Creatine provides energy for muscle contraction, not growth itself
Durante décadas, la creatina ha sido sinónimo de gimnasios y rendimiento deportivo, pero la ciencia la está reposicionando como un compuesto con implicaciones más amplias para la salud humana. Investigaciones emergentes sugieren que este suplemento —uno de los más estudiados del mercado— podría sostener la función cognitiva en el envejecimiento, preservar la masa muscular y apuntar hacia aplicaciones terapéuticas en enfermedades como el Parkinson o la depresión. Sin embargo, los expertos advierten que su eficacia no es universal: depende de la biología individual, los niveles basales y el contexto de uso.
- La creatina, relegada durante años al mundo del deporte, irrumpe ahora en conversaciones médicas y clínicas con evidencia que va más allá del músculo.
- La tensión surge porque la popularidad del suplemento ha generado mitos persistentes —que es un esteroide, que daña los riñones, que más dosis significa más beneficio— que distorsionan su uso real.
- Investigadores como Mehdi Boroujerdi trabajan para separar el ruido del conocimiento sólido, señalando que los beneficios cognitivos y terapéuticos son prometedores pero aún requieren ensayos clínicos más rigurosos.
- Poblaciones con niveles basales más bajos —mujeres, personas mayores, vegetarianos— emergen como las que podrían beneficiarse más, lo que reorienta el foco hacia quiénes realmente necesitan suplementarse.
- El estado actual es de potencial cauteloso: la creatina no es una panacea, pero tampoco un gasto inútil; su valor depende enteramente de quién la usa y con qué propósito.
La creatina lleva décadas en los estantes de los gimnasios, pero el investigador farmacéutico Mehdi Boroujerdi sostiene que este compuesto —uno de los suplementos dietéticos más estudiados del mundo— ha trascendido ampliamente el ámbito deportivo. La ciencia emergente sugiere que podría beneficiar al cerebro envejecido, preservar la masa muscular en adultos mayores y mostrar potencial terapéutico frente al Parkinson y la depresión. Boroujerdi, sin embargo, es cuidadoso: la creatina no es un milagro.
El cuerpo produce creatina de forma natural en el hígado, los riñones y el páncreas, y la distribuye a los tejidos que necesitan energía. El 95% se almacena en el músculo esquelético; el resto llega al cerebro, el corazón y otros órganos. Dentro de las células, se convierte en fosfocreatina, una molécula clave para regenerar el ATP —la moneda energética del organismo— durante la actividad intensa o el estrés. La forma más común de suplemento, el monohidrato de creatina, mejora esta regeneración, lo que se traduce en mayor potencia, mejor rendimiento en sprints y mayor capacidad de entrenamiento.
Las investigaciones más recientes apuntan también a mejoras en memoria, estado de ánimo y velocidad de procesamiento, especialmente en personas con niveles basales más bajos, como los adultos mayores. El protocolo estándar incluye una fase de carga de 20 gramos diarios durante cinco a siete días, seguida de una dosis de mantenimiento de tres a cinco gramos. Consumirla con carbohidratos mejora su absorción. La respuesta varía considerablemente: las mujeres, los vegetarianos y los veganos —que parten de niveles más bajos— suelen experimentar efectos más pronunciados.
Boroujerdi desmonta varios mitos arraigados: la creatina no es un esteroide, no construye músculo directamente y tomar dosis más altas no ofrece ventajas adicionales una vez que las reservas musculares están saturadas. Las preocupaciones sobre daño renal han sido ampliamente refutadas en personas sanas, aunque quienes padecen enfermedades renales previas deben consultar a un médico. En definitiva, la creatina es una herramienta con potencial genuino —con propiedades antiinflamatorias y antioxidantes que podrían tener valor clínico—, pero su efectividad depende enteramente de quién la usa y por qué.
Creatine has spent decades in the gym, stacked on shelves next to protein powder and pre-workout drinks. But pharmaceutical researcher Mehdi Boroujerdi wants people to understand that this compound—one of the most thoroughly studied dietary supplements on the market—has moved well beyond the world of athletes and bodybuilders. The science suggests it may help the aging brain, support muscle preservation in older adults, and even show promise in treating conditions like Parkinson's disease and depression. Yet Boroujerdi is careful to temper the enthusiasm. Creatine, he emphasizes, is not a miracle cure.
