In this video, fitness coach Eric Roberts, with over a decade of personal creatine use and experience coaching 17,000 clients, walks viewers through everything they need to know before starting creatine supplementation. He first explains how creatine increases muscle ATP, enabling greater strength, muscle growth, and faster recovery. He then debunks the most common myths: the “bloat” myth (creatine pulls water into muscle cells, which actually improves muscle definition), the belief that creatine hinders fat loss (extra intracellular water does not impede fat loss and higher training intensity can increase calorie burn), and the hair‑loss myth (research shows no causal link between creatine and hair loss). Roberts addresses kidney‑safety concerns, clarifying that modest rises in creatinine are a normal by‑product and that systematic reviews find no kidney damage in healthy individuals, though he advises anyone with pre‑existing kidney issues to consult a doctor. He provides practical dosing guidance—5 g daily for most people, 7‑10 g for larger individuals, no loading phase, and the importance of taking it every day. Timing is flexible, but post‑workout with carbs or on rest days with a carb‑rich meal are optimal. He introduces the concept of “non‑responders,” estimating 2‑3 out of 10 people may see little benefit due to already high muscle creatine stores, but recommends a 4‑6‑week trial. Finally, he advises buying micronized creatine monohydrate (the most studied and effective form) and mentions his affiliate link to Legion Athletics. He concludes by reminding viewers that creatine only works when paired with a solid workout program, linking to a separate video on program design.
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If a legal supplement could help you build muscle faster, recover better from your workouts, and burn more fat, would you take it? Most people would until they hear about the side effects of creatine. I've used it for over 10 years and coached over 17,000 clients with their fitness journey. And in this video, I will cover the most dangerous side effects. If you're going to take it, how much should you take? When you should take it, how long you should take it for, and the one thing no one tells you before you take your first scoop. Before we dive right into the side effects, let me simply explain what creatine does in your body. Taking creatine boosts something called ATP inside of your muscles, and just think of ATP as energy for your muscles. The more ATP, the more strength you will have, which will allow you to lift heavier weight, build more muscle, and recover faster from your workouts. This is why it is usually a go-to supplement for anyone looking to build muscle and change their physique. The issue is creatine isn't all good though. It has one major side effect that stops most people from taking it. You may have heard before creatine is going to make you store water weight and get bloated, and this is right, kind of. It's actually not in the way that most people think about water weight. You might think water weight makes you look puffy or bloated. That's actually not what happens when you take creatine, because creatine doesn't store water weight in your skin or your belly. Creatine actually pulls water into your muscle cells. When I coach clients who first start taking creatine, they often get discouraged because they see the scale go up a couple of pounds, but then they look in the mirror and they actually look more defined and more lean. So the myth out there of storing some extra water weight is correct, But this is a good thing because the more hydrated your muscles are, the heavier you will lift, the better you will recover, and the more defined you will look. And now you might be wondering, if creatine causes weight gain, should you even take it if you're trying to lose fat? Let's break that down now. A lot of people hear creatine causes weight gain and immediately assume they should avoid it at all costs if they're trying to lose weight. But that's a huge mistake. The part that they miss is there's a big difference between losing weight and losing fat. One of our clients, Sarah, was in a fat loss phase. She was afraid of taking creatine during this because she thought it wouldn't allow her to lose weight and she wouldn't see any progress. But we decided to give it a try, and not only did her strength go up in the gym, her body looked leaner and she dropped inches on her waist, even if the scale didn't move that much, because she was burning fat And just holding on to a little bit of extra water weight in her muscles. And here's some more science behind it. Creatine helps improve performance, which means more reps you can do, more weight you can lift, and more intensity in your workouts. This higher intensity is also going to lead to a greater calorie burn during your workout, which can be beneficial if one of your goals is trying to lose fat. And that should be your goal because your goal isn't just to lose weight. You want to look a certain way. Dare I say you want to look good naked? So yes, even if the scale goes up a tad bit, you can still take creatine on a fat loss journey and it will help you look leaner and have better workouts. So now that you know creatine won't make you bloated and it'll actually help you if you're trying to lose fat, what about one of the biggest side effects? Hair loss. Another reason people avoid creatine: they think it's going to make them go bald. This was thought to be proven by one single study in 2000. In 2009, there was a group of rugby players that found creatine may slightly increase DHT, a hormone linked to male pattern baldness. But here's the key: increasing DHT doesn't equate to hair loss. That study didn't even measure hair loss. It just found a possible increase in DHT. And since then, we've had multiple studies that found No link between taking creatine and hair loss. In fact, a 2021 review of all the available evidence said this line: no clinical evidence currently supports the claims that creatine causes hair loss. So unless you're potentially genetically predispositioned to losing your hair, creatine isn't the culprit. Your luscious locks We'll be okay. Okay. Now that you know it won't cause bloating or hair loss, let's talk about how much you should