June 10, 2025 • 29 mins
Creatine stands as the most heavily researched supplement in the fitness world, yet myths and questions about its use persist. What exactly happens when this natural compound enters your body? Who should take it? Is it truly safe?
Diving deep into the science, host Sam Rhee delves deep into the topic of creatine supplementation. how it works in the body, and its benefits for different age groups including teens, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and seniors. The discussion includes the safety of creatine, potential side effects, and the myths surrounding its use.
But creatine's benefits extend far beyond the weight room. For perimenopausal women, creatine offers unexpected advantages, potentially counteracting hormonal-related muscle and bone loss while supporting cognitive function.
We also tackle practical concerns: Which form works best? When should you take it? How do you choose a quality product? Is loading necessary? The answers might surprise you—while marketing hypes specialized formulations, simple creatine monohydrate remains the gold standard with decades of research behind it.
Whether you're a CrossFit enthusiast looking for a performance edge, a middle-aged adult wanting to preserve strength, or simply curious about supplementation, this comprehensive guide separates fact from fiction to help you make informed decisions about creatine.
What's your experience with creatine? Share your story and join the conversation about this remarkably versatile supplement.
#Creatine #FitnessSupplements #WorkoutBoost #MuscleGain #PerformanceEnhancement #HealthyLiving #GymLife #CrossFit #SportsNutrition #FitnessJourney #BotoxAndBurpees #podcast @botoxandburpeespodcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, I'm Sam Rhee, host of the podcast Botox and
Burpees, and today we're goingto take a look at creatine
supplementation.
Creatine is one that I've beentaking the longest maybe seven
or eight years and it's the onethat the most people ask me
questions about.
They ask is creatine safe?
They ask is creatine illegal totake for professional
(00:24):
competitors?
People ask if they're goingthrough menopause, is it safe
for them to take it?
Is it safe for my 15-year-oldson?
Do I have to exercise forcreatine to work?
Are there other supplements Ishould take or avoid while
taking creatine?
Why is creatine causing my faceto bloat up?
How much performanceenhancement can I expect with
(00:45):
creatine?
Which creatine brand should Itake?
Fortunately, creatine is one ofthe most highly studied
supplements out there, and todaywe'll explore its ability to
boost strength, enhance exerciseperformance and promote muscle
growth.
We'll start with a quickoverview about what creatine is
and how it works in your body.
Then we'll talk about creatineuse in different groups young
(01:06):
athletes, perimenopausal women,older adults.
I'll also answer if you needexercise for creatine to work,
and we'll also look at othersupplements that pair well with
creatine and how to choose agood creatine product.
And finally, because I am aCrossFit enthusiast, part owner
of CrossFit Bison in MidlandPark, new Jersey.
We'll also cover some specialconsiderations for all my fellow
(01:28):
CrossFitters out there.
Remember this podcast is not asubstitute for medical diagnosis
or treatment.
Please consult with yourmedical provider before starting
any supplements, and thispodcast is for informational use
only.
All right, let's start with thebasics.
What is creatine?
I have to admit I took creatinefor years without even knowing
exactly what it was.
So creatine is a naturallyoccurring organic compound made
(01:52):
from three amino acids, andabout 95% of creatine is stored
in our skeletal muscles, with asmall amount remaining in our
brain.
Think about creatine as a fuelreserve for quick, explosive
movements.
It helps regenerate ATP,adenosine triphosphate, which is
the primary energy currency ofour cells.
In practical terms, atp is whatyour muscles use for energy.
(02:16):
When we do something intenselike a heavy lift, a sprint or a
set of burpees, your musclesburn through ATP rapidly.
Creatine steps in to rechargethose ATP reserves a little
faster.
Our bodies actually make somecreatine on their own about a
(02:36):
gram a day in the liver, kidneysand pancreas and we also get
some creatine from our diet redmeat, fish and poultry which are
natural sources roughly 1-2grams a day from a typical diet,
but the amounts from food arerelatively small, which is why
people turn to supplements totop up their creatine levels.
