If you are planning to take creatine to increase muscle mass and body building, consult your physician if you have medical problems or taking medicines, and please read the information below.
   A cautious approach to creatine would be to limit intake to 3 to 5 grams almost every day for three weeks followed by 3 grams two to four times a week. It would be wise to take a week or so off each month. It would also be wise to take a full month or so off every 3 to 4 months. Of course these creatine guidelines will vary between individuals. The amount and frequency of creatine use depends on how much muscle gain a person wants to maintain. Athletes and large individuals would require higher amounts of creatine, while non-athletes and small individuals would require less. There are a number of other factors that influence the amount of creatine intake including diet, sex, age, concurrent use of other supplement or medicines, medical condition, genetics, etc.
   After creatine is completely stopped, there is often a gradual decrease in muscle mass over time (days and weeks) probably to the level that it was before creatine intake. The rate of this decrease varies among individuals and also depends on dietary intake of creatine, protein and workout regimen. Taking creatine again generally restores muscle mass rather quickly.
   Creatine use results in increased body weight and total body water content (see study at bottom of page).

Creatine Powder, Source Naturals  
 Creatine Monohydrate, 3 g per teaspoon 

Suggested use: Take about 3 grams (a little over half a teaspoon) of creatine supplement daily for one month with a break of 2 days a week. Best time to take a creatine supplement is before, during, or after a workout, although a creatine supplement will work even if taken at other times of the day.

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What is Creatine?
Creatine is not an herb, mineral, vitamin, hormone, or steroid. Creatine is a natural nutrient found in our bodies and the bodies of most animals. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine supply is found in the skeletal muscles. The remaining 5% of creatine is scattered throughout the rest of the body, with the highest concentrations in the heart, brain and testes.
   The human body gets most of the creatine it needs from food or dietary supplements. Creatine is easily absorbed from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream. When dietary consumption of creatine is inadequate to meet the body's needs, a limited supply can be synthesized from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. This creatine production occurs in the liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Who Can Benefit From Creatine?
So far it appears that the greatest benefits of creatine occur in those who wish to put on muscle mass and increase strength, for body building.
   Athletes in bodybuilding, powerlifting, martial arts, and track and field events such as shot-put may benefit from the use of creatine due to greater strength. So could wrestlers and football players and perhaps baseball players with a more powerful swing or pitch. Body builders and anyone who wishes to have more muscle build will find creatine extremely helpful. Creatine may even be helpful in soccer players or sprinters (see study at bottom of page).
   It is still unclear whether athletes involved in endurance activities such as marathon running or long-distance bicycling will benefit from creatine supplementation. There have been anecdotal reports that people in these sports may benefit, although most studies show that creatine either does not help or may actually hurt. The difficulty in these situations appears to center on the increased muscle mass which creatine provides. While that's great if you're a bodybuilder or wrestler, it can be a detriment if you have to carry all that weight around during a marathon or triathlon. It becomes a tradeoff between the increased strength you get from creatine and the increased muscle mass. Further research will provide us with more definitive answers as to what role creatine supplementation plays in endurance-type sports.        

Additional benefits of Creatine
Creatine may be helpful in certain muscular dystrophies (facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, Becker dystrophy, Duchenne dystrophy, sarcoglycan-deficient limb girdle muscular dystrophy). A placebo-controlled trial did not find evidence of a beneficial effect of creatine monohydrate on survival or disease progression in patients with ALS. Creatine has not found to be helpful in those with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1
  Creatine has been found to increase strength and muscle mass in older adults who took 5 grams of creatine daily for 3 months. Creatine helps older individuals in their daily activities such as getting out of a chair.
   We are frequently asked if creatine enhances or decreases sex drive. We do not believe it has much of an influence either way.

