Should Baseball Players Take Creatine? (Incredible Benefits)

One of my recent articles talked about baseball players and pre-workout. I noticed that the subject was quite popular, so I decided to explain whether baseball players should use creatine as it revolves around the same category.

In addition to the main subject, you will learn what creatine is, its benefits, and how to take it properly. Without a further due, should baseball players take creatine?

Generally, baseball players should take creatine because it has numerous benefits and virtually no downsides. Creatine will improve strength levels, running capacity, and explosive speed, decreasing the loss of lean muscle mass, soreness, and fatigue. All of this is very beneficial for baseball.

Creatine is an easy, affordable, and effective way to speed up improvement and increase performance, which is why I recommend it for all baseball players and athletes from other sports.

Personally, I use this creatine and have noticed a considerable improvement in my strength levels and muscle gain. I don’t use it year-round, though.

What is creatine, and how does it achieve such things? Stick with me, and you’ll find out!

What Is Creatine?

Creatine, also called creatine monohydrate, is a substance produced naturally in our bodies. Humans produce 1 to 2 grams of creatine daily, turning it into creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine phosphate, on the other hand, helps produce adenosine triphosphate, which is responsible for storing and transferring energy in cells.

When you follow the trail on what produces what and what is the result, you can understand how creatine does all the great things discussed. Creatine is also found in red meat and certain seafood.

Adenosine triphosphate is the primary molecule that stores and transfers energy at the cellular level. It makes sense that creatine, which turns into creatine phosphate, which helps produce the main aspect that stores and transfers energy increases your strength levels, explosive speed, and muscle growth.

As creatine affects us at a cellular level that an average person doesn’t understand without proper education, it makes you wonder whether it has any side effects?

Hundreds of researches have shown that creatine is very safe to use. One of the most notable sources is the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) who states that creatine is the most effective and safe ergogenic nutritional supplement available for athletes in terms of increasing performance.

However, there are many side effect rumor’s out there about creatine, such as;

• Kidney & liver damage
• Kidney stones
• Muscle cramps
• Digestive problems
• Bloating

And much more. All of the side effects have been canceled by research. Some people even claim that creatine is an anabolic steroid, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Remember that you can take creatine with a peaceful mind. Just follow the instructions found in every container.

How to Take Creatine?

Taking creatine is very easy. It first starts with a loading period, followed by maintaining the creatine levels. The loading period and exact doses vary between product and preference, but I do the following;

1. Keep in mind: You can dissolve creatine in water or a smoothie. Generally, they are flavorless, so you won’t even know it’s there. Personally, I pour a scoopful straight to my mouth wash it down with a glass of water.
2. Loading period: I take 20 grams of creatine (four 5 gram scoops) every day for five days.
3. Maintaining: After the loading period, I take 5 grams (one scoop) of creatine every day to maintain the levels.

You can look at the specific instructions from your creatine container and follow them. However, they are only recommendations, and you shouldn’t fear overdosing creatine by a gram or two as it doesn’t need to be so accurate.

In fact, WebMD states that daily doses up to 25 grams of creatine up to 14 days and 5 gram doses up to 18 months have been proven safe. They also say that creatine is likely safe to take long-term.

After the loading period, the only ”negative” noticeable thing after the loading period is water weight gain. Healthline states that rapid weight gain after a week of creatine intake happens, averaging around 2 to 6 pounds (1 to 3 kg) due to increased water in your muscles. This doesn’t mean that you have turned into a fat baseball player. The weight gain is pure water stored in your muscles, not fat.

So what would happen if you take creatine too much? Well, your muscle cells can only hold up so much creatine. Therefore, when the cells are fully replenished with creatine, the excess will come out of your body with urine. That’s why you shouldn’t take too big creatine doses, as it’s simply a waste. In addition, if the doses are +20 grams daily, you will likely get bloated and dehydrated.

What Happens When You Stop Creatine?

Assuming that you have been taking creatine for a while now and decided to stop suddenly, what would happen?. As your cells have been full of energy so long, what happens when they don’t get that strong replenishing effect anymore?

Generally, when you stop supplementing creatine, you may feel less energetic, get fatigued faster, and notice a slight decrease in strength. In reality, your strength remains the same, but as you don’t get the slight energy boost anymore, it can take a short time to get used to.

After a while, though, you will feel the same as you ever were. You need to push a bit harder for that last rep at the gym, for example, because your cells aren’t full of energy at all times when you stop.

There are no physical symptoms you should be scared about when you stop taking creatine. You won’t just get the full benefits from them anymore. Creatine isn’t a drug that gives you artificial muscles and strength so that nothing will be taken away from you. You have earned all the muscles and strength gained when supplementing creatine.

The only way to go backward from where you are is to stop putting effort into your workouts. If that happens, the progressive overload will stop, and you won’t be improving at the minimum. In the worst case, you could lose some strength and muscle mass.

That being said, keep pushing, and you will remain as strong and muscular as ever.

Can MLB Players Take Creatine?

All things considered, is it ok for professional Major League Baseball players to use creatine as it can increase performance, or is it forbidden?

Major League Baseball players legally can take creatine because it is a natural compound found in our body anyways. In addition, it’s one of the easiest, safest, effective, popular, and most affordable dietary supplements available for the public.

The MLB players must have strong throwing and batting arms, in addition to explosive speed, to perform well on the field. Creatine makes your strength levels higher, among other things, which MLB players can benefit from.

It’s surprising how many people think that creatine is a steroid or an illegal substance. When in fact, it’s not banned in any other sport and league either because it’s a natural substance. Unlike anabolic steroids that can artificially increase one’s performance unnaturally fast to an unnaturally strong, creatine has a far lesser effect.