Can creatine cause anxiety?

Can creatine cause anxiety?

Creatine supplement is found to be beneficial not only for those without any mental health complaints but also for those with psychiatric disorders.

Evidence suggests that decreased levels of creatine are observed in the brains of patients with anxiety disorder.

Nevertheless, like every other substance even creatine if taken in excess can have side effects such as it might trigger anxiety or might lead to weight gain

What is creatine and what does it do?

Creatine is a substance that is found in muscle cells naturally. It is believed to help produce energy in the muscles while lifting heavy weights or carrying out high-intensity exercises.

Creatine is very popular among athletes and bodybuilders with the main aim of gaining muscles and enhancing their strength to improve their performance.

Many factors contribute to the body’s creatine storage such as meat intake, amount of muscle mass, levels of hormones like testosterone, and exercise

About 95% of your body’s creatine is stored in muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is found in the person’s brain, kidneys, and liver.

In high-intensity exercise, its primary role is to increase the phosphocreatine stores in an individual’s muscle.

What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety caused by creatine in some cases? 

Anxiety is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms such as:

 

• Sweating
• Difficulty in breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Sense of choking
• Complaints of chest pain
• Shaking or trembling
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or Lightheadedness
• Fear of losing control over oneself and their environment
• Fear of impending doom
• Hot or cold flashes
• Tingling or numbness
• Increased heart rate

These symptoms vary in severity from person to person. However, it is noted that many people experience anxiety attacks that are not significantly displayed.

What are the main triggers of anxiety caused by the use of creatine?

Even though anxiety is seen among many individuals, certain triggers make some people more vulnerable to anxiety than others. Some contributing triggers of anxiety are:

Health diagnosis

An individual is more vulnerable to experiencing anxiety in the presence of chronic or serious health diagnoses such as cancer or diabetes.

Triggers associated with health diagnosis tend to have a strong impact on an individual because of the strong negative thoughts and emotions that are associated with it.

Medications

It is believed that many over-the-counter medications may contribute to the symptoms of anxiety in some individuals. This is certainly because of the ingredients in this medication that makes an individual feel uneasy.

Use of caffeine

Even though it is said that the use of caffeine helps to activate an individual’s system, studies show that over-usage of caffeine might lead to adverse effects such as anxiety or even depression.

Apart from the overuse withdrawal from caffeine may also lead to anxiety. hence it is suggested that individuals take conscious amounts of caffeine per day.

Skipping meals

Apart from environmental factors ones eating habits might also contribute to an individual’s anxiety directly or indirectly. When an individual fails to maintain their food timings it might lead to fluctuations in their blood sugar levels.

These fluctuations might make an individual feel jittery which in turn triggers anxiety.

Hence maintaining a proper schedule and diet is important for various reasons not just for energy but also for maintaining one’s mood.

Negative thinking

An individual’s behavior and emotions are certainly controlled by one’s thoughts. When an individual is upset and dwells on negative thoughts it further leads to discomforting emotions and detrimental thoughts causing a vicious cycle.

These negative thoughts are then projected to various areas of an individual’s life creating an overall sense of lack of control over oneself and the environment which triggers anxiety.

Financial concerns

Many individuals experience anxiety due to their financial standing. Learning to manage financial triggers requires seeking professional help such as from a financial advisor.

Stress

Daily stressors as simple as traffic jams to major ones such as strained relationships might contribute to one’s intensity and frequency of anxiety and anxiety attacks.

However long term or chronic stress leads to long term anxiety and a build-up of negative taught processes and emotions that impact an individual’s mental health

 

Conflict

individuals might also experience anxiety as a result of interpersonal or intrapersonal conflicts.

The inability to resolve these conflicts might lead to the buildup of negative thoughts, emotions that overwhelm an individual and trigger anxiety.

Personal triggers

Personal triggers can be as minor as a smell, place, or even a song that reminds an individual of negative and discomforting experiences. Personal triggers can remind an individual of an unconscious or conscious dramatic event in an individual’s life that triggers their anxiety.

If you can identify and understand your triggers, you can work to avoid them and learn to cope with them. You can learn specific coping strategies to handle the triggers when they happen.

What are some ways to manage anxiety caused by creatine in some cases?

Identify and acknowledge the triggers

The most significant strategy that can be used to control one’s anxiety is by identifying and acknowledging those triggers.

Being able to recognize what makes an individual anxious makes them better equipped to take action.