Vegans and Creatine
Vegetarians, particularly those who are on a strict lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) diet do not ingest much creatine since creatine is mostly found in meats, fish, and chicken. Creatine helps muscles stay bulky and strong.
   In a study published in the Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, thirty-two healthy men, who regularly consumed an omnivorous diet, were split into two groups. One group consumed a LOV diet while the other group had an omnivorous diet (they ate everything). The study lasted 26 days. In addition to their diet, on day 22 of the study, subjects were assigned in a double-blind manner to receive either creatine monohydrate 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight per day or an equivalent dose of placebo for 5 days. The results demonstrated that consuming a LOV diet for 21 days decreased muscle creatine concentration in individuals who normally consume meat and fish. However, the creatine content of muscle in the LOV group returned back to normal after a period of only 5 days.
   Creatine, 5 g a day for six weeks, has been shown to improve brain performance (memory and intelligence) in adults who are vegetarian.

Creatine Side Effects and Cautions
Nausea, stomach upset, dizziness or weakness, loose stools, diarrhea, and weight gain are the most common, and generally occur with creatine dosages greater than 5 grams a day.  Muscle cramping is also reported. Strains and sprains can occur (perhaps even muscle tears?) when individuals over enthusiastically and rapidly increase their workout regimen before their tendons and ligaments have adapted to the increase in muscle size and power. 
   Long-term consequences of daily creatine ingestion, especially in high dosages, are currently not known.  There is a possibility that excess creatine can put stress on the kidneys and liver.  Creatine converts into creatinine which, in high dosages, could act as a toxin. Whether there is a potential for increasing the risk of cancer with regular high dose use is currently not known. I discourage the regular, high dose use of creatine.  Individuals with kidney disease should not use creatine.
   One study shows long term creatine use for 21 months did not influence blood studies (metabolic markers, muscle and liver enzymes, electrolytes, lipid profiles, hematological markers, and lymphocytes). Kreider RB, et al. Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes.   Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Feb;244(1-2):95-104.
   We have also come across a few anecdotes about high dose creatine causing anxiety or depression. Time will tell whether creatine is responsible for these cognitive changes.
   There are no reports to date that creatine influences the size of genital organs or has a significant effect, positive or negative, on sex drive. Creatine doesn't seem to have a direct effect on libido, although feeling good about one's toned body could influence self-image and how others react to us and make us feel more attractive and sexual. The influence of creatine on sperm count or motility, if any, is not known at this time.
   Short term creatine supplementation does not seem to affect blood pressure, heart rate, or kidney function. A small to modest amount of alcohol intake should not interfere with low dose creatine use. We don't advise taking creatine while pregnant. There are no reports of creatine having an influence on hair loss.

Safety of long term creatine use
To investigate long-term effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation, 18 professional basketball players of the Spanish Basketball League participated in a longitudinal study. The subjects ingested 5 g creatine monohydrate daily during three competition seasons. Blood was collected five times during each of the three official competition seasons (September 1999-June 2000, September 2000-June 2001 and September 2001-June 2002). Standard clinical examination was performed for 16 blood chemistries. Results: blood studies over a 3 year period did not indicate any major abnormalities.
   Daily supplementation with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate 8 months of the year appears to be safe. It would be a good idea to take an one week off each month just to be extra safe.

Q. Can you give us some tips on how use creatine in a safe way?
   A. A good way to use creatine is taking a teaspoon, about 3 grams, once daily before, during or after a work out. I suggest taking a day off each week and a few days or a week off each month. The creatine powder can be mixed with a couple of ounces of fruit or vegetable juice.

Is Creatine better utilized if taken with other nutrients?
One study shows co-ingestion of alpha-lipoic acid with creatine and a small amount of sucrose can enhance muscle total creatine content as compared to the ingestion of creatine and sucrose or creatine alone.

Forms of creatine
There are various forms of creatine and since little or no research is currently available on Creatine Decanoate, Creatine Gluconate, Dicreatine Oronate, Disodium Creatine Phosphate, we prefer just using creatine monohydrate for the time being.

