Does Creatine Cause Mood Swings?

Published on May 28, 2014 by Mike Roberto | 6 Comments

It’s sad that we have to write this, but since several people are legitimately wondering, here goes:

The answer is no, creatine does not cause mood swings.

As we write this, there are literally over 700 well-performed research studies on creatine supplementation. Just do a Google search for site:nih.gov creatine[1] and you’ll see plenty of them.

Jose Canseco Mark McGwire - More than just Creatine Users

It’s long been known that these guys used a lot more than just creatine… but the fear and misinformation over this safe supplement still remains decades later.

Nowhere, absolutely nowhere, are there any known side effects that alter mood or mental stability. Over 700 studies!!! If anything, a lack of creatine (due to avoiding consumption of meat) could potentially be linked mental disorders.[2]

Despite all of the research that shows minimal side effects, it’s amazing how much fear and misinformation over creatine still exists out there. You can chalk that up to the sensationalist media from the Jose Canseco days of baseball in the 90s, back when we knew less about the compound, but that was over two decades ago!!

So what are the side effects of creatine?

They’re extremely minor, and they’re not mood-related. Creatine can potentially cause stomach cramping if enough water is not used, or diarrhea if too much is used. That’s about it, and practically nobody gets these anymore because creatine is now so highly purified.

It’s been proven safe and effective for long-term use, again and again and again.[3,4]

So, in case you’ve been reading any sensationalist media reports lately, realize that you and your sources have been “trolled”[5] – creatine does not cause mood swings in the least bit.

What’s going on here?

If you don’t know what we’re talking about, see the last two sources[6,7]

*sigh*

About the Author: Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto is a research scientist and water sports athlete who founded PricePlow. He is an n=1 diet experimenter with extensive experience in supplementation and dietary modification, whose personal expertise stems from several experiments done on himself while sharing lab tests.

Mike's goal is to bridge the gap between nutritional research scientists and non-academics who seek to better their health in a system that has catastrophically failed the public. Mike is currently experimenting with a low Vitamin A diet.

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References

  1. Google Search – site:nih.gov creatine
  2. Vegetarian diet and mental disorders: results from a representative community survey
  3. Risk assessment for creatine monohydrate
  4. Side effects of creatine supplementation in athletes
  5. Urban Dictionary: Trolled
  6. Major News Outlets fall for elaborate hoax
  7. Fitmisc.com user trolls news reporter

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