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So when you see claims like this one is easy on the stomach or this one is better tolerated, this one is more absorbable, all that kind of stuff, a lot of that is marketing and word of mouth, anecdotes, and not solid evidence. And that doesn't mean that people don't feel different on different products because obviously they do, everyone's different. It just means that the reason someone feels better or worse on a product is usually more complicated and there could be other things going on.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome to Beyond Bathroom Blues Podcast, helping men understand irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, reducing symptoms, and take back control of their health and their life. Each episode focuses on clarity, not quick fixes. So you can stop guessing, make sense of what's actually going on in your gut and your mind, and move forward with confidence. I'm your host, Glencoe Quinchurch. Let's get into today's episode.

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Why would someone think about and consider using creatine in the first place? Well, the strongest evidence is around improving strength, power, and repeated high-intensity exercise performance. And creatine is one of the most researched supplements that we have, specifically creatine monohydrate, though. And there are other forms, there's loads of them, like creatine hydrochloride or HCl for short, ethyl ester, nitrate, and buffered versions, but these don't have the same amount of evidence or quality of evidence behind them as the monohydrate has. And when you look at the research, creatine monohydrate is the form that's been studied the most. It's got decades of research behind it showing that it's effective and safe. And these other forms of creatine, they haven't been shown to outperform monohydrate and they don't have the same depth of evidence and they don't have the same depth of long-term safety data either. And they usually cost more than the monohydrate as well. So from the evidence perspective, monohydrate is the logical starting point. So if someone is going to use creatine at all, the monohydrate would be the one to choose. So when you see claims like this one is easier on the stomach or this one is better tolerated, this one is more absorbable, all that kind of stuff, a lot of that is marketing and word of mouth, anecdotes, and not solid evidence. And that doesn't mean that people don't feel different on different products because obviously they do, everyone's different. It just means that the reason someone feels better or worse on a product is usually more complicated and there could be other things going on. So now the spicy bit, though the gut symptoms. So people often assume if creatine gives me gut symptoms, it must be toxic or my body just can't handle it. But that's not what the research actually shows. And in controlled studies, gut symptoms like nausea, bloating, stomach pains, and diarrhoea often show up at similar rates in the creatine group as the placebo. So, in other words, people taking the dummy supplement, the placebo, often report similar gut symptoms as people taking the creatine. And by the way, that's in people without IBS. These are the so-called healthy participants who still experience gut symptoms. The strongest data we have really drives this home. So in a recent 2025 safety analysis of creatine supplementation, researchers pulled together 685 randomized controlled trials using 26,000 people. And they looked specifically at side effects and they found no significant difference in how often gut symptoms occurred between creatine and placebo overall. And around 5.5% of people taking creatine reported gut symptoms compared to 4.2% taking placebo, which isn't statistically or clinically significant. So while there's some individual studies that have reported gut symptoms, when you look at the bigger picture, most people don't have any issues. When they do happen, they're usually mild. Where gut issues do tend to show up is with the dose and dose and pattern. And studies consistently show that taking large single doses, usually about 10 grams or more, in one go is much more likely to cause diarrhea or stomach upset than splitting the dose. And that's because the unabsorbed creatine can pull water into the gut and then speed things up. And this matches what I see in practice. And when guys feel sick, you know, I've been taking creatine and I'm feeling really sick. It's usually when they've been loading or been taking big doses, and that's exactly what happened to Glenn, my husband and partner. And if you've been following us, you know that Glenn also has IBS. And when he's felt sick and yucky is because he's taken 10 grams or more in one go. Whereas I can tolerate that dose without any drama, so I'm okay. But it's the same supplement but just different guts, and that's an important point. The research shows that doses of around 10 grams or more at once can trigger gut symptoms even in people without IBS. And another piece that often gets missed is what else is going on at the same time. And some studies show that gut symptoms may not be caused by creatine itself at all. And it could be the other ingredients that's in the product, it could be manufacturing byproducts, it could be contaminants in you know certain supplements, especially if you're not buying batch tested products. And this makes it a purity and quality issue, not a creatine issue. So again, this reinforces, like I said, only using batch tested products. And if someone has IBS, they've already got a sensitive gut, so it could tip things over the edge. And then there's caffeine. Not that I'm going to go into this right now, but just to mention to highlight some things to think about. So a lot of people don't take creatine on its own. Some people take it with coffee, they take it with a pre-workout, or it's part of a pre-workout, they take it alongside energy drinks or fat burners, and obviously with their normal food. And any one of these or even several of these could be triggering gut symptoms. So it might not be the creatine, it could be one of the other things that they're having as well. And caffeine on its own can speed up gut movement, and some people can end up with diarrhoea. And caffeine doses are important as well, just to mention, not only for the performance benefits, but also because of gut symptoms and then the risk to health because high amounts of caffeine can be fatal, although rare. So the safe dose for most adults is about 400 milligrams per day, which is about four or five cups of regular instant coffee. And then when you've got uh creatine stacked with caffeine, especially at high doses, then that combination could increase the chance of stomach pains or diarrhoea for some people. And that doesn't mean that that combo is dangerous, it just means that it you know is down to individual tolerance. And then on top of that, exercise can also lead to gut symptoms, depending on the type and intensity of the exercise, regardless of the supplements. So things like run and high impact or high intensity training are well known to trigger what people call um runners' trots or exercise-induced GI distress. And this is due to various reasons, but it could be jossolm, dehydration, stress, hormones, all of those can contribute. So sometimes creatine gets blamed when really it's not, and it could be other things that are happening. So when someone with IBS reacts to creatine, it might not be the creatine that's dangerous or toxic because research consistently shows that monohydrate is safe for most people when it's used appropriately. What usually matters is how the gut experiences it and what else is going on. And this is where IBS changes the rules. So some people do get gut symptoms, and with IBS, those sensations can feel more uncomfortable, and expectations can play a role as well. So if you're bracing for trouble and you're thinking that you're going to get symptoms, those negative expectations, about saying taking creatine, can trigger symptoms. And with IBS, the gut is more sensitive. So everyday digestive activity that someone else, you know, barely notices, these can feel more intense and painful when you've got IBS. And this is where a lot of unhelpful advice shows up online. And I see things like, you know, just have an IBS, most things won't be for you. Or if your gut gets upset, you get stomach pains or you know, gut symptoms, just avoid it forever. Well, comments like that aren't exactly helpful and they're not true either. Someone with IBS often already feels like their life is limited, and they don't need people putting them down or kicking them down when they're already down and saying rubbishy, unhelpful stuff like that. Advice like that doesn't help them move forward. It takes options off the table and reinforces that their body is broken when actually it's not.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Thanks for spending your time with me today. Don't take that lightly and our precious time is. If you found this helpful, follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. Until next time, take care, be blessed by the best, and keep moving forward.