(02:58):
By taking a creatine supplement,usually 3-5 grams a day, you
can increase the creatine storedin your muscles above normal
levels.
More stored creatine means yourmuscles have more readily
available energy for that nextsprint or set of heavy squats.
So what does that mean forperformance?
Essentially, creatine gives youmore quick burst energy.
(03:21):
Studies show that creatinesupplementation can help you
squeeze out a few more reps,lift a little heavier or sprint
a bit faster duringhigh-intensity exercise.
It improves high-intensityexercise capacity, those short
bouts of intense effort, withoutcompromising endurance for
longer activities.
Over time, being able to work abit harder can lead to greater
(03:45):
gains in strength and leanmuscle mass.
That's why creatine is thego-to supplement for many
athletes and gym goers.
In fact, the InternationalSociety of Sports Nutrition
calls creatine monohydrate themost effective supplement for
increasing high-intensityexercise capacity and muscle
mass during training.
And, importantly, creatine isnot a steroid or a hormone and
(04:08):
it's not on any banned substancelist for sports.
It's generally safe performanceaid used by everyone from
Olympic athletes to your averagegym goer.
Now, before we move on.
Let's clear up safety.
Is creatine safe For healthyindividuals?
The consensus is yes.
Creatine is generallyconsidered safe when used at
(04:28):
recommended doses.
It's been around as asupplement since the 1990s, and
used even earlier by someathletes, and it has a strong
safety record.
Extensive research, includinglong-term studies up to five
years, show no harmful effectson healthy kidney livers or
other organs.
The old myth that creatinemight damage your kidneys has
(04:51):
been debunked in Healthy People.
Now, if you have pre-existingkidney disease, that is another
story and you should talk toyour doctor first.
The main side effects that somepeople might notice are usually
mild Things like slight weightgain, which we'll talk about in
a minute, or an upset stomach ifyou take too much, and staying
well hydrated tends to minimizeany issues.
(05:11):
So for the vast majority ofpeople out there, creatine is
about as safe as it gets in thesupplement world.
All right, now that we know whatcreatine is, what it does,
let's talk about how creatinefits into different stages of
life.
Should teenagers take it Middleage Beyond?
Let's break it down a littlebit.
(05:31):
So for children and teens under18, is it safe?
You might have seen thosewarning labels on creatine
products saying not for useunder 18.
Now these warnings are largelyput out there by manufacturers
out of caution and legalliability, not necessarily due
to documented health dangers.
(05:51):
In fact, experts in sportsnutrition say that creatine can
be used by younger athletessafely if certain conditions are
met.
The International Society ofSports Nutrition, for example,
states that with properprecautions and supervision,
creatine supplementation inyouth athletes is acceptable and
(06:12):
can be a safer alternative thanfor them seeking out riskier
performance enhancers.
Now, that said, it's not amagic growth formula for kids
and it's certainly not neededfor the average active child
who's just playing sports forfun.
Most pediatricians andnutritionists would agree that
children under 18 should focuson good nutrition, skill
development and safe trainingpractices first.
(06:32):
Creatine might be consideredfor a mature teen athlete who's
in serious competitive sportsand already has a
well-structured program and diet.
And even then it should stillbe done with parental consent,
coaching oversight and withinrecommended doses.
The typical scenario may be a16 or 17-year-old football
(06:53):
player or swimmer who's at anational level of
competitiveness, looking for alegal performance edge, and
under those circumstancesexperts say creatine is
generally fine.
Talk to your knowledgeable adultcoach, doctor, dietitian before
starting and remember creatinereally works if you're putting
in hard work in your training.
If you're a teenager, sittingon the couch taking creatine is
(07:14):
just not very helpful, and we'llexplain in the exercise section
later.
So how about young adults, sayfrom 18 to 30 years old, okay,
this is the group that mostcommonly uses creatine.
