Creatine Fuel is creatine monohydrate that is made by Twinlab and available as a dietary supplement in capsule form. Twinlab claims their product enhances energy, improves muscle strength, performance and lean mass. As a dietary supplement creatine may increase athletic performance, particularly in tasks that involve short, intense burst of speed and power. Creatine monohydrate has several potential side effects that you should be aware of. Please consult your physician before using Twinlab Creatine Fuel.
Kidney Concerns
You should not use Creatine Fuel or any other creatine-based dietary supplement if you have kidney problems, according to MedLine Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. After creatine became a very popular dietary supplement, many worried that there was potential for kidney damage in normal healthy adults. The potential for kidney damage or concerns about acute kidney failure seem to be limited to those who have prior kidney problems. The 2002 "International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" reports that it appears that "...oral supplementation with creatine has no long-term detrimental effects on kidney or liver functions in highly trained college athletes in the absence of other nutritional supplements." The University of Maryland Medical Center states that creatine should not produce significant side effects if used at the directed doses for up to six months.
Muscle Cramping
Muscle cramping is a potential side of taking Creatine Fuel. According to the University of Illinois, creatine forces your muscles to retain water and this may result in muscle cramps. Florida International University documents a case study of a high school football player who experienced "severe full body muscle cramps" in football practice during hot, humid weather, when taking creatine supplements. FIU believes that creatine and hot weather together promoted dramatic water and electrolyte loss that caused the high school player to be in "excruciating pain and unable to move." If you use Creatine Fuel, make sure you are hydrated before, during and following your training. This is especially important if you are training in a hot environment.
Formaldehyde
According to Langone Medical Center at New York University, another potential unwanted side effect of creatine is one of its metabolic byproducts, the toxic compound formaldehyde. Prolonged administration of creatine can increase blood levels of formaldehyde, which may potentially cause serious and unwanted side effects. The National Cancer Institute reports that formaldehyde is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen under conditions of unusually high or prolonged exposure. NYU also notes, however, that it is not yet known if formaldehyde produced from creatine definitely causes unwanted side effects. If you use Twinlab Creatine Fuel after consulting with your health care provider, make sure you take it as directed, and discontinue use if you notice any side effects.
References
- University of Pittsburgh: Rhabdomyolysis
- New York University: Langone Medical Center: Creatine
- MedlinePLus: Creatine
- PubMed: International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: Effects of Long-Term Creatine Supplementation on Liver and Kidney Functions in American College Football Players
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- Florida International University: Severe Heat Cramps in a High School Football Player: A Case Report
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