Signs you're taking too much creatine as 'ideal dose' revealed

The effects of Creatine have been debated for years, and while some believe ingesting a higher dose will prove to be more beneficial, the true recommended dose has been revealed.

This natural compound is produced from amino acids in places like the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Creatine is stored mainly in the muscles to provide rapid energy during high-intensity exercise, making it the perfect pre-workout supplement for people who want to go harder for longer.

But while it’s a great workout aid, it has also been linked to other health benefits like protecting against cognitive decline, or the fact it might just reduce the risk of certain cancers, and manage symptoms of long Covid.

It’s only natural that you’d want to take more to really see what it can do, but according to Harvard University and experts who spoke with Men’s Health – there is an optimal dose that’s safe, and doesn’t give you the side effects you’d experience if you were taking too much.

The ideal dose of creatine has been revealed (Getty Stock Images)

Like most things, overindulging in one supplement can have negative effects.

But when it comes to Creatine, they are enough to make you think twice about doing it again.

An adult dose of 3 to 5 grams of creatine daily is generally safe to use for most people, however, people with kidney disease should consult with their doctor first as it could mess with their function.

Some people will retain some weight within the first week they start supplementation because of the water retention - but have no fear as it's only temporary.

Of course that sounds harmless, but apparently, you can take too much of it and cause a bad reaction.

According to American golfer Ben Griffin, he ‘overdosed’ on the supplement at the start of the final round at the BMW Championship after getting down to the bottom of his tub and consuming a ‘large rock’ of it.

Previously, he admitted to usually taking 15mg of creatine daily, but said after taking the rock, he began to feel ‘super shaky’ and like he ‘had tremors’.

He said he took too much at the BMW Championship final (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

He told CNN Sports: “The problem was, I have a tub and I was basically down to the very end, and I just had this rock of creatine that was all built up together.”

According to Holland & Barrett, too much creatine can cause a person to experience things like muscle cramps, dehydration, dry mouth, dizziness, hair loss, and even liver and kidney damage in some.

But MH’s fitness director Andrew Tracey said it’s ‘highly, highly unlikely that creatine is the culprit here’ when it comes to what Griffin experienced.

He said the 15mg quoted is equivalent to 0.015g, and the daily recommended dose of Creatine is 3-5g (5,000mg) as higher doses have been linked to things like water retention.

This would mean that the tiny dose Griffin says he takes daily would ‘be hard to even measure out such a small dose’, while he said that as for his ‘overdose’, even a ‘large lump of dried creatine is only likely to be around a standard dose of 5g.”

Dispelling the golfer’s account, he said: “There's no real mechanism via which creatine could have caused the effect Griffin describes, especially at such a pedestrian dosage. It seems more likely that either he was using a creatine blend that contained other ingredients, such as caffeine and other stimulants.”

If you’re unsure about taking Creatine, there are foods that tend to have richer amounts of it, like different meats, fish, and cow milk.

There are also other options on the market that you can use instead, but making sure you know what is in them and how they react with your body is key to taking things safely. If you're not sure - consult your GP.