If you're in your late 20s,early 30s, into weightlifting
sports, crossfit, creatine isbasically a staple supplement,
and for good reason.
This is the life stage wheremany people are pursuing peak
(07:38):
performance in muscle gains andcreatine can reliably help with
those gains.
What can young adults expectfrom creatine?
Increased strength and power.
Research has shown that youngadults taking creatine can lift
heavier weights, perform betterin high-intensity workouts than
those who don't.
It allows your muscles to domore work over weeks and months,
which translates into bettertraining adaptations.
(07:59):
Secondly, creatine has shown toimprove recovery between bouts
of intense exercise.
It helps replenish energyfaster, so you may feel slightly
less wiped out between sets andpotentially less sore the day
after.
Some evidence even suggestscreatine can reduce muscle cell
damage and inflammationpost-exercise, aiding recovery.
(08:19):
Many athletes report lessmuscle soreness, although
individual experiences may vary.
But what about the side effectsor downsides for young adults?
Honestly, there's very little.
The most noticeable thingathletes report is weight gain
from water retention, and that'sthe facial bloat that I
mentioned at the beginning ofthe podcast.
Creatine pulls water into yourmuscle cells, which is how it
(08:41):
works to increase muscle volume.
So you might see the scale goup by one to three pounds in the
first week or two, and that'snot fat gain.
It's mostly water and possiblya little bit of new muscle.
Your muscles may look a littlebit fuller, and for most young
people that's not an issue, butif you're in a sport with weight
classes or you have to bemindful for extra weight, such
(09:01):
as wrestling or gymnastics, it'ssomething to consider.
Other than that, as long as youstay hydrated and stick to the
recommended 3-5 grams a day,creatine is extremely low risk
for healthy young adults.
Okay, so how aboutperimenopausal women, say in
your early 40s or 50s?
Now, this is a group that untilrecently, didn't get much
(09:22):
attention in creatine research.
These are women who areexperiencing the hormonal
changes leading up to menopause.
Recent research has suggestedthat creatine might offer some
unique benefits for women inthis stage of life in terms of
muscle, bone and even brainhealth.
During perimenopause, asestrogen levels decline, women
often start to lose muscle massand bone density at an
(09:45):
accelerated rate.
Athletes might notice itbecomes harder to maintain
strength, or their workoutsleave them more fatigued than
before.
And here's where creatine canhelp.
Supplementation, especiallycombined with resistance
training, can help counteractperimenopausal related muscle
and strength loss.
In fact, some studies in periand postmenopausal women have
(10:07):
shown that taking creatine whiledoing strength exercise leads
to greater improvements inmuscle function and even bone
density compared to exercisealone.
Women tend to have lowernatural creatine stores than men
to begin with.
One source suggests women mayhave 70 to 80 percent less
creatine stored in their muscleson average.
(10:29):
Partly that's because mengenerally have more muscle mass.
But diet can also play a roleif a woman eats less red meat
than a man, which results inless dietary creatine.
So by supplementing, womenmight actually experience a
relatively bigger boost in theirmuscle creatine levels, which
could translate into noticeablyimproved performance and energy
(10:51):
benefits.
Many women report feelingstronger, having better workout
endurance when they startcreatine, which makes sense if
they're starting with lowerstarting stores.
Now, beyond muscle and bones,there's also a potential brain
benefit too.
Some small studies indicatecreatine might help with
cognitive function, things likememory or mental fatigue, which
(11:14):
can be affected during themenopausal transition.
Creatine is used by brain cellsfor energy, just like muscle
cells, but researchers havelooked at whether it can
alleviate the brain fog someperimenopausal women experience.
While more research is needed,early results are promising.
Creatine supplementation hasshown improvements in short-term
(11:35):
memory and overall cognitiveprocessing in middle-aged adults
.
There's even ongoing researchinto mood improvement, since
menopause can bring mood swingsor mild depression, and creatine
might have some role insupporting brain energy
metabolism linked to mood.