Timing of Creatine
Regular creatine powder seems to work quite well. A new study shows creatine serum is not as effective as creatine powder for improving cycle sprint performance in competitive male team-sport athletes.
   As to the timing of creatine intake--whether before a workout, or after a workout--I have not seen any specific studies addressing this question. Creatine seems to work well for most people no matter when they take it, but it would seem logical that taking it right before, during, or after a workout may be a better option than taking it at a sedentary time. A recent study showed taking a protein supplement right after a workout helps increase muscle size to a greater extent than taking the protein two hours after a workout. Creatine supplements may work well combined with a protein powder supplement, either from soy or casein.
   Creatine can be taken with practically any fluid, and my preference is fruit or vegetable juices since they contain many vitamins and phytonutrients. One can add protein powder, and other health/vitamin/green powders. Creatine taken with a small amount of food reduces the nausea that sometimes happens when taken on an empty stomach. Drinking additional water may be helpful. It has been reported that simultaneous ingestion of creatine with caffeine reduces its effectiveness.
   Creatine will increase the size of muscles even without working out, but the gains are minimal compared to creatine supplements along with a workout. Muscle size will likely decrease a few days or weeks after stopping creatine use, particularly if one stops working out. How much of the benefits from creatine use will persist is not known at this time.
   The use of creatine supplements will increase body weight, in part due to water retention.
   It's possible that taking lipoic acid along with creatine improves the transport of creatine into muscle tissue.

Vegans and Creatine
Vegetarians, particularly those who are on a strict lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) diet do not ingest much creatine since creatine is mostly found in meats, fish, and chicken. Creatine helps muscles stay bulky and strong.
   In a study published in the Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, thirty-two healthy men, who regularly consumed an omnivorous diet, were split into two groups. One group consumed a LOV diet while the other group had an omnivorous diet (they ate everything). The study lasted 26 days. In addition to their diet, on day 22 of the study, subjects were assigned in a double-blind manner to receive either creatine monohydrate 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight per day or an equivalent dose of placebo for 5 days. The results demonstrated that consuming a LOV diet for 21 days decreased muscle creatine concentration in individuals who normally consume meat and fish. However, the creatine content of muscle in the LOV group returned back to normal after a period of only 5 days.
   Creatine, 5 g a day for six weeks, has been shown to improve brain performance (memory and intelligence) in adults who are vegetarian.

Creating dosing
Q. A question on creatine dosing. I see the recommendations of 5g per day. This is the question. 5g per day for a person that is 150 lbs, 5ft 9 vs., 5g per day for someone that is 260 lbs, and 6ft 7. Obviously, the concentrations would be different in serum between the two. To obtain the same results should the serum levels not be consistent? Would an adjustment upwards not be warranted for the higher body mass and what would the the adjustment calculator to reach serum equivalency?
   A. As a general rule, people who weigh more or are larger require a higher amount of a medication or supplement. However, with natural supplements such as creatine, one does not have to be precise. A dosage of 2 to 5 grams a day works well to increase muscle mass and strength in most individuals. Smaller people can take less while larger people can take more.

How Does Creatine Work?
Creatine is an essential player in the primary energy source used for muscle contraction. It exists in two different forms within the muscle fiber: as free (chemically-unbound) creatine and as creatine phosphate. This later form of creatine makes up two-thirds of the total creatine supply. When your muscles contract, the initial fuel for this movement is a compound called ATP. ATP provides its energy by releasing one of its phosphate molecules. It then becomes a different compound called ADP. Unfortunately, there is only enough ATP to provide energy for about 10 seconds, so for muscle contraction to continue, more ATP must be produced. Creatine phosphate comes to the rescue by giving up its phosphate molecule to ADP, recreating ATP. This ATP can then be burned again as fuel for more muscle contraction.
   The bottom line is that your ability to regenerate ATP depends on your supply of creatine. More creatine, more ATP remade, and more ability to train your muscles to their maximum potential. It's that simple. This greater ATP synthesis also keeps your body from relying on another energy system called glycolysis, which has lactic acid as a byproduct. This lactic acid creates the burning sensation you feel during intense exercise. If the amount of acid becomes too great, muscle movement stops. But if you keep on using ATP because of all the creatine you have, you can minimize the amount of lactic acid produced and actually exercise longer and harder. This helps you gain strength, power and muscle size; and you won't get fatigued as easily.
   Creatine has also been shown to enhance your body's ability to make proteins, especially the proteins within the muscle fibers. Two of these proteins, actin and myosin, are essential to all muscle contraction. So when you build up your supply of these contractile proteins, you actually increase your muscle's ability to perform physical work. And the more work you do (whether it's lifting weights or running 100-meter dashes), the stronger you become over time. Creatine can also absorb intracellular water, thus resulting in a higher muscle volume. This could lead to the "pumped up" feeling and look. An additional way creatine increases muscle size is thought to be its fluid retention abilities within muscle tissue (see study at bottom of page).

