Creatine is not an anabolic steroid.

Is creatine an anabolic steroid? It is confusing. When I hear of creatine I think of men and women with muscle definition you can see from across the sweaty crowded gym.  But creatine is NOT a steroid (and actually likely would benefit many of you, particularly men and women over the age of 50).

So why the confusion? Both of these help increase muscle strength and exercise tolerance, but they do so in totally different ways. Also anabolic steroids are classified as drugs and are under Class C Schedule III controlled substances regulated by the FDA. There are legal ramifications of taking Anabolic Steroids. They are regulated by the Controlled Substances Act set up by the DEA. Creatine is a supplement. It is not given via prescription. It is not a controlled substance.

• Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of testosterone.
  • Testosterone is an androgenic hormone
  • It is produced in men and women
  • It is used with resistance training to enhance muscle mass and strength
  • It is thought to do this by increasing muscle protein synthesis, as testosterone enters the cell and binds to the androgen receptor to increase production
  • Again, this is a prescription drug and highly regulated. It is useful for those with low testosterone or with medical diseases which cause muscle atrophy.
  • Side effects: These steroids are often taken at dosages higher than recommended or needed. This is what you think of when you think of someone “taking steroids”
    • Acne, oily skin
    • Hair loss
    • Liver damage and kidney disease
    • Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
    • Hormone imbalances, causing gynecomastia (breasts in men) and testicular shrinkage, loss of libido
    • Muscle cramps, tendon injury, and bone density loss
    • Mood swings and depression
• Creatine is also in your muscle
  • It is converted to phosphocreatine via the enzyme creatine kinase
  • This is used in muscle to make ATP. ATP feeds your mitochondria, the “powerhouse” of the cell
  • Creatine supplements increase ATP capacity and energy production during heavy anaerobic exercise. This is thought to increase muscle strength, number of repetitions, and exercise volume.
  • This is a supplement. It needs no prescription. When used at recommended doses (3-5 grams/day usually) it has been shown to be safe. See our other creatine blogs.
  • The side effects listed above for anabolic steroids are NOT associated with creatine. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic hormone. Creatine is not a hormone and works to increase muscle strength via ATP production. Creatine has minimal side effects.

The confusion between anabolic steroids and creatine is common. When blogging about creatine, many of our blogs were aimed to show creatine does not have the known side effects of the anabolic steroids. Again, creatine when taken at the recommended dosages does NOT cause the same issues. We have found creatine supplements are likely very beneficial when paired with resistance training in certain populations:

1. Weight loss patients, particularly if on GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide. See our weight loss program.
2. Pregnant women who are vegetarian (Meat is a great source of external creatine)
3. Post menopausal women
4. Men over the age of 50
5. Any man or woman who wants to increase muscle mass, strength, and endurance.

Again, the studies on creatine show it should be taken at the recommended dosages and paired with whole body resistance training. We sell a creatine supplement, which is the monophosphate powder made in Germany. We specifically chose that formulation for its purity and concentration- other forms are not as effective, and many were found to be contaminated.

CREATINE BLOGS.