Creatine supplements are a multimillion dollar business that begin in the mid-1990s and today continues to be popular with athletes and bodybuilders because of the positive effects on muscle gain and sports performance. Although creatine supplements are not for everyone, if you are experiencing cramps in your calves and think that it might be due to creatine use, rest assured that this is unlikely. However, there is a possible correlation.
Muscle Cramps
Generally, your calf muscles contract when you lift onto the balls of your feet, point your toes or bend your knees. Calf muscles activate during these actions. The calf muscles should then relax in other position or movement. If the calves do not relax, they go into spasm and eventually may become a cramp. Muscle spasms occur when muscles contract involuntarily, meaning without you consciously willing them to contract. When this happens and the contraction is forceful, a muscle spasm results if the muscle does not relax. Over time, a spasm can become a painful cramp. Dehydration, sweating from exercise and being in a hot climate contribute to cramps, and the belief that creatine exasperates these issues is why people believe that there is a correlation between cramps in the calves and creatine supplementation.
Myth of Creatine and Muscle Cramps
According to the "British Journal of Sports Medicine," the idea that creatine causes muscle cramps and dehydration is a myth. A 2008 study published in "The British Journal of Sports Medicine" entitled "Putting to Rest the Myth of Creatine Supplementation Leading to Muscle Cramps and Dehydration" stated that taking creatine supplements actually improves athletic performance even in hot or humid weather. Creatine decreases the heart rate and amount of sweat during exercise and also helps thermoregulation, which is the body's ability to regulate temperature and disperse heat. Creatine does not cause you to become dehydrated and may even help you avoid dehydration, though drinking plenty of water during exercises is still advisable.
Exceptions
Although it is not correct to blame calf cramping on creatine in every instance, it is possible that creatine supplementation may cause cramping in some people. G. Douglas Andersen, D.C. says in a 2001 article entitled "Creatine, Muscle Cramping and Muscle Tightness" that one creatine molecule needs two sodium molecules to enter a muscle cell, which causes an increase in calcium in the cells, leading to stronger muscular contractions. These stronger contractions paired with creatine reducing muscle relaxation time between contractions and causing more pressure in the lower legs may result in leg cramps in susceptible individuals. Increasing how much water you drink may reduce cramping if you are one of these individuals.
Creatine Dosages
You do not need to take a lot of creatine in the long term to see results. Men should take approximately five grams daily and women can take 2 to 3 g. These recommendations are for daily use as maintenance. A loading phase of increased supplementation may come before maintenance dosing. Take five grams taken four times a day for a total of 20 g per day for four to seven days, if your doctor says that creatine is safe for you.
References
- AndersenChiro.com; Creatine, Muscle Cramping and Muscle Tightness; G. Douglas Andersen, D.C.; November 2001
- Bodybuilding.com; Is Creatine Safe or Is It To Blame; Marie Spano
- British Journal of Sports Medicine; Putting to Rest the Myth of Creatine Supplementation Leading to Muscle Cramps and Dehydration; Vincent J Dalbo, et al.; January 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Muscle Cramps; July 2010
- Exrx.net: Gastrocnemius
- Mayo Clinic: Creatine
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