Q. Does creatine really interfere with water retention or is it a myth?
   A. Most of the weight gain from creatine is from muscle tissue, but it is possible there could be slight water retention.

Body fat composition
Creatine monohydrate supplementation on body weight and percent body fat.
Kutz MR, Gunter MJ. Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416, USA.
J Strength Cond Res. 2003 Nov;17(4):817-21
Seventeen active males participated in a study to examine the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on total body weight (TBW), percent body fat, body water content, and caloric intake. The TBW was measured in kilograms, percent body fat by hydrostatic weighing, body water content via bioelectrical impedance, and caloric intake by daily food log. Subjects were paired and assigned to a creatine or placebo group with a double-blind research design. Supplementation was given for 4 weeks (30 g a day for the initial 2 weeks and 15 g a day for the final 2 weeks). Subjects reported 2 days a week for supervised strength training of the lower extremity. Significant increases before and after the study were found in TBW and body water content for the creatine group. No significant changes were found in percent body fat or daily caloric intake in the creatine group. No significant changes were noted for the placebo group. These findings support previous research that creatine supplementation increases TBW. Mean percent body fat and caloric intake was not affected by creatine supplementation. Therefore weight gain in lieu of creatine supplementation may in part be due to water retention.

Soccer
Creatine supplementation in young soccer players.
Ostojic SM. Sports Medicine Institute, Kikindska 13/11, Pancevo 26000, Yugoslavia. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Feb;14(1):95-103.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute creatine-monohydrate supplementation on soccer-specific performance in young soccer players. Twenty young male soccer players (16.6 +/- 1.9 years) participated in the study and were matched and allocated to 2 randomly assigned trials: ingesting creatine-monohydrate supplement (3 x 10-g doses) or placebo for 7 days. Before and after the supplementation protocol, each subject underwent a series of soccer-specific skill tests: dribble test, sprint-power test, endurance test, and vertical jump test. Specific dribble test times improved significantly in the creatine group after supplementation protocol. Sprint-power test times were significantly improved after creatine-monohydrate supplementation as well as vertical jump height in creatine trial. Furthermore, dribble and power test times, along with vertical jump height, were superior in creatine versus placebo trial at post-supplementation performance. There were no changes in specific endurance test results within or between trials (p > .05). There were no between-trial differences in the placebo trial). The main finding of the present study indicates that supplementation with creatine in young soccer players improved soccer-specific skill performance compared with ingestion of placebo.

Creatine Emails - Supplement side effect
I am 25, and I have a concern. I recently started taking creatine. Its been over a week. After seven days of taking the recommended amount in the box, and by my trainer, I felt really sick after one of my wourkouts. I came home, and felt weak, dizzy, nauses, cold, and was about to pass-out. My trainer said that creatine doesn't cause that. I stopped for two days and now i'm back on it, because I want to get results. My question is. The package says
two scoops per serving, that is 13g of creatine. My trainer also suggested the same thing. After reading a website, and other sources I am starting to believe that that is not the recommended amount. The way I felt that day, was it because I was taking more than the amount I should take? Am I going to get the same results with the 4-5g a day?
   A. You may wish to read the side effects of creatine on Dr. Sahelian's web site, and also that he believes that lower amounts do work also with much fewer problems.

