Can You Take Creatine with Soda? Safety and Side Effects

What is Creatine?

Creatine is one of the most widely used sports supplements among athletes and bodybuilders. It is an organic compound that occurs naturally in the human body, mainly in the muscles and brain. About 95% of the creatine in our bodies is stored in the skeletal muscles.

The body naturally produces creatine from amino acids. It provides energy to the muscles and other tissues during high-intensity, short-duration exercises, such as sprinting or weight lifting.

Creatine can also be taken as an oral supplement. When consumed, it gets transported to the muscles via the bloodstream. There, it is converted into phosphocreatine and stored for later use.

Benefits of Creatine

Taking creatine supplements has several potential benefits, especially for high-intensity athletic performance:

Increases Muscle Mass

Multiple studies show that creatine supplementation, combined with strength training, can increase lean muscle mass and muscle fiber size compared to training alone.

Boosts Strength

Research indicates that creatine improves performance in weight lifting and other strength-based exercises. It allows you to train harder and lift heavier weights.

Enhances High-Intensity Performance

The rapid energy supplied by creatine supplementation can boost performance in sprints, interval training, and sports with explosive power movements like football, hockey, wrestling, and basketball.

May Aid Brain Function

Some research suggests that creatine could help improve memory and thinking skills in people with bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, or other neurological conditions.

May Reduce Fatigue

Studies indicate that creatine can help reduce mental and physical fatigue. This may lead to quicker recovery between workouts.

Who May Benefit from Taking Creatine?

Weightlifters

Creatine is one of the go-to supplements for strength athletes and bodybuilders looking to make gains. The extra energy it provides can help increase muscle mass when combined with weight training.

Sprinters & Power Athletes

Because creatine boosts short-term, high-intensity exercise capacity, it can benefit sports like sprinting, swimming, football, and hockey that require quick bursts of speed and power.

Team Sport Athletes

Creatine may help team sport athletes with repeated high-intensity, short-duration movements like jumping, sprinting, changing directions, and tackling during games and practices.

Vegetarians & Vegans

Since creatine comes mostly from meat and fish, vegetarians and vegans often have lower natural creatine levels. Supplementing can help normalize those levels.

Older Adults

As we age, our bodies make less creatine and our muscles start to lose mass and strength. Creatine supplementation can potentially slow this natural decline.

Is Creatine Safe?

For most people, creatine is considered safe at the recommended dosages. The majority of studies find no dangerous side effects in healthy adults taking normal doses of creatine for up to 5 years.

However, potential side effects can include:

Weight Gain

Creatine makes your muscles draw in extra water, increasing their size and weight. This can cause a rapid jump on the scale, but it’s not due to increased body fat.

Muscle Cramps & Strains

The extra water pulled into muscles could potentially contribute to cramps or strains during intense exercise. Proper hydration is important to counter this.

Digestive Issues

Creatine can cause mild diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain or cramping in some users, especially at higher dosages.

Liver & Kidney Dysfunction

There is little evidence that creatine harms kidney or liver function in healthy individuals at recommended doses. However, those with existing kidney or liver conditions should consult a doctor first.

Overall, studies to date have not found any significant safety issues or adverse effects from short- or long-term creatine supplementation in healthy people.

How to Take Creatine

For muscle and performance benefits, the clinically effective supplementation protocol is:

Loading Phase

Take 20 grams (4-5 teaspoons) of creatine monohydrate per day for 5-7 days. This rapidly saturates your muscles with creatine.

Maintenance Phase

Take 3-5 grams (0.75-1 teaspoon) per day after the loading phase. This maintains elevated muscle creatine levels.

Take creatine with food, as the insulin response aids absorption. Consume plenty of water to stay well hydrated.

For cognitive benefits or vegetarians/vegans seeking to normalize levels, 3-5 grams daily without loading is recommended.

Cycling on and off creatine for periods of 8-12 weeks may help maximize benefits and minimize side effects.

Creatine Forms

There are several forms of creatine supplements. The most common is creatine monohydrate, which has the most research backing its efficacy. Other forms include:

Creatine HCL

Touted to be more water-soluble and absorbable, but effects may not differ from monohydrate. May cause less digestive distress.

Buffered Creatine

Combined with buffers like magnesium or phosphates. May increase absorption but has limited research.

Liquid Creatine

Dissolved in fluid. Unsure if it genuinely increases bioavailability. Convenient but more expensive.

Creatine Ethyl Ester

Modified form said to improve bioavailability. However, studies show it degrades before reaching muscles.

Overall, creatine monohydrate remains the cheapest, most effective form that’s backed by decades of research.

Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?

There is no compelling evidence that creatine causes hair loss or balding in either men or women. Numerous studies evaluating the long-term safety of creatine have found no side effects related to hair loss.

That said, creatine can raise DHT levels. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a byproduct of testosterone that contributes to male pattern baldness in genetically prone individuals. But studies to date have not shown significant DHT increases in response to creatine supplementation when taken in normal doses.

While creatine itself does not appear to increase hair loss risk, those with a family history of male or female pattern baldness may wish to exercise caution or avoid creatine altogether.

Can You Take Creatine While Pregnant?

There is not enough research to establish the safety of creatine in pregnant or breastfeeding women. For this reason, creatine supplementation is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Pregnant women have increased nutrient needs to support the developing fetus. Consult with your obstetrician before taking any supplement, including creatine.

Does Creatine Cause Cancer?

Currently, there is no scientific evidence that creatine supplementation increases cancer risk in humans. Researchers have raised some concerns based on rodent studies, but the doses used in these studies were extremely high.

One 3-year human study examined cancer rates in athletes taking creatine versus non-creatine users. It found no difference in cancer incidence between the groups, even with long-term high-dose use.

Overall, most experts conclude creatine is safe for human consumption in the

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.