We can't make any definitiveclaims yet, but it's a
(11:55):
fascinating area, importantlyfor women worried about bulking
up or creatine making them looktoo muscular.
Fear not, creatine is not ahormone and it won't suddenly
turn you into a bodybuilder.
A hormone and it won't suddenlyturn you into a bodybuilder.
You'd need heavy training and alot of food to try to achieve
that.
What creatine will do is helpyou preserve lean muscle and
(12:16):
strength, which is critical forhealth as we age.
Now, for those athletes in themiddle age range around 40s and
50s, which we've partly coveredwith women, creatine can be
viewed as a maintenance andprevention supplement.
As we progress into our fourthand fifth decades.
We will start losing somemuscle mass every year and our
(12:37):
strength and power declinegradually.
We might not bounce back fromhard workouts as quickly as we
did when we were 20, but this iswhere creatine plus exercise
can help to slow down theseage-related declines.
If you're a middle-aged athletegetting into strength training
for the first time, it can giveyou a nice boost with your new
gains and it can help you buildmuscle a bit faster.
(12:58):
If you've been a long-timeathlete, it can help you hang on
to those performance levels fora little bit longer.
However, exercise is key.
Creatine augments the benefitsof exercise.
Studies in adults in their 50shave shown that those who did
resistance training and tookcreatine gain more muscle and
strength than those who did thesame training with a placebo.
(13:21):
It's the combination that workssynergistically.
The emerging evidence has shownthat creatine might help all
middle-aged adults with mentalsharpness, memory and reduce
mental fatigue, especially insituations of stress or sleep
deprivation.
And there have been somestudies in middle-aged adults
and older which have shownimproved memory recall.
(13:43):
Now, for older adults aged 60and up, creatine might be
helpful too.
Now you may wonder why a70-year-old would need to take
creatine, but sarcopenia, whichis that loss of muscle mass and
strength, accelerates in your70s and 80s, that reduced muscle
mass and strength means reducedmobility, higher risk of falls
(14:06):
and potentially lessindependence higher risk of
falls and potentially lessindependence.
Research on adults over 60 havefound the same results, where
those who do resistance traininglike weightlifting or
bodyweight exercises, and takecreatine gain more lean mass and
strength than those whoexercise without creatine, and
you may not have to do heavyback squats or sprints.
(14:27):
There was one study in seniorswhich showed taking creatine
while doing light exerciseimproved grip strength and lower
body strength compared to justexercise alone.
The improvements may be alittle more modest than in
younger ages, but at this stagea little more strength can mean
the difference betweenconfidently climbing stairs or
(14:47):
struggling with them.
And something that's extremelyimportant for people over 60 is
that supplementation withcreatine might also help
cognitive functions such asshort-term memory and reasoning.
There may be someneuroprotective benefits where
creatine helps protect nervecells from damage at this age,
and creatine supplementation hasbeen explored as a possible
(15:10):
co-treatment inneurodegenerative conditions
such as Parkinson's and dementia, but the results are still
pending.
The point is creatine isn'tjust for athletic performance.
In older adults it may alsohelp the mind stay sharp, which
may be even more important as weage.
One cautionary point is thatolder people may have reduced
(15:31):
kidney function, which meansthey should definitely consult
with their physicians beforeconsidering creatine
supplementation.
So, just as a reminder for allage groups and all situations,
creatine works if somebodyexercises.
If you take creatine and sit onthe couch, you are not suddenly
going to grow muscles or getstronger.
(15:51):
Your muscles need to bestimulated through exercise to
help use that extra energysupply that creatine provides.
One researcher put it this waycreatine stored in the muscle is
like having a bigger gas tankfor high-power activities, but
if you never drive the car,having that bigger gas tank
(16:12):
really doesn't matter.
Alright, let's discuss othersupplements that may have
synergistic effects withcreatine and are commonly taken
alongside it, which is oftentermed a stack.
