However, it is perhaps because of this association with these famous athletes that a common misperception has arisen, leading some to believe that creatine helps people build muscle mass. In reality, creatine has not been shown to build more muscle mass or help men build muscle mass faster.
Creatine does initiate a temporary increase in water retention, causing the user to gain one to three additional pounds of water after ingestion. Indeed, it is this phenomenon that caused Dr. Ronald L. Terjung — who headed a panel on creatine use three years ago sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine — to speculate that creatine users may benefit derivatively from a placebo effect.
“They look like performers, so they feel like performers,” Terjung reported on WebMD, an online medical research resource. “They pushed themselves to train a little harder, which made them build real strength. It’s conceivable there might have been a placebo effect.”
Placebo effect or not, creatine monohydrate — the supplement form of creatine — has been attributed with causing various gastrointestinal side effects. Common complaints include dehydration, nausea, dizziness and cramping, especially when taken immediately before exercise. And while cases of serious side effects from creatine remain are uncommon, in one case, an otherwise healthy 20-year-old man was hospitalized for four days with acute interstitial nephritis (kidney problems) after beginning a normal daily dosage regimen. Official sports and military policies on creatine monohydrate, which has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, remain rare or non-existent.
