By: Matthew Kadey, MS, RD

2) CREATINE

Creatine is perhaps the single most studied supplement in the world and represents a large proportion of all supplement sales. Roughly 2% of all supplement sales have been attributed to creatine. Creatine supplementation works by increasing the body's natural stores of creatine-phosphate. This essentially allows the body to produce more ATP during short, high-intensity exercise than it usually is capable of.

Hundreds of studies have been conducted on creatine, and we can relatively safely say that creatine does work. When you look at all the research that has been published, creatine supplementation appears to improve strength, power and repeated sprint performance by between 5-15% in people who respond to creatine (4).

There are a few minor side effects that have been noted from taking creatine, but they are indeed small. For example, the two known side effects are increased body weight (because there is more water being held in the body) and mild GI discomfort in some people.

Creatine can be dosed in several ways, but the simplest way is to dose between 3-7 grams per day based on body weight, with the average person seeing a positive effect at 5 grams per day. Individuals who weigh <50 kg may see a benefit at 3 grams, while individuals >100 kg may need to supplement closer to 7 grams per day.