October 11
Creatine and Anxiety?
It is becoming more common to hear of people experiencing anxiety, depression, edginess, and temper flare-ups after taking creatine supplements. Is this coincidence or is there a dark side to creatine?
Luckily for all you budding bodybuilders and athletes there has been no scientific link between creatine and the anxiety attacks some people are experiencing. All we know for sure is that creatine can cause diarrhea in some cases. During the loading phase it can be easy to overload your intestines which is the cause of this diarrhea.
So what about the emotional side effects? Well there is some anecdotal evidence, in one case, a man reported taking 6-8 grams/day of creatine for about a year with no problems other than occasional diarrhea. He stopped working out and taking creatine for about 6 months while recovering from rotator cuff surgery. When he returned to his previous workout-creatine regimen, he experienced anxiety attacks: “…I found that within 2 hours after I took 6-8 g of creatine I began to get depressed and anxious but on the days that I forgot to take creatine I was fine. I have since cut back my creatine intake to 3-4 g every other day…and I am no longer experiencing anxiety attacks.”
The truth is however that creatine has no scientifuc link to any amotional symptoms or problems and these cases are by far in the minority. So if you are supplementing with creatine no need to worry but best to be aware of how you are feeling to ensure you have no side effects.
Related posts:
You absolutely need to be concerned about dehydration when taking creatine. In terms of anxiety – you could get anxiety from the constant worry about not drinking enough water and this could lead to some potential health problems. Creatine when administered correctly is safe- you just have to be careful.