Creatine Supplements: Safety and Efficacy Review

Creatine is one of the most widely used performance supplements in sports and fitness training. But does it work, is it safe, and how much do you need to take?

Much has been written about creatine supplements for weight training, bodybuilding and for power sports such as sprinting, football and baseball. Yes, it seems to provide modest improvements in bulk, strength and the ability to train harder -- but not for everyone. In about 20 to 30% of users it just doesn't seem to do much.

And yes, it does have its problems, even though mostly they are not life-threatening and at least some are probably related to taking more than is recommended. Even so, the long-term effects on kidney health have not been established with certainty and people with existing or suspected kidney disease should not take creatine.

Taking creatine in high school or college for sports is not such a great idea either and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends against it.

Read more about this popular supplement. Creatine Supplements for Sports and Fitness