Q. I believe my 14 year old son had an adverse effect the other night a little while after taking a creatine / taurine drink. He went to get up to go to a friends house when he became unsteady. I asked him what was the matter with him and he said he did not know. As he was telling me this his speech was becoming slurred and his strength was diminishing. He went to lie down and started becoming lethargic and then started vomiting, I called an ambulance and they checked all vitals and everything seemed fine but they still took him to the hospital. I was asked if he had been drinking since the symptoms were similar although they couldn't smell any alcohol on him. I assured them that that was not possible since he had been working with his father the whole day and that we don't keep any alcohol at home. At the hospital his blood alcohol content was three times the legal adult limit. I thought they must have mixed up his blood work with someone else. In less than two hours of the onset of symptoms he was fine. If someone had that blood alcohol they would not be fine in less than two hours. While doing some online research I came across a letter to the FDA from 2004 stating that creatine ethyl ester would soon be offered as a "new more available source of creatine for dietary supplementation of creatine. It went on to say that "when associated with ethanol the two molecules are in the coupled form (ester) or dissociated form - carboxylic acid (ie. creatine) and alcohol (i.e. ethanol)." Is this possibly where my son got a blood alcohol content reading? I thought a "scoop" was a 5 gram serving so I had him take about 1/3rd of this. Only after this episode did I really read the label to find that a "scoop" was 43 grams. So in reality he was well over the 3 grams that we figured was safe. Needless to say, I have dumped out the creatine and told him no more supplements even with the doctors approval (which we had for the 3 gram level).
   A. This is an interesting report. We are not familiar with creatine ethyl ester and don't have any experience regarding blood alcohol level and the use of creatine ethyl ester.

Q. i have been taking creatine for about a month. i am tall and thin. its been a couple of days, over a month since i have been on it, and i have only gained about 5 pounds, but i play tennis so all the weight i put on i probably most likely burn off. as to muscle size, i try to workout really hard at the gym, im always trying to press more weight, i think the creatine gives me that extra bit of energy when i workout i can always push myself to lift that last couple of pounds.
i drink a lot of water when i am at the gym and i eat healthy and drink protein shakes. what i am trying to get at here, is should i be seeing really big muscle mass or does the creatine take a lot of time for the muscle mass to get bigger. i can tell my muscle mass has grown slightly but thats because i am always pushing myself.
   A. Each person responds differently to creatine supplementation and some people have a quick muscle mass increase while for others the muscle mass increase is slower. The fact that you already have some muscle mass increase should be encouraging.

Q. I am very sensitive to natural supplements. I experienced a creatine side effect. I took Creatine for the first time today (I took it about 6:00 a.m. and it's 10:00 a.m. now)...I wanted to try it because I have trouble exercising much nowadays (I can't jostle my head much), so I was hoping that Creatine would help me to to gain a little strength, because I feel pretty weak. I took less than 1/2 of a teaspoon...and I am experiencing light-headeness and dizziness right now...enough to where I feel the need to sit down (don't feel confident walking). I will be allright...I am just mentioning this as more "evidence" as to how sensitive my body / brain is nowadays to most everything I try. It is just added "data" for when you read any of my e-mails. I guess I will be trying a "1/2 of a 1/2" of a teaspoon next time!

Q. Have you ever heard of or recommend Creatine Supplementation for alzheimers patients, suppose to help them gain back weight, and help with brain activity.
   A. We have not seen any studies regarding the use of creatine supplementation and its clinical effect on patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Q.  I found your website while looking for info on glyconutrients, but decided to see what else you have information on. I noticed in your information on creatine that you do not include anything on a recent development, kre-alkalyn. It is a form of creatine monohydrate that they claim is pH-correct. I was wondering what your take is on Kre-Alcalyn, if it is clever marketing or if it is a real alternative to the industry standard creatine monohydrate. If anything it would add some new information to your article on creatine.
   A. We have not seen any research with Kre-Alcalyn form of creatine.