In the fitness and nutritionworld, this is probably the most
popular combo creatine andprotein.
They serve different purposes,so they complement each other
well.
Creatine boosts your immediateexercise performance and
hydration in muscles, whileprotein, like whey protein or a
(16:34):
high-protein diet, provides theamino acids needed to repair and
build your muscle afterexercise.
So taking them together, suchas a post-workout shake that has
protein and a scoop of creatine, can be convenient and
effective.
In fact, having your proteinand carbs with your creatine
might even help shuttle thecreatine into your muscles a
little bit better by spikingthat insulin.
(16:55):
Insulin can increase creatineuptake into muscle.
So even on its own, creatinedoes work, but adding some
protein and carbs to it mightoptimize the muscle uptake
slightly.
Let's talk about branched chainamino acids, or BCAAs.
These are sometimes taken formuscle recovery or to prevent
muscle breakdown during workouts.
Again, like protein, there's nodirect interaction with
(17:18):
creatine, but you can take themtogether safely, and BCAAs serve
a different niche.
Many pre-workout mixes orintra-workout mixes that
strength athletes take mightcontain both BCAAs and creatine.
Okay, how about beta-alanine?
So beta-alanine is anothersupplement that helps
performance, but in a differentway.
(17:39):
Alanine is another supplementthat helps performance, but in a
different way.
Beta-alanine increases musclecarnosine levels, which helps
buffer acid in muscles and canimprove high-intensity endurance
.
So stacking beta-alanine withcreatine is very common in
strength and power sports.
Research suggests that thiscombination can lead to greater
improvements in lean muscle massand body fat reduction than
creatine alone.
(17:59):
Can lead to greaterimprovements in lean muscle mass
and body fat reduction thancreatine alone, and one study on
football players found that thegroup taking creatine plus
beta-alanine gained more leanmuscle mass and lost more fat
over 10 weeks than just takingcreatine or just placebo.
So the hypothesis is thatcreatine helps with the
immediate power and strength.
Beta-alanine helps sustain highintensity effort and delay
fatigue, and so together youcould train harder and longer.
(18:23):
This is very popular amongstCrossFit athletes or anyone
doing repeated high-intensityintervals.
Now if you do try this combo,just be aware that beta-alanine
can cause a harmless tinglingsensation on the skin, which is
normal, and it might help tojust spread out the dose to try
to mitigate this sensation.
Okay, so let's talk aboutcaffeine and creatine.
Some early studies years agosuggested that taking caffeine
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and creatine together mightblunt some of creatine's effects
or cause more dehydration.
But more recent understandingis that they don't significantly
interfere with each other.
In fact, many pre-workoutsupplements combine caffeine and
creatine because caffeine givesyou that immediate alertness
and power output, while creatinesupports your short-term energy
(19:08):
supply.
A recent review noted nonegative impact on performance
when combining caffeine andcreatine, and possibly some
enhanced power in some cases.
So if you like taking caffeinebefore training and take
creatine daily, you don't haveto separate them.
Just be aware that bothcaffeine and creatine may have
some diuretic effects, so youhave to stay hydrated.
(19:29):
If taking creatine and caffeinetogether causes stomach upset,
you may have to separate thetimes of day.
But functionally, if you likeyour cup of coffee or your
Celsius and you like taking yourcreatine supplementation, there
are no problems with that.
So one of the most popularsupplements now are electrolytes
or hydration aids.
Since creatine increases waterretention in muscles, it is wise
(19:50):
to ensure you're getting enoughfluids and electrolytes sodium,
potassium, magnesium which I'vetalked about in a previous
podcast especially if you'retraining hard.
So some people will takeelectrolyte drinks along with
their creatine, particularly inhot weather or intense training
cycles, to make sure that thatextra water being pulled into
their muscles isn't leaving themdehydrated elsewhere.
