Creatine use is on the rise among both men and women as more and more of the population puts muscle building at the forefront of their exercise regime. So, if you are an avid sauna user will this impact creatine’s effect on the body?
Many individuals assume that the basis of creatine’s effect on muscular development is simply water retention in the body. Given how much fluid is lost during a sauna session it does not make sense to take creatine during the same time frame that you sauna.
In reality, the bio-chemical exchange between creatine supplementation and human physiology is much more in depth and nuanced than simply water retention. It is now widely understood that creatine, when taken in correct dosages, positively affects much more than just the muscular structures of the body, and may even positively affect neurodegenerative conditions.
Find out more about the bio-chemical relationship between the human body and the supplementation of creatine, how saunas will affect this, if at all, and finally how you can safely supplement with creatine and enjoy the benefits of sauna use.
How Creatine Actually Works to Affect Change in the Body: An Ergonomic Aid For Exercise
Creatine is among the most studied ergonomic aids for athletes, as well as for other high performance physical activities. Rightfully so, as creatine impacts physical performance in a multitude of ways. Interestingly, given that creatine is so well researched it turns out that it may also have many other resounding benefits to health outside of high performance.
An article published by the National Library of Medicine entitled ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine’ (1) describes creatine supplementation succinctly when the authors write this.
“The multifaceted mechanisms by which creatine exerts its beneficial effect include increasing anaerobic energy capacity, decreasing protein breakdown, leading to increased muscle mass and physical performance “. (1)
While most individuals consider creatine as a supply to be taken in powder, or perhaps capsule form, in reality creatine is naturally created in the body on its own. The consumption of red meat, and fish in your diet can naturally increase the synthesis of creatine in the pancreas, kidneys, and liver. (2)
For the most technical rendering of the mechanism of creatine within the body, read what the aforementioned article writes here.
“Creatine, a member of the guanidine phosphagen family, is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid compound found primarily in red meat and seafood. The majority of creatine is found in skeletal muscle (~95%) with small amounts also found in the brain and testes (~5%). About two thirds of intramuscular creatine is phosphocreatine (PCr) with the remaining being free creatine.” (1)
Many individuals decide to supplement their diet with creatine powder or capsules, in addition to the naturally occurring creatine synthesis in the body, as well as in some foods for the explicit purpose of enhancing physical performance.
There appear to be little to no side effects from creatine supplementation outside of weight gain.
“Since creatine monohydrate became a popular dietary supplement in the early 1990s, over 1,000 studies have been conducted and billions of servings of creatine have been ingested. The only consistently reported side effect from creatine supplementation that has been described in the literature has been weight gain.” (2)
Across the board, creatine is considered the number one most valuable dietary supplement to improve exercise performance. With over 1000 peer reviewed journals on athletes and other individuals performing physical tasks, creatine has proven itself to be both a safe and effective tool to increase recovery, metabolic process, anaerobic performance, aerobic capabilities, and muscular restoration.
Creatine Supplementation For Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Huntington’s Disease
- Mitochondrial Related Diseases
- Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Research suggests that in addition to beneficial effects on physical performance, creatine may also be used as a therapeutic for individuals with neuromuscular diseases. Although the evidence is not yet conclusive, it is believed that creatine may help with incidences of neurodegenerative diseases. The article published by the National Library of Medicine entitled ‘Creatine in Health and Disease’, (3) acknowledges the potential wide sweeping benefits of creatine ingestion when the authors write the following.
“A number of studies have investigated the short and long-term therapeutic benefit of creatine supplementation in children and adults with various neuromuscular diseases like muscular dystrophies, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson disease, mitochondria-related diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease. These studies show that creatine supplementation has been used to treat children and adults with neurodegenerative conditions and is apparently safe and well-tolerated when taking up to 30 g/day for 5 years in these populations.” (3)
Due to the increase in the population of creatine users for its benefits outside of athletic performance, it means that even more individuals who are looking to treat illnesses in a multitiered manner may be affected by how saunas interact with creatine supplementation.
So, whether you are using creatine to increase your physical performance, or as an alternative treatment to a serious neuromuscular disease, it is important to consider if you can continue this treatment in tandem with sauna use.
The interplay Between Fluid Loss During a Sauna and Creatine: Is it Safe to Use Both Treatments in Tandem?
The number one myth surrounding sauna use in conjunction with creatine is that you will simply sweat out any water retention in the muscles due to creatine ingestion once you take a sauna. While it is true that there is significant water loss during a sauna session, the reality is that creatine will actually prepare individuals for heat stress, and may even prevent dehydration.
The short answer to the question: “Can I use saunas while I am taking creatine?” is very simple: Yes.
Studies have shown that athletes preparing to compete in hot and humid conditions will perform better if they are using creatine compared to their counterparts who are not.
“The researchers reported that creatine supplementation augmented repeated sprint cycle performance in the heat without altering thermoregulatory responses.” (4)
The same study suggested that creatine enhanced thermoregulatory responses, rather than negating them. Given that the heat stress placed on the body during a sauna session is similar to that of exercising in a hot climate, it may be deduced that creatine may in fact enhance sauna session results on the body.
“The researchers reported that creatine supplementation increased intracellular water and reduced thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses to prolonged exercise (e.g., heart rate, rectal temperature, sweat rate) thereby promoting hyperhydration and a more efficient thermoregulatory response during prolonged exercise in the heat.” (4)
It may be possible that creatine serves as a hyperhydration strategy for sauna users. So, if you are worried that the gains you make for your physical fitness or health will be lost in the sauna, research suggests that quite the opposite will be true.
“Similar findings were observed by several other groups leading researchers to add creatine to glycerol as a highly effective hyper hydrating strategy to help athletes better tolerate exercise in the heat . These findings provide strong evidence that creatine supplementation (with or without glycerol) may serve as an effective nutritional hyperhydration strategy for athletes engaged in intense exercise in hot and humid environments thereby reducing risk to heat related-illness.”
Whether creatine is a hyper hydrator or not (though the research suggests that it is), it is still very important to hydrate very well before, during, and after all sauna sessions whether you are using creatine or not. This means that if you are using saunas you should be sure to hydrate with electrolytes (including magnesium), and healthy purified water.
How To Sauna Safely While You Supplement Your Daily Diet With Creatine
The indepth and extensive research into the effects of creatine as both an ergonomic aid as well as its potential benefits in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases suggests that it is safe to use saunas even while you are supplementing with creatine.
The benefits of exposure to near infrared light on mitochondrial health suggests that the addition of creatine may exponentially improve conditions negatively affected by poor mitochondrial metabolism.
If you are using creatine supplements and a sauna in tandem or separately, both treatments do require a hyper vigilance to hydration. Be sure to hydrate well with electrolytes, and maintain a nutritious diet to keep vital minerals and vitamins high in your body.
If you are living with a serious neurodegenerative disease please use both saunas and creatine under the guidance and tutelage of medical professionals. Understand that saunas and creatine supplementation may aid in certain conditions, but that they are not a substitute for professional health care.
For athletes looking to achieve the highest possible performance, it appears that yes, you can sauna and take creatine supplements safely and in tandem.
To find the best source of creatine supplementation please consult with a nutritionist, or a professional in the area of mineral and vitamin supplements.
As long as you stay well hydrated, it appears that creatine and sauna use form a natural partnership!
Sources Cited:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/
- https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/creatine#:~:text=Creatine%20is%20a%20naturally%2Doccurring%20substance%20that%27s%20found,carrier%20of%20energy%20within%20the%20human%20body.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7910963/#B1-nutrients-13-00447
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37029766/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6267405/