My Creatine Experiment
For most of my life I’ve been reluctant to take things, supplements, drugs, that would lead to some form of dependency. This bias probably began to take shape when I was younger, as I grew up hearing stories of relatives who struggled with alcohol addiction; this aversion, especially when it comes to alcohol, still lingers to this day. Nevertheless, I applied this way of thinking to sleep aids, painkillers, marijuana, caffeine, creatine, you name it. I would see each of these substances being used by my peers, especially in gym settings, and simply look the other way. Despite the overwhelming evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of the last two I listed, I held out for nearly 30 years and have only recently started to experiment. For the longest time, the buzz word “natural” floated around somewhere in my head and contributed to this bias so much that I even avoided protein powder, despite the convenience factor, because it didn’t “occur in nature.”
Putting my science hat back on, I remembered that there have been many useful things, especially in the field of health & medicine, that have been synthesized and have ultimately been helpful. So, I did my best to put my bias to the side, looked at the evidence, which has spawned via the scientific method and critiqued by other professionals in the field, and made my decision based on data, not subconscious childhood feelings.
So, 6 weeks ago I began taking a daily dose of 12g of creatine monohydrate; I simply added this tasteless supplement into my morning protein shake and didn’t even notice the change. If you’re skeptical about creatine or have the “natural” bias like I did, let me put you at ease; Creatine occurs naturally inside our bodies and in our diets from various sources of protein. Next, I specifically mentioned the monohydrate form of creatine because this form is the gold standard. Most studies done on creatine use the monohydrate form because it is safe and easily absorbed. Creatine itself is an organic compound, the monohydrate form just means it is bound to water. The hydrochloric acid in your stomach splits the water molecule off from the creatine compound so you are left with the exact identical creatine molecule that your body can create. This molecule then moves to your small intestines where it is easily absorbed. Also, if you ingest more creatine then your muscles, bones and brain can absorb, you’ll simply urinate out any excess. This excreted biproduct can be found in urine under the name creatinine. Fear not, this excess is not dangerous to your kidneys, it is their job to filter out the excess.
If you’re starting to wonder why I started taking this and what my initial results have been, the wait is over. I started taking it because it appears to be a dual threat. It can help me build muscle and help with cognitive function. I was ultimately convinced by the evidence presented in an interview with Dr. Darren Candow. Dr. Candow was interviewed by Dr. Rhonda Patrick on her Podcast, Found My Fitness. I slogged through this two-hour interview, so you didn’t have to.
All of the facts mentioned in this article are a direct results from episode #100 of her show which can be found here: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/darren-candow.
Anyway, my initial results have not been head turning, but I will continue this experiment further and reevaluate again to determine if it’s worth the money to continue buying creatine. So far, my weight and body composition are about the same. I feel marginally stronger in the gym, and marginally faster when running, but that could be a training effect unrelated to the supplementation. I will say though, cognitively I do feel sharp. I’m rarely sleep deprived though, and if a benefit of high dose supplementation (10-20g daily) is to prevent cognitive decline when sleep deprived, it’s hard to know for sure if it’s working.
Regardless of my early individual results, here is a quick look at what current evidence suggests, I’ll present the data as true or false for an easy reference:
✅ Creatine Monohydrate is the gold standard (true)
✅ Creatine leads to muscle hypertrophy, strength gains and increased muscular power output (true)
✅ Vegans are the exception to the loading phase rule, they may need 20g/day for the first week to normalize levels (true)
✅ Creatine is a cognitive aid, especially during sleep deprivation or periods of stress (true)
✅ Creatine seems to mitigate age-related loss of muscle, even for sedentary people (true)
✅ Creatine enhances recovery, especially when there is muscle damage (true)
✅ When combined with resistance training exercise, creatine can help increase bone mineral density, or at least help prevent the decrease in density, especially in postmenopausal women (true)
❌ Creatine leads to unwanted weight gain, specifically fat mass (false)
❌ Creatine harms male fertility (false)
❌ Creatine leads to hair loss (false)
❌ A loading phase of creatine, taking more upfront, is needed for those who regularly eat meat (false, 3-5g daily is sufficient to saturate stores in about 4 weeks)
❌ Creatine is dangerous for children (false, simply adjust for weight)
❌ Creatine leads to excessive urination, especially at night (false)
🟡 Creatine is safe for pregnant women (not enough evidence currently exists)