Episode 256: Should You Take Creatine? Here’s What to Know About This Popular Supplement

“Supplementing with creatine could have potentially benefited my exercise performance years ago, but I wasn’t ready for that then.”

Creatine is everywhere right now. There are powders, gummies, and endless social media claims, and I’ve been getting question after question about it. So today, we’re talking about what creatine actually is, what the research really says, and how to think about supplements without letting diet culture run the show. Because I’ll be honest… years ago, I would have never touched creatine, and not because of the science. I avoided it because I was scared of what even a little water retention might mean for my body.

That fear didn’t come from nowhere. Like so many of us, I spent years making decisions about food, movement, and supplements through the lens of weight, control, and body size. But as my relationship with food healed, so did the way I approached nutrition. In this episode, I’m sharing why eating enough and eating consistently has to come first, why supplements can never fix under-fueling, and how building that strong foundation completely changed the way I think about something like creatine.

We’ll also get practical. I’m breaking down what creatine is, where it’s found in food, why creatine monohydrate is still the gold standard, how much you may want to take, whether you actually need a loading phase, what benefits researchers are seeing beyond exercise performance, and how to know whether creatine even makes sense for you right now. No hype. No fear. Just science, self-awareness, and a whole lot of diet culture rebellion!

What You’ll Learn:

• What creatine actually is and why your body already naturally produces it
• The surprising benefits of creatine beyond workouts
• Why your nutrition foundation matters way more than any supplement ever will
• The difference between creatine gummies and creatine monohydrate, and why research matters
• How much creatine most people start with, plus whether you really need a loading phase
• The questions to ask yourself before deciding if creatine is right for you

At the end of the day, creatine isn’t a magic pill, and it’s definitely not a replacement for food. But when diet culture isn’t driving your decisions, you get to explore your health from a completely different place. I hope this conversation helps you do exactly that.

Resources:

• Naked Creatine: Use code BONNIE15 for 15% off!
• Episode 218, What Decades of Overexercising Taught me About Rest
• Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food.
• Connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?

You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you’re tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.