Q. My kidney scores prevent me from continuing to take powdered creatine and ibuprofen (advil, etc), i.e. I repeated have above normal creatinine scores, 1.6, 1.4. I have heard of a product called Purple-K that is supposed to send all of the creatine in a capsule directly to your muscles. They claim it is not toxic to vital organs at all due to a new delivery system. From a scientific standpoint, do you think that is possible or how I can verify that claim? I couldn't find the product on the FDA website. I've pasted in the product info. Since I've stopped taking creatine, I've lost considerable muscle mass. Although I'm still pretty strong, I'm starting to look skinny. Would Whey Protein help or provide similar results in strength and mass as creatine if I can no longer take creatine? I want to be strong and/or have more mass but not at the ultimate expense of my health. I hope my questions are of are a nature that you can reply. I guess you don't sell the product Purple K, but do you have something similar or can you still reply to my questions? I really appreciate Dr. Ray Sahelian's question and answer segment. It was where I first learned that the creatine powder could be the culprit, which I acknowledge was made worse by ibuprofen. I used to take it like candy everytime I had an ache or pain. I had no idea it would eventually harm my kidneys.
   "PURPLE-K & creatinine? Creatinine is a toxic waste that is produced when regular creatine hits liquid. Creatinine is so toxic that your kidneys work overtime to protect you from damage. This stress is why people get gut-rot, diarrhea, nausea and bloating. PURPLE-K prevents this by giving you a 100% stable creatine source. If you've taken regular or "cheaper" creatine and experienced these side effects, now you know why. More importantly, now you know how to prevent these side effects from happening again! You need to use PURPLE-K creatine from now on... How does PURPLE-K stop the toxic conversion from creatine to creatinine? PURPLE-K is buffered creatine. The pH level of PURPLE-K is between 12-14 and this prevents it from breaking down in any liquids - even stomach acids. The exclusive Kre-Alkalyn pH Controlled Delivery System makes this possible. The patented formula covers all pH levels between 7-14. This forces the pH of all other creatine products to be 6.9 or less; which means they will convert to toxic creatinine."
   A. We have not seen any long term human studies with PURPLE-K to determine if the claims are true.

Q. I am just starting the loading phase using creatine. I had surgery a while back and really cannot start lifting or exercising for one more week. Can I start the loading phase before I start working out again? Or should I wait until I start exercising?
   A. We prefer using a gradual approach to creatine supplementation at about 2, 3, or 4 grams a day which can minimize the side effects that occur frequently with creatine loading. Therefore, the creatine low dosage approach can be started a few days before working out although creatine is more effective when combined with lifting weights. Creatine side effects with loading include nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea which occurs at a dosage about  grams.

Q. A new book on "Creatine and Creatine Kinase in Health and Disease" is now available from the Springer publishing company. A short summary of the book is provided below. We hope that this book will find your interest!. "Although creatine was discovered already in the 1830s, it is only in recent years that its crucial role for human health and general well-being has been increasingly realized and appreciated. A number of beneficial health effects have been ascribed to oral creatine supplementation, such as neuroprotective, ergogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, or antitumor effects. Creatine may even improve memory and intelligence. In the present book, emphasis is placed on the intricate interplay between creatine and creatine kinase function on one hand, and proper brain function, neurodegenerative disease and/or neuroprotection on the other hand. The creatine book also elaborates on the recently identified inborn errors of creatine biosynthesis and transport, the so-called cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes. The clinical hallmarks of these disorders are mental retardation, epilepsy, autistic-like behaviour, and speech and language delay. In addition, the muscle growth- and strength-promoting effects, the pharmacokinetics and the safety of oral creatine supplementation are discussed. Finally, the creatine book outlines the emerging "systems biology" approaches for understanding the pleiotropic effects of creatine and creatine kinase, and hypothesizes on the most promising and influential future avenues of research towards creatine-based nutritional strategies for the prevention of neurological disease, and for improving the quality of life in general. Markus Wyss, DSM Corporate Human Resources, The Netherlands.

