Is CREATINE good for you, athletes, bodybuilders

Summary

How creatine works

• Creatine can be converted inside muscle cells into phosphocreatine, which stores high-energy phosphate.
• During muscle activity, phosphocreatine can transfer a phosphate to ADP, rapidly restoring it to ATP—the cell’s immediate energy source for muscle contraction.
• The presenter says this system is especially important in skeletal muscle and also has roles in tissues such as the heart, brain, retina, sperm cells, and endothelial cells.
• When creatine is broken down for excretion, it becomes creatinine. Creatine supplementation can raise blood creatinine, which may make kidney blood tests look abnormal even when kidney function has not declined.

The presenter’s concerns

• The presenter argues that supplements differ from substances the body produces or obtains from food: manufacturing quality and contents may be uncertain, and, he says, supplements do not receive the same quality controls as medications.
• He describes a common progression among some aspiring lifters—from eating more protein and using caffeine to taking protein supplements and creatine, and then, in some cases, SARMs or anabolic steroids. He warns against pursuing muscle and performance gains at the expense of health.
• He is concerned that creatine could pose a greater risk for people who already have kidney problems or who combine it with other supplements. He also discusses reports of kidney injury associated with creatine use, while acknowledging that some cases involved multiple supplements and do not establish that creatine caused the injury.
• He mentions research suggesting that high or chronic doses may produce metabolites such as formaldehyde, and that creatine-related compounds may contribute to mutagenic or carcinogenic substances. He also notes that the cited research describes creatine’s contribution as small compared with other sources, such as cooked meat and some processed foods.
• He raises concerns about product contamination and quality control. The video’s specific discussion of heavy metals includes a report of detectable mercury in a creatine supplement sample; he does not provide enough detail to establish how representative that finding is.
• He says the literature he reviewed was more favorable to creatine’s safety than he expected, and acknowledges that elevated creatinine can sometimes create a misleading impression of kidney dysfunction. Nevertheless, he remains cautious about possible risks and uncertainties.

Anecdotes and limits of the evidence

• The presenter says he developed rotator-cuff tendinitis about a month after trying creatine and had to stop weightlifting for a year. He believes creatine may have contributed, but this personal anecdote does not establish causation.
• He also describes seeing a bodybuilder with multiple cancers while using several substances, including steroids and creatine, but says he cannot attribute the cancers to creatine.
• He complains that several critical studies or articles were behind paywalls or available only as abstracts. This limited what he could assess; restricted access by itself does not show that information was deliberately concealed.
• Overall, his presentation is a cautionary argument rather than a definitive conclusion that creatine causes kidney disease, cancer, or tendon injury.

Presenter’s recommendation

• He recommends that ordinary people seeking general fitness avoid creatine, citing uncertain product quality and potential health risks relative to the perceived benefit.
• He allows that a professional athlete facing a major financial opportunity might make a different personal risk–benefit decision.
• His broader advice is to be skeptical of supplement promises and cautious about combining products. He also says to stop taking supplements if health problems arise, though this is not a substitute for medical evaluation.

Speakers and sources mentioned

• Peter Rogers, MD — Presenter and narrator; the only speaker heard in the subtitles.
• Arthur Jones — Quoted by the presenter on bodybuilders.
• More Plates More Dates — A weightlifting channel or personality mentioned as an example of popular supplement advice.
• Andy Bolton — Powerlifter mentioned in an anecdote about kidney failure.
• Paul Greenhaff — Named as the author of a letter disputing claims linking creatine to kidney failure and deaths among college wrestlers.
• Pritchard / The Lancet — Cited in connection with a report on kidney dysfunction accompanying creatine supplementation.
• Consumer Reports — Mentioned regarding reports of heavy-metal contamination in protein supplements.
• Other unnamed research articles and reports — Discussed in relation to kidney effects, creatine safety, cancer-related compounds, and supplement contaminants; several were described as paywalled or available only in abstract form.