(20:11):
It's a little bit of abalancing act, but it's nothing
complicated.
Basically, drink waterregularly, eat a balanced diet
and you should be fine.
If you feel you need additionalhydration, an electrolyte drink
is totally acceptable.
Okay, so let's talk about HMB,another strength supplement.
Hmb, orbeta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate
(20:31):
, is another supplement which isa metabolite of leucine, an
amino acid that some olderadults and bodybuilders use to
prevent muscle breakdown.
Hmb can be used with creatine,although the evidence is mixed.
Unless you're doing veryintense training or you're in a
caloric deficit, there's no harmin combining HMB and creatine,
(20:53):
but the efficacy of HMB is notas universally supported by
research as creatine is.
There are also a number ofother supplements, such as
citrulline for blood flow orincreased pump, tart cherry
juice for recovery or vitamin Dfor general health, which all
have their own roles and wewon't discuss their efficacy
(21:13):
here.
But there is no direct conflictwith creatine if you so choose
to take any of these othersupplements at the same time.
So to go into detail about oneother mention I made earlier in
the podcast, creatine withcarbohydrates.
When we intake carbs, ourinsulin levels increase, which
can help drive creatine intomuscles.
There were some oldersupplement protocols that
(21:35):
suggested taking creatine withgrape juice or a sugary drink
for better absorption.
Now it's true that addingsomething like this can cause a
bigger spike in insulin, whichcan increase creatine uptake by
muscles.
But recent studies havesuggested that as long as you
take creatine consistently, yourmuscles will saturate over time
regardless.
So if you're an enduranceathlete or someone who eats a
(21:57):
lot of carbs already, you'reprobably getting that insulin
spike anyway during the day.
If you're on a low-carb diet,creatine still works, but it
might take a little longer toload fully At the end of the day
, as long as you'resupplementing with creatine
regularly, your muscles willsaturate and that insulin spike
may not be necessary.
All right.
(22:18):
So if you decided to takecreatine, how do you choose from
the five bajillion creatinesupplements on the market?
Here are a couple of guidelines.
The first is that it should becreatine monohydrate.
There are many other forms ofcreatine, but the vast majority
of research and the studiedbenefits have been with creatine
monohydrate.
This is the form proven toincrease muscle creatine levels
(22:40):
and improve performance.
Other forms may claim betterabsorption or no loading phase
needed, but none of them haveconclusively outperformed
straight-up creatine monohydratein independent studies.
Some other forms, such ascreatine hydrochloride, for
example, might dissolve easieror may be gentler on the stomach
(23:00):
for some people, but they tendto be much more expensive.
So for most people, a micronizedcreatine monohydrate, which is
basically creatine monohydrateprocessed into a very fine
powder, is ideal.
It's effective, affordable,easy to mix.
So unless you have a specificissue with monohydrate, you can
ignore all the other forms thatare out there.
(23:21):
One thing to look for is thepurity of the creatine
monohydrate.
Some forms use a patented formcalled Creapure, which is made
in Germany and known for itsextremely high purity 99.9% with
minimal impurities.
The supplement does not have tobe a branded creatine, but
Creapure can be a mark ofquality.
(23:42):
Personally, I have been usingOptimum Nutrition Micronized
Creatine Monohydrate Powder, butI now plan to switch to Fit8
Essentials Creatine Powder,which is made from CreaPure and
is third-party tested.
Avoid supplements that have alot of different additives.
If you see extras such asfillers, artificial colors or
some other proprietary blend,that's probably unnecessary.
(24:03):
You want a product that's beentested for purity or
contaminants.
Certifications such as NSF,certified for sport, informed
choice or USP can be helpful forguidance.
Products that have beenindependently tested are
certified to contain what itsays it does on the label and
not contain things such as heavymetals or banned substances.
If you are a professionalathlete, you may want to stick
(24:24):
with an NSF certified for sportssupplement.
Currently, the website listsFirst Form, c4, thorne and a
host of other companies withcreatine supplements available.
