Creapure and GAA

With Creapure, the question our naturopaths ask in store usually isn't whether creatine suits you. It's whether a named source matters to you, and the few situations where any creatine is the wrong choice.

A good fit if

• You do heavy lifting, sprints or team sport, and you train regularly
• You want creatine monohydrate from a named manufacturer with batch testing
• You're vegetarian or vegan and get almost no creatine from your diet
• You're happy to take it daily and judge it over weeks, not days

Check with us first if

• You take any prescription medicine. We found no interaction studies, which means there's no evidence either way, not proof there are none.
• You have a blood test coming up, or a condition where your kidneys are checked regularly. Creatine slightly raises the creatinine reading, and your doctor needs to know before reading the result.
• You're under 18. The evidence in teenagers is limited, so this is a decision for a health professional.
• You compete in a weight-class sport. Expect roughly half a kilo of water weight in the first week.
• You're drug-tested in sport. Contamination is a risk with any sports supplement, so follow Sport Integrity Australia's current guidance.
• Creatine has upset your stomach before. Splitting the serve and adding water usually settles it.

• Creapure powder, standard grind. Best known for: A single named raw material, backed by the maker's batch testing. Absorption: Chemically identical to any creatine monohydrate. The brand doesn't change what happens once it dissolves. Typical use: One scoop in water or juice. Use enough liquid and stir well, because powder left in the glass is powder you didn't take.
• Micronised Creapure powder. Best known for: Texture. The same crystal milled finer, so it mixes with less grit. Absorption: Dissolves faster in the glass. Milling hasn't been shown to raise muscle creatine any further. Typical use: Worth it if grit put you off creatine before. Otherwise it does the same job as the standard grind.
• Creapure chewable tablets. Best known for: No shaker and no mixing, which suits travel and gym bags. Absorption: The same monohydrate inside. The question is how many grams a serve gives you, not how it's absorbed. Typical use: Check the grams of creatine in each serve on the label. You often need several tablets to match a powder scoop's dose.
• Unbranded creatine monohydrate. Best known for: Often sold with no raw-material origin on the pack. Absorption: The same molecule if it meets specification. What you can't see from the tub is how it was made and tested. Typical use: A fair choice if a named source doesn't matter to you. Look for a stated origin or batch testing.

Reference values. None. Your body makes creatine, so it isn't an essential nutrient, and the NHMRC sets no recommended intake for it in any form, Creapure included.

Typical supplemental range. The usual daily amount in research is 3 to 5 g, or about 0.1 g per kilo of body weight. Most Creapure powders use a 5 g scoop, which matches the trials. Some people start with a loading week of 20 g a day, split into four 5 g serves for five to seven days, then drop to 3 to 5 g. Loading fills your muscles faster. Skipping it gets you to the same place, just over about a month.

Upper level. There's no NHMRC upper limit, and Australia's permitted ingredients list (Schedule 1) sets no maximum daily dose for item 1607 CREATINE MONOHYDRATE. The International Society of Sports Nutrition describes intakes of up to 30 g a day for five years as safe and well tolerated in healthy people.

Worth knowing. Taking it every day matters more than the time of day you take it. If a big serve upsets your stomach, split it and take it with more water. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Creapure itself: not found in food. It's a manufactured crystal of creatine monohydrate.
• Meat and fish: the main dietary sources of creatine. Per-serve figures aren't given here because none could be verified.
• Other animal products: also contribute, though meat and fish carry most of it
• Plant foods: effectively none, which is why vegetarians carry lower muscle creatine stores

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• Kidney disease or reduced kidney function. Don't take it; the safety evidence covers healthy people.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Don't take it; there are no randomised trials in pregnancy and we found no breastfeeding evidence.
• Prescription medicines. Check first; we found no interaction studies.
• Upcoming blood tests or routine kidney monitoring. Creatine raises blood creatinine slightly without changing kidney function (GFR).
• Under 18. Only with professional supervision; the evidence in teenagers is limited.
• Weight-class athletes. Expect an early water-weight gain of about 0.5 kg.
• Tested athletes. Follow Sport Integrity Australia's guidance on supplement contamination.
• Stomach upset or cramping. This is occasionally reported, usually with large single serves.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.