SUPPLEMENTS · MYTH BUSTED
MYTH BUSTED
Few supplement myths are as persistent — or as factually wrong — as this one. A 2021 review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition addressed this directly, examining common misconceptions about creatine supplementation. The conclusion was unambiguous: creatine is not a steroid, in any chemical, physiological, or legal sense of the word.
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative synthesised daily in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from arginine, glycine and methionine. It is found in red meat and fish — a 200g steak contains approximately 1g. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate tops up what the body already produces and stores in muscle tissue.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone — a hormone. They are chemically, structurally and mechanistically distinct from creatine. As confirmed in a 2021 PMC review (Ostojic et al.), while performance outcomes can appear superficially similar, the mechanisms of action are entirely different.
Creatine works at the cellular energy level. During high-intensity exercise, muscles use ATP as fuel. When ATP runs out, performance drops. Creatine phosphate donates a phosphate group to regenerate ATP faster, extending the time before fatigue sets in. This allows more training volume — the muscle adaptations that follow are the result of the training, not the creatine.
Anabolic steroids work by binding directly to androgen receptors inside muscle cells, influencing gene expression and stimulating protein synthesis at a hormonal level. Research shows that steroids can increase muscle mass even without exercise (Bhasin et al., 1996, NEJM) — creatine cannot. The mechanisms are not comparable.
“Creatine works on energy production. Steroids work on hormone receptors. Calling them the same thing confuses a fuel source with a hormonal drug.”
Anabolic steroids are Class C controlled substances in the UK under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Creatine is an over-the-counter supplement sold in every sports nutrition retailer in the country. The legal distinction exists because the risk profiles are incomparable.
A 2017 position statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass — with no documented adverse effects on kidney or liver function in healthy individuals at recommended doses of 3–5g daily.
Emerging research is increasingly focused on creatine's benefits for women specifically. A 2021 review noted that women have lower baseline intramuscular creatine stores than men, meaning supplementation has proportionally more room to improve performance and recovery.
Additional research is examining creatine's role in cognitive function, mood, and hormonal health — particularly across different phases of the menstrual cycle. The water retention concern associated with creatine loading (20g+ protocols) does not apply at standard maintenance doses of 3–5g daily, which is what current evidence supports.
Creatine is not a steroid. The two substances differ in chemical structure, mechanism of action, legal classification, and risk profile. The confusion persists because both can be associated with improved performance — but by entirely different pathways, with entirely different consequences.
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched supplement in sports nutrition. For women who train at any level — boxing, lifting, running — 3–5g daily is the most evidence-backed single addition to a supplement routine. No loading, no cycling, no complicated protocol.
SOURCES & RESEARCH
Ostojic SM et al. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. PMC7871530.
Kreider RB et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. JISSN.
Bhasin S et al. (1996). The effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on muscle size and strength. New England Journal of Medicine.
Smith-Ryan AE et al. (2021). Creatine supplementation in women's health. Nutrients.