How about form factor?
Is the powder better than thepill?
Creatine most commonly comes asa flavorless powder.
You mix it in water juice or ina shake, and this is usually
(24:45):
the cheapest way to buy it andit works perfectly.
That's the way I use it.
If you're someone who hatesmixing powders, creatine
capsules or chewable tablets arealso on the market, just note.
You'll probably have to take ahandful of those pills to get a
full 5 gram dose.
There's really no difference ineffectiveness, it's purely
preference.
I prefer the powder mix into asmoothie every day post-workout,
(25:06):
but whatever works for you isprobably fine.
However, you may want to avoidliquid creatine shots.
Pure creatine is not verystable in liquid.
Over long periods they tend todegrade, so it's probably better
to stick to some powder and mixit fresh.
How about loading creatine?
When you first start, somecreatine products or guides
mention a loading phase whereyou have to take 20 grams a day
(25:30):
for five to seven days toquickly saturate your muscles,
then drop to five grams a day.
You can do this and it is safe,but it's not strictly necessary
.
You can simply take five gramsa day and after three to four
weeks and your muscles willreach the same saturation point
as if you had done loading.
Loading can give youperformance benefits within a
week, while no loading does takea few weeks.
(25:52):
You can load four doses of fivegrams spread throughout the day
for a week.
However, a lot of people doreport some stomach discomfort
with that loading phase andsince they plan on taking it for
a long period of time, takingthat five grams a day for a
month is totally fine.
Is there a specific time whenyou should be taking creatine in
the day?
Honestly, timing isn't verycritical of creatine.
(26:14):
Some people prefer post workoutwith their shake, like me.
Some people will take itpre-workout.
Some people take it first thingin the morning.
As long as you're consistentwith your regimen, do what works
for you.
There might be a littleevidence that taking it around
your workout before or aftermight be marginally better than
completely separate from yourworkout, because your blood flow
(26:34):
to your muscles might be higheraround your workout time and if
you eat around your workouttime, that might help uptake.
But that difference is minor.
Consistency is more importantthan timing.
Take it every day at a timethat you won't forget.
I can't emphasize enough aboutstaying hydrated.
Creatine drives water into themuscles, which means you're
(26:55):
going to have to stay hydrated.
Now, for CrossFit athletes, Iwould say creatine is a
must-have.
Most CrossFit workouts or WODsinvolve short, intense bursts of
activity 100-meter sprint, maxeffort cleans.
30-second all-out row sprint.
Now these efforts rely heavilyon the phosphocreatine energy
(27:16):
system, which is the same onethat creatine fuels.
So by supplementing creatine,you can improve your capacity in
these explosive-type movements.
One CrossFit-focused articlenoted that studies show creatine
can increase ATP production byup to 40%.
Now, while creatine is not anendurance supplement in the
classic sense, longer CrossFitmed cons are usually more
(27:38):
high-intensity, interval-typeendurance, not very slow and
steady marathon-type workouts.
So creatine can help withrepeated sprint ability and some
WODs involve intervals orrepeated high-power outputs with
short rests.
So while creatine is not anendurance supplement per se, it
may help you during thesehigh-power outputs over longer
(28:00):
interval type of workouts.
So, in conclusion, creatine is asafe, effective supplement for
improving high intensityexercise performance, supporting
muscle health across a widerange of people.
It's been backed by decades ofresearch and real world use.
It will help you train harderand recover better by boosting
your muscles energy supply.
All healthy age groups canbenefit Young adults, women in
(28:23):
perimenopausal transition andseniors.
You do need to exercise.
It is the catalyst for creatine.
You can combine othersupplements generally without
issue.
Stick to a reputable productwith third-party testing.
Make sure it's creatinemonohydrate and whether you take
a loading dose or a regulardose, five grams a day
eventually will be what youwould need to take.
(28:44):
Have you taken creatine andhave you noticed a difference?