Q. I recently came across some ads for a "new type of creatine" Kre-Alkalyn, which is patented and supposedly buffered to a high pH so it doesn't turn into creatinine and cause "creatine side-effects". Have you heard or read any of this "science" and what's your take on it? I didn't see any reference to this form of creatine on your lists.
   Description: Creatine Monohydrate has been proven through decades of research to enhance strength, endurance, and athletic performance. However some athletes have noted side effects including nausea, stomach cramps, bloating, and a host of other unwanted reactions. What wasn't realized until recently is that these side effects are actually caused by creatinine, and not Creatine. Kre-Alkalyn is Creatine which is 100% stable and will not break down into Creatinine. This allows the Creatine to be absorbed more efficiently into the bloodstream. Kre-Alkalyn allows athletes to use smaller serving sizes while experiencing even more explosive results. Kre-Alkalyn has been referred to as a new form of Creatine. However, it is actually the best form of Creatine (Creatine Monohydrate) that has been fully stabilized. It is a new technology altogether: 100% stable Creatine. Kre-Alkalyn is processed at a higher pH level than regular Creatine Monohydrate."
   A. We have not seen any human studies comparing creatine monohydrate supplements to Kre-Alkalyn to determine which form is better. Creatine monohydrate works great with no side effects when 3 grams a day are used a few times a week. Until human research studies are published that clearly indicate Kre-Alcalyn is much superior to creatine monohydrate supplements, we don't see any reasons to switch.

Q. Recently I started taking creatine powder for help build muscle strength. I do find the creatine powder is helping somewhat. I take the recommended dosage one teaspoon. However, I heard creatine powder can affect one's liver?
Do you know of this to be true. Just thought creatine powder would help me build strength and size.
   A. We have not encountered any liver problems when creatine powder is used at about 3 grams a day for 5 days a week and a full week off a month.

Q. I got the order for creatine monohydrate. But on creatine monohydrate label its says derived from red meat and fish then how its be suitable for vegetarians?
   A. Creatine is found in meat naturally but when it is made for use in vitamin products, it is made in a laboratory and not extracted from meat products.

Q. Would taking 3 grams of creatine a few times a week interfere with the effect of tongkat ali sexual herbal product?
   A. We don't think it would have an effect.

Q. I am a perennially skinny 56-year-old male and would like to gain weight. Would creatine supplement help with weight gain? What I want is *fat* tissue: to round out my gauntness, hollow cheeks, etc. Can you suggest what I can eat to gain this? Do you have supplements or herbs that will help?
   A. Creatine monohydrate could help with weight gain, so would eating more. You can make smoothies and add whole milk, soy milk, and various fruits. We are not aware of supplements that increase appetite.

I have read on a couple of bodybuilding sites that some individuals experience insomnia from creatine use. Is there any evidence to support this? I started on creatine and am sleeping less well but there may be other causes.
    We do not think creatine causes insomnia, unless perhaps taken in massive doses and closer to bedtime. Many bodybuilders who take creatine often take other nutritional supplements, including multivitamins, that may cause alertness.

 I was reading your web site with all the testosterone information and research and found it very interesting. Well, my case is quite different. i am 19, turning 20 in October, and i seem to look very young for my age. This has totally ruined my self esteem and confidence, has lead to depressing times, but not constantly depressed. I have been athletic my whole life. But i am about 140 pounds, 5'10". I know my voice has not deepened as much as it should, because i often hear remarks about it, and its hard to sing, i used to love singing and choir. I cant even sing at church because i have no range, and not a semi deep voice at all. Its very troubling. Also, i have been pretty slender my whole life, and its just embarrassing because i am a guy, and this is not what any guy wants. It sucks. Very low hair amounts on arm and legs, hardly any facial or chest hair. What should i do? I have been going to the gym, and it seems like people that don't even go to the gym have bigger muscles than me. Its maddening. I was about to go the supplement store and get some testosterone supplements, but feel it will be a waste. I think i just need some boost of hormones, to get my body changing out of this 14 year old frame and physical stature. I know my cholesterol is somewhat low with my last physical.
    There probably isn't much that can be done about the hair growth, but creatine can help with muscle growth, please seek advice and consent from your doctor.