be taking and when to take it for the best results. One of the most common mistakes with creatine is not taking the right amount or skipping days completely and forgetting to take it. Let's clear this up because creatine only works if you take it one way. I had a client one time take a loading phase of creatine. This is where you take 20 grams of creatine per day for the first week that you start taking it because it's supposed to saturate and get into your muscle cells quicker to start seeing the benefits sooner. Which, this is an option if you want to do that, but speaking from experience, it usually wrecks your stomach and your toilet for that week, and it could potentially dehydrate you when you take that high amount of creatine. So I usually recommend against a loading phase, and this client would only take it on workout days. He wouldn't take it on rest days, and that won't work either. The most important part of taking creatine is you take it every single day, 7 days a week, because you need to get the creatine into your muscles, and then you need to keep your creatine levels elevated if you want to see the positive benefits. As far as how much to take, the gold standard has been 5 grams of creatine every day, but some new research has shown if you are heavy and you have a higher amount of lean muscle mass, you may benefit from taking 7 to 10 grams of creatine per day. Now, as far as when to take it, the research is a bit mixed. If you want the 2 most optimal times, it would be after your workout with carbohydrates or on your rest days with your meal that is highest in carbohydrates. But honestly, the most important part is you take it every single day. So I would say the best time to take it is the time that you are going to remember to take it the most. Now, after hearing about the dosage, you might be thinking, okay, but doesn't creatine mess with your kidneys? This is one of the most common fears, and it stops a lot of people from taking it. So a lot of people believe this and maybe have heard this, but is there any truth to this claim. The concern about creatine harming kidneys often stems from misunderstandings about creatinine levels. Creatine supplementation can lead to a slight elevation in creatinine, which is a waste product filtered by the kidneys. However, according to this study published in 2021, this increase in creatinine doesn't indicate kidney damage. It's a normal byproduct of supplementing with creatine. And furthermore, this 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that creatine supplementation did not significantly alter serum creatinine levels, reinforcing the notion that creatine is safe for your kidneys. Now, I do think it is important to note, if you're somebody who has pre-existing kidney issues You should absolutely ask your doctor before supplementing with creatine. Or if you just want to be 100% sure that creatine is safe for you, ask your doctor before supplementing with creatine. But on a general basis, studies seem to show that creatine is safe and healthy if you are a healthy individual. So we've covered the big stuff— bloating, fat loss, hair loss, kidneys— and now you're probably thinking, cool, I'm sold, I'll grab some creatine today. But there's one final thing nobody really talks about, and it's important to know before you start taking it. The truth about creatine is some people just don't respond to creatine the same way. And what I mean by this is there is something called non-responders, people who see little to no benefit in terms of strength, performance, or muscle building. Why does this happen? Well, we aren't 100% sure yet, but it usually comes down to one thing. If you already have have naturally high levels of creatine stored in your muscles, maybe because growing up you ate a ton of red meat or fatty fish, adding more creatine might not move the needle that much. And I would say every 2 or 3 out of 10 people might be a non-responder, but it still might be worth trying. And here's why. There's no way to know if you're a non-responder or not unless you try it. We've already covered creatine is It's usually generally very affordable, and it's the most researched supplement on the market. So even if you're a non-responder, there's not much downside to at least trying it for 4 to 6 weeks. Worst case, you don't notice much. Best case, you gain more strength, you recover faster from your workouts, and you build more muscle and change the way your physique looks like I know you want to do. Now at this point, you're probably thinking, okay, I'm in, I'll give it a try, but what creatine should I buy? Great question because not all creatines are created equal. Here's the deal: do not waste your money on creatine HCL, ethyl ester, buffered creatine, or any other fancy-sounding version. The most studied, most effective, and most affordable form of creatine is creatine monohydrate. All of these positive benefits I'm referring to when I talk about creatine are backed by research of creatine monohydrate, not any other form of creatine. And if you want to make it even easier to digest and absorb, look to get a micronized creatine monohydrate. It usually mixes better and it absorbs and digests easier for most people. Personally, I use the one from the brand Legion Athletics. It's high quality, it's pure, it's micronized, and it's third-party tested to ensure you're actually getting what is on the label. If you want to try it, you can click the link in the description of this video, and you can use my code ERIC at checkout if you want to get it for 20% off. Yes, I do get a small kickback if you use my code, which will help support the channel, but honestly, you don't need to get this brand. This is just the one I use and work with. You can get any micronized creatine monohydrate. Now that you know the truth about creatine— there's no bloat, no hair loss, no kidney damage, just results If you use it the right way. But the thing is, even if you use it the right way, you won't see results if you have a shitty workout program. Because remember, creatine is a supplement that is supposed to be added on top of an already good workout program. So watch this video here to learn how to set up your workout programs to maximize muscle building and get the most out of creatine if you are going to take it.
