Whether you get you information from newspapers, magazines, the internet or dare I say television you have to be hearing about the benefits of creatine. It is the latest rage. Everyone is talking about it. Whether you walk the aisles at Costco or Sam’s Club or the little markets in between, it is on the shelves. It is a fine white powder that looks like cocaine (so I am told) and you would think by the way it is coming off of the shelves it is.
When I first heard of creatine it was primarily from the guys at the gym or high school males who would come to the office asking if it was safe to take because they wanted to get bigger for the girls (or boys-we do not judge here). I was generally against it because the early studies showed that the increase in size was primarily from increased water in the muscles and it could predispose to muscle and tendon tears. But now it is touted as doing more than increasing you muscle size and the injuries that were thought to occur as a result of it’s use never really were the case.
It can increase your strength, power and muscle mass, allowing you to perform more reps or high intensity training in the gym, leading to greater gains in lean muscle and strength over time. This has been found to increase exercise performance and recovery. It can reduce muscle damage and inflammation by limiting secondary damage by slowing down the oxidative cascade that follows muscle injury and mico-tears which ultimately help the muscles grow stronger (remember the section of hormesis?) . It does this by osmotic protection by increasing the cell volume which decreases the calcium influx into the cells which would activate destructive enzymes. This process ultimately decreases the inflammatory factors such as TNF (Tumor Necrosing Factor) and the Interleukin cascade.
It has cognitive and brain health benefits which can enhance short term memory, reasoning, intelligence and mental fatigue, particularly in individuals who have lower baseline stores: vegans, older adults, or individuals who are sleep deprived or stressed. (Check, check and check for me-not so much the vegan as I am a proud meat eater). It is an essential brain compound that aids cognition by improving energy supply and providing neuroprotective effects. It has been found to be very beneficial in menopausal women in alleviating, fatigue, brain fog and sleep difficulties that can accompany that time in a woman’s life. Lastly, it can slow down muscle loss (sarcopenia) related to aging and now may be beneficial for individuals who are taking one of the GLP-1’s (Ozempic/Wegovy or Mounjaro/Zepbound which also have sarcopenia as a side effect.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in vertebrates which plays a key role in energy production, particularly in muscle cells but brain cells as well. It is produced from the amino acids in your body (arginine, glycine and methionine). It was discovered in 1832 when a French chemist, Michel Eugene Chevreul who identified it in skeletal muscle naming it after the Greek word “kreas”, meaning meat. It is also obtained from foods like red meat and seafood and cows milk. It is made in the liver, kidneys and pancreas at a rate of 1 gram per day. 95% of it is primarily stored in skeletal muscle and it plays a key role in energy production by regenerating ATP (the main energy currency of the cells) during short, high intensity efforts. It does this by increasing glycogen storage and therefore glucose to be utilized for immediate energy particularly for short bursts of less than 30 seconds. This will benefit your overall cardiovascular health.
In the early 20th century scientists recognized creatine’s role in energy metabolism. Research in the 1920’s and 30’s demonstrated that creatine supplementation could enhance muscle creatine stores. But is was not until the 1990’s when it gained popularity after athletes at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics reportedly used it to improve performance. Since then, numerous studies have confirmed its benefits for increasing strength, muscle mass, and exercise performance as well as the cognitive benefits. Today it is one of the most researched and commonly used dietary supplements valued for its safety and effectiveness.
So how much do you need and where can you get it you may ask? The benefits are seen with 5 grams a day but if you are actively exercising that 5 grams will immediately be taken up by the muscles because they have first dibs, leaving none for the brain and therefore cognitive benefits. So if you are actively exercising on a daily basis I would take 10 grams a day. If you are not exercising 5 grams a day should be fine. I have read in several articles and heard on podcasts that if you really want to be on your mental game such as for a presentation or an interview you could take 20 grams but there is not a lot of literature that suggests that this could be beneficial and you would be more likely increase your chance of developing side effects with the higher dosing. There are some that recommend front loading with 20 grams a day for the first week then decreasing to 5 or 10 grams after but, again, really no obvious benefit from doing this in the literature and increased risk of developing side effects. On that note, the typical side effects are gastrointestinal. They include gas, bloating, and associated stomach pain. You will typically get a small rise in you creatinine (Please note the change in spelling). This is a marker of kidney function that you get when you we order your basic , baseline labs. But when you are using creatine the elevation is not a real marker of kidney decline but just and increase in the breakdown products of the supplement we are talking about. Creatine. If it is substantial, your physician (me if you are a patient) will order a Cystatin C level which is a truer measure of kidney function.
Obviously, the natural way to supplement creatine is an option but I think the calories associated with this route would be overwhelming. For example, one cup of milk (8 ounces) would get you 300mg of creatine (So you would have to drink ~nine, 16 ounce glasses of milk). Two to three pounds of raw meat will equate to 5 grams a day but once you cook it it gets broken down and reduced. Regardless, that’s a lot of meat. I would recommend supplementing with the powdered form. One small scoop equates to 5 grams. You can mix it in water or any other drink you choose. It is typically tasteless and odorless. I actually mix it with my psyllium fiber that I take everyday (Please refer to my Fiber Factor post from a previous post). There are multiple forms available (creatine ethyl ester, creatine gluconate, creatine citrate and creatine monohydrate. The monohydrate is the most common form and also the most studied. That is what I would recommend.
So, it is not just for the gym rats anymore. I would highly recommend you try this if you feel: tired, weak, sluggish, having memory issues and just don’t feel like a (insert your age here…) should. So basically most of us 40 and above. Since starting it I have felt better, stronger and more focused. I have noticed increased muscle definition when I am at the gym and feel stronger but the gym can do that to you when you go more frequently. I’ve also reduced my alcohol (Refer to my post “Alcohol-How Much Is Too Much”) and make my sleep a prioity (Refer to my post “The Shorter You Sleep, the Shorter Your Life). Damn I have written a lot! The bottom line is it will not hurt and cold only help. Give it six weeks before you give up but I really think this should be added to anyone’s supplement regimen. “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat”–Roger Waters. “They claim red meat is bad for you. But I never saw a sick looking tiger.”–Chi Chi Rodriguez. Just substitute creatine for meat and it still kinda works. You get the point:) Stay healthy my friends.
Doug
