Creatine is a supplement that increases muscle growth and improves the performance. Creatine uses water retention in order to grow the muscles but creatine does not increase muscle mass on its own, proper weight training and dieting is necessary.     

Creatine develops muscle mass and weight quicker and more efficiently. Creatine increases endurance for moderate athletes who want a little more boost towards the end of the exercise. Creatine is able to provide and extra push that puts you a level above the competition. Creatine is a safe way to add mass to your body without causing too much damage to your body. Creatine also decreases muscle damage and inflammation, which in turn increases recovery after working out. Creatine can be used to increase strength and size in a short period of time. Lastly, creatine increases your mental health and memory skills.   

Cons
Without proper hydration from about 10 to 15 glasses of water a day, creatine is unable to function correctly and dehydrates the body. The water retention of creatine causes the user to feel sluggish or bloated. In sports where weight is measured like wrestling or MMA creatine is a huge detriment because of the amount of weight added in a short time period. Creatine causes an added stress on the kidney and alcohol should not be consumed during the time the supplement is being consumed. Once creatine use is halted, the user loses energy and drive because of the excess energy that the creatine once provided. The long-term effects of creatine are unknown as the supplement is a relatively new phenomenon in the weight training industry.      

Overall, creatine can be as helpful or hurtful as you make it. If you follow the guidelines and regulations on how to consume the supplement, such as perform the loading stage and drink all the water you can, than the creatine will be very useful and advantageous. However, if you decide to drink and not work out, which is the case for many college students, creatine can become extremely harmful to the body and cause many problems down the road. Many college students take creatine because of the short-term results of big muscles and improved endurance, but one should actually weigh the pros and cons before deciding to take something like creatine. A proven alternative for someone not as experienced in working out, is protein powder because it improves muscle mass after a workout and comes in many different flavors