Dr Lisa Shaver

What is creatine and why is everybody taking it?

Creatine is an organic compound that fuels your muscles by regenerating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), your body's primary energy source.

Supplementing with creatine increases your physical strength, enhances muscle growth, and accelerates workout recovery, especially during high-intensity exercises like weightlifting and sprinting.

How Creatine Works
Energy Production: Your body naturally produces creatine (and gets some from foods like meat and fish). It is stored in your muscles as phosphocreatine. During heavy exertion, it rapidly donates a phosphate group to convert depleted ADP back into usable ATP.

Cellular Hydration: Creatine pulls extra water into your muscle cells. This is called cellular volumization, which not only gives your muscles a fuller look but also plays a role in promoting muscle protein synthesis.

While historically known for sports, research shows creatine benefits other tissues with high energy demands:

Brain Health: Supports mental performance during periods of stress, sleep deprivation, and aging.

Healthy Aging: Helps counteract sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and bone density).

Tips
Stay Hydrated: Creatine draws water into your muscle cells. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to avoid cramping or dehydration.

Consistency is Key: Take your creatine every single day, not just on the days you work out.

How To Take
The best way to take creatine powder is to consume 3 to 5 grams daily of creatine monohydrate mixed with a liquid.

Consistency is far more important than timing. Simply choose a convenient daily habit—such as adding it to a protein shake, juice or a glass of water.

Dosing
Loading Phase (Optional): To saturate your muscles in just 5–7 days, take 20–25 grams daily, split into 4 equal doses. After this week, drop to the 3–5 gram daily maintenance dose.

Maintenance Phase (Recommended): Take 3–5 grams daily. It will take about 3–4 weeks for your muscle creatine levels to fully saturate and yield noticeable performance benefits.

How to Mix and Drink
Liquids: Mix the powder with water, a sports drink, or a protein shake. Carbohydrates and proteins can slightly improve how quickly creatine is absorbed into the muscles.

Temperature: Creatine monohydrate is a stable compound, but it dissolves best in room-temperature or slightly warm liquids. Avoid boiling or highly acidic liquids (coffee, orange juice, lemonade), which can degrade the creatine.

Potential Side Effects
Creatine is one of the most rigorously tested and proven sports supplements in the world. However, you may experience:

Initial Weight Gain: You might gain 2 to 5 pounds early on. This is mostly intracellular water weight, not body fat.

Digestive Discomfort: Taking too much at once (especially during an initial "loading phase") can cause bloating, nausea, or cramping.

Dehydration: Because it shifts water into muscle cells, you need to increase your daily water intake to stay adequately hydrated.

Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Make sure you purchase a high-quality product that contains what it states it contains on the label.

👉🏻 Never buy supplements from Amazon as there is a high rate of supplement fraud. 🚫

Gas-X capsules recalled over potential chemical contamination due to leaky machine

The ingestion of the contaminated Softgels could lead to adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Gas-X capsules sold across the country are being recalled over potential chemical contamination because of a machine leakage during packaging, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Haleon issued a voluntary recall last week after discovering that the medication may have been contaminated with a coolant when a machine leaked during packaging.

Haleon is also the maker of other popular medicines, including Advil, Theraflu and Tums.

"The lots are being recalled due to potential contamination with a diluted propylene glycol-based coolant from a machine leakage during the packaging process," the company's announcement reads.

The recall affects four lots of 125 mg Gas-X Extra Strength Softgels in pill bottles of 120 ct. and 72 ct.

The company said 120 ct. bottles with lot numbers TL8K, YH9X and YH9Y and 72 ct. bottles with lot number X78N are impacted by the recall. These affected products all have an expiration date of Nov. 30, 2028.

The impacted capsules were distributed on or around April 13.

The ingestion of the Softgels contaminated with the coolant could lead to adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the company warned.

Haleon said it has not received any reports of adverse events in connection with this recall. Anyone who has experienced problems that may be related to taking this product should contact their physician or healthcare provider.

Gas-X Softgels are typically taken to quickly break up gas bubbles in the digestive tract and relieve pressure, bloating, and discomfort. The green capsules are packaged in boxes with green, blue and gray bands.

Haleon is notifying its distributors and customers by letter, email and phone. The company is arranging for the return of all recalled products.

Customers who purchased products matching the lot numbers are urged to stop taking the pills immediately and contact the company for a return and reimbursement.

"Consumer safety and product quality are our utmost priorities at Haleon. The root cause of the contamination has been identified and repaired. Corrective and preventative actions have been implemented to prevent future recurrence," the company said.

Source: Landon Mion FOXBusiness

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