatine?

Creatine will be converted into creatinine

Creatinine is a toxic by-product that is created upon the conversion of creatine. It is toxic to the human body and must be filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. Creatine supplements cause many secondary effects, with cramps, diarrhea and water retention being the most frequent. Generally these secondary effects are not caused by the creatine, but by the creatinine.

Loading phase

Creatine monohydrate is not a molecule naturally produced by the body. Supplementation with traditional creatine therefore usually starts with a loading phase, during which high doses must be administered. These large doses of course lead to the presence of large volumes of creatinine in the human body. The body needs to extract bodily fluid from the intestines and the muscles to remove these toxic substances. This loss of important minerals and electrolytes cause sportsmen and -women to suffer from painful cramps.

Long-term effects of creatinine

The majority of the currently published papers indicate that there would be no harmful consequences for the human body on short term (i.e. less than 10 year). However, reports are coming up insinuating that creatine supplementation could be linked to renal problems. It is important to know that the athlete now has an alternative to choose a more efficient form of creatine supplementation: Kre-Alkalyn®.