The body manufactures creatine naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, assembling it from amino acids and sending it through the bloodstream to tissues that need energy. About 95 percent of the body's creatine stores itself in skeletal muscle, with the remainder distributed to the brain, heart, and other organs. Once inside cells, creatine transforms into phosphocreatine, a high-energy molecule that plays a central role in regenerating ATP—the body's primary energy currency. This rapid ATP regeneration is what allows muscles, the heart, and the brain to sustain function during intense activity or stress, which is why athletes have long been interested in supplementing with extra creatine.
The most common supplement form, creatine monohydrate, has been shown to increase muscle creatine and phosphocreatine levels, improving ATP regeneration during short bursts of high-intensity work. The result is greater power output, faster sprint performance, and the ability to handle more training volume. But the emerging research goes further. Studies suggest creatine may enhance cognitive function—memory, mood, processing speed—particularly in populations with naturally lower baseline creatine levels, such as older adults. Preliminary evidence points toward potential applications in Parkinson's disease, depression, and age-related muscle and bone loss, though Boroujerdi stresses that more rigorous clinical trials are needed before making definitive claims.
The standard dosing protocol involves a loading phase of 20 grams daily (split into four doses) for five to seven days, followed by a maintenance dose of three to five grams per day. This approach saturates muscle creatine reserves quickly, though a smaller daily dose of three to five grams can achieve similar saturation over about 28 days. Not all ingested creatine is absorbed equally—consuming it with carbohydrates improves uptake by triggering insulin-mediated transport. And response varies significantly between individuals. Women, who typically have lower baseline muscle creatine, may experience greater relative benefits. Vegetarians and vegans, who obtain little to no creatine from food, often have lower baseline levels and may see more pronounced effects from supplementation than omnivores do.
Boroujerdi pushes back against several persistent myths. Creatine is not a steroid, and it does not directly build muscle—it simply provides energy for muscle contraction. The idea that higher doses yield greater benefits is unfounded; muscle creatine reserves have a saturation point, and excess creatine is simply excreted as creatinine in the urine, offering no additional advantage. Concerns about kidney damage have been largely debunked in healthy people, though anyone with preexisting kidney disease should consult a healthcare provider before supplementing.
The real limitation is that creatine's benefits are not universal. They depend on individual baseline creatine levels, dosing strategy, and personal physiology. Some people will respond robustly; others will see modest gains. Creatine works best alongside proper training and nutrition—it is not a substitute for either. Boroujerdi argues that the compound deserves recognition as something more than a gym supplement, pointing to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as potential assets in clinical settings. But he also calls for more rigorous human research using labeled creatine to fill the gaps in current knowledge. For now, creatine remains a supplement with genuine potential, neither a panacea nor a waste of money, but a tool whose effectiveness depends entirely on who is using it and why.
Citas Notables
Creatine is not a solution that directly develops muscle or replaces the need for proper training and nutrition— Dr. Mehdi Boroujerdi, pharmaceutical researcher
Creatine should be considered a supplement with great potential, but not a panacea— Dr. Mehdi Boroujerdi
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does creatine work differently for different people? It seems like the same dose should produce the same result.
Because creatine doesn't work in isolation. It depends on how much creatine your muscles already contain naturally. Someone who eats meat has higher baseline levels than a vegetarian. An older person's muscles may be more responsive to the boost. It's not the supplement that varies—it's the body receiving it.
So if I load up on creatine, I'll build more muscle?
No. That's the crucial misunderstanding. Creatine provides energy for the muscle to contract. It doesn't trigger growth. You still need the stimulus—the training—and the raw materials—the protein and calories. Creatine just helps your muscles work harder during that training.
What about the kidney damage people worry about?
That concern has been largely put to rest in healthy people. The research is solid on that. But if you already have kidney disease, you need to talk to a doctor first. Your kidneys are what filter out the waste product, creatinine, so if they're compromised, you need professional guidance.
Why is there so much interest in creatine for the brain?
Because the brain is an energy-hungry organ, just like muscle. If creatine helps regenerate ATP—the energy currency—in muscle, it can do the same in brain tissue. Older adults with lower baseline creatine seem to benefit most. It's not going to make you smarter, but it might help preserve memory and processing speed as you age.
Is more always better with supplements?
Almost never. Muscle creatine reserves fill up to a point. Once they're saturated, extra creatine just gets filtered out and peed away. You're wasting money and your kidneys are doing unnecessary work. The science is clear: there's an optimal dose, and beyond that, you get nothing.