Relaxation techniques

 

Even though anxiety can be bought under an individual’s control it cannot be predicted. In such situations, it is necessary that an individual actively carries out relaxation techniques.

These might include meditation, yoga, and deep breathing which helps to reduce the intensity of anxiety within a short period.

Socialization

 

A key to reducing the frequency and intensity of anxiety attacks could be spending time with close family and friends.

The kind of emotional and practical support provided by these social and personal groups help the person feel connected and aid in distracting one’s mind from negative and recurring thoughts that lead to anxiety.

Apart from friends and families, individuals can also consider speaking to groups of people that are experiencing similar problems.

Set realistic goals

When an individual is feeling overwhelmed setting goals and targets keeping in mind priorities can help resolve overwhelming feelings of fear or panic.

Setting goals provides structure and routine to an individual’s life reducing space for uncertainty which can be a major trigger for anxiety in many cases.

Take up new challenges

Apart from doing activities that an individual is usually fond of and has expertise in, trying new and challenging activities that put an individual outside their comfort zone in a healthy manner may help reduce the stress and anger temporarily.

Signing up for new activities also provides a path to meeting people with similar stories and concerns.

Lifestyle changes

An individual’s lifestyle plays a major role in their experience of anxiety. An unhealthy and busy lifestyle usually leads to unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, lack of adequate sleep.

A combination of a well-set diet, exercise, and sleep can help to regulate an individual’s mood and equip them with a favorable coping mechanism.

these coping mechanisms in turn help to get control over once anxiety concerns in a more adaptable manner.

lack of proper diet, sleep, and exercise can make an individual sluggish, dependent, moody and vulnerable to anxiety attacks.

Making journal entries

Last but not least having a journal to write down how a person is feeling and thinking when they are anxious helps them to reflect upon their thoughts and feelings.

Putting down one’s thoughts and feelings onto a paper helps to provide a sense of temporary relief.

In the case of journal entry, a person does not even have to fear being judged by another person regarding their thoughts and feelings.

What are the therapy options for anxiety?

Cognitive-behavioural therapy

Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps an individual to control their anxiety by using strategies like relaxation and breathing. It works on the principles of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is a kind of therapy in which an individual is exposed to a particular stimulus that they usually fear or are anxious about in a graded order.

As and when the individual gets comfortable with the situation or stimulus introduced or exposed to them with each session individuals get more comfortable with a real-life situation that might have otherwise been a source for triggering anxiety.

Group therapy

 

It is based on the principle that when an individual interacts with other people who are suffering from the same fears they might not feel left alone or isolated. Group therapy usually involves a group of individuals who are experiencing similar symptoms and problems.

Medication

Anxiety can also be treated with the help of medication prescribed by a health care professional.

Though medication alone cannot help in reducing persistent anxiety it can help in restoring a sense of control and bring temporary relief. 

Online therapy  

In cases where reaching out physically to a professional is impossible or discomforting an individual can opt to seek help through the online medium. 

In this, the therapy sessions are carried out one-to-one over a video or audio call. Some individuals also prefer interacting with the therapist through text as well due to various reasons. One of the most common is the fear of being judged by the therapist or some personal hesitation. 

Online therapy can help individuals to regulate some aspects of their anxiety that aids individuals in carrying out a stress-free life over time

Conclusion

Creatine is one of the cheapest and most effective supplements people can take for their goals. It helps to aid the person’s exercise performance and brain health in addition to which it supports quality of life in older adults.

However, if this is taken in very large amounts it can harm a person leading to anxiety or even weight gain. Thus, it is suggested that people as prescribed by their trainers or doctors regarding its dosage.

Frequently asked questions

What does creatine do to your body?

It is believed that about 95% of the creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle of an individual and is used during high-intensity activities.

Is creatine bad for you?

Even though creatine is considered to help individuals function at optimal levels high levels of creatine might have severe side effects and may damage a person’s kidneys, liver and might be the reason for kidney stones or anxiety.

Is creatine like caffeine?

It is found that creatine does not have acute effects like caffeine, hence it can be taken at any time of the day and is not mandatory to take it before a workout only.

Is creatine better than protein?

Creatine increases muscle strength by increasing exercise capacity whereas on the other hand protein increases muscle protein synthesis. however, both protein and creatine supplements have been shown to increase a person’s muscle mass through their working mechanisms are different.

Who shouldn’t take creatine?

Creatine isn’t recommended for people with kidney or liver problems, also creatine must be avoided by children under the age of 18 and women who are pregnant and nursing.

Citation

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine#what-it-is