‘Will My Body Stop Naturally Making Amino Acids?’ — Ask Dr. Harry Fisch

If I take supplements that contain things that my body already produces, like creatine or amino acids, will my body stop making them? Also, what are the dangers of taking creatine and not drinking enough water? -- Frank, 31, Toronto

This is a great question because it’s certainly true that taking some kinds of supplements, such as testosterone, does shut down the body’s own production, which can cause all sorts of problems.

Your body also makes creatine (a substance that helps supply energy to cells) and some amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). But these substances are either made everywhere in the body, or in the kidneys and liver and are not controlled in the same way that testosterone is. So taking supplements of these compounds does not appear to shut down the body’s normal manufacturing processes.

Also, creatine supplements do not appear to raise your risk of dehydration. But that’s not to say taking these supplements is a good idea. Higher-than-normal levels of creatine may lead to high levels of formaldehyde in the body, for example.

My advice is to “go natural.” You get all the creatine and amino acids you need from a normal, healthy diet.

Dr. Harry Fisch is a board certified urologist. He’s here to answer reader questions in an effort to get guys to “man up about health.”