American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert consensus roundtable statement without systematic review methodology
PubMed 10731017 · doi:10.1097/00005768-200003000-00024
What was done
An American College of Sports Medicine roundtable reviewed published evidence on the physiological mechanisms, dosing regimens, performance impacts, and adverse effect profile of oral creatine supplementation in athletic and clinical contexts.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical performance metrics or statistical values. It states that 3 g per day achieves the same increase in muscle phosphocreatine as 20 g per day over time, though not in all individuals. Supplementation enhances short periods of powerful exercise, especially during repeated bouts, and is associated with strength accrual in training programs. It does not increase maximal isometric strength, the rate of maximal force production, or aerobic performance. Rapid weight gain occurs within the first few days, likely from water retention, while definitive evidence of gastrointestinal, renal, or cramping complications is lacking.
Why it matters
This consensus clarifies the specific anaerobic exercise conditions where creatine provides modest performance advantages while tempering broader expectations regarding aerobic or isometric force enhancement.
Limits
This is a narrative consensus paper with no primary sample size or quantitative outcome data reported in the abstract. Most evidence was limited to healthy young adult males, leaving age, female sex, and acute effects on body fluid balance understudied.
Cited by
- supports Creatine supplementation causes individuals to gain approximately three pounds of body weight in water weight.