What brand do you prefer?
I'd love to hear your personalexperiences with it, success
stories or even maybe why youdidn't want to take it.
As always, please like andsubscribe wherever you catch the
podcast, and thank you againfor listening to Botox and
Burpees.
Hi, I'm Sam Rhee, host of the podcast Botox and
Burpees, and today we're goingto take a look at creatine
supplementation.
Creatine is one that I've beentaking the longest maybe seven
or eight years and it's the onethat the most people ask me
questions about.
They ask is creatine safe?
They ask is creatine illegal totake for professional
(00:24):
competitors?
People ask if they're goingthrough menopause, is it safe
for them to take it?
Is it safe for my 15-year-oldson?
Do I have to exercise forcreatine to work?
Are there other supplements Ishould take or avoid while
taking creatine?
Why is creatine causing my faceto bloat up?
How much performanceenhancement can I expect with
(00:45):
creatine?
Which creatine brand should Itake?
Fortunately, creatine is one ofthe most highly studied
supplements out there, and todaywe'll explore its ability to
boost strength, enhance exerciseperformance and promote muscle
growth.
We'll start with a quickoverview about what creatine is
and how it works in your body.
Then we'll talk about creatineuse in different groups young
(01:06):
athletes, perimenopausal women,older adults.
I'll also answer if you needexercise for creatine to work,
and we'll also look at othersupplements that pair well with
creatine and how to choose agood creatine product.
And finally, because I am aCrossFit enthusiast, part owner
of CrossFit Bison in MidlandPark, new Jersey.
We'll also cover some specialconsiderations for all my fellow
(01:28):
CrossFitters out there.
Remember this podcast is not asubstitute for medical diagnosis
or treatment.
Please consult with yourmedical provider before starting
any supplements, and thispodcast is for informational use
only.
All right, let's start with thebasics.
What is creatine?
I have to admit I took creatinefor years without even knowing
exactly what it was.
So creatine is a naturallyoccurring organic compound made
(01:52):
from three amino acids, andabout 95% of creatine is stored
in our skeletal muscles, with asmall amount remaining in our
brain.
Think about creatine as a fuelreserve for quick, explosive
movements.
It helps regenerate ATP,adenosine triphosphate, which is
the primary energy currency ofour cells.
In practical terms, atp is whatyour muscles use for energy.
(02:16):
When we do something intenselike a heavy lift, a sprint or a
set of burpees, your musclesburn through ATP rapidly.
Creatine steps in to rechargethose ATP reserves a little
faster.
Our bodies actually make somecreatine on their own about a
(02:36):
gram a day in the liver, kidneysand pancreas and we also get
some creatine from our diet redmeat, fish and poultry which are
natural sources roughly 1-2grams a day from a typical diet,
but the amounts from food arerelatively small, which is why
people turn to supplements totop up their creatine levels.
(02:58):
By taking a creatine supplement,usually 3-5 grams a day, you
can increase the creatine storedin your muscles above normal
levels.
More stored creatine means yourmuscles have more readily
available energy for that nextsprint or set of heavy squats.
So what does that mean forperformance?
Essentially, creatine gives youmore quick burst energy.
(03:21):
Studies show that creatinesupplementation can help you
squeeze out a few more reps,lift a little heavier or sprint
a bit faster duringhigh-intensity exercise.
It improves high-intensityexercise capacity, those short
bouts of intense effort, withoutcompromising endurance for
longer activities.
Over time, being able to work abit harder can lead to greater
(03:45):
gains in strength and leanmuscle mass.
That's why creatine is thego-to supplement for many
athletes and gym goers.
In fact, the InternationalSociety of Sports Nutrition
calls creatine monohydrate themost effective supplement for
increasing high-intensityexercise capacity and muscle
mass during training.
And, importantly, creatine isnot a steroid or a hormone and
(04:08):
it's not on any banned substancelist for sports.
It's generally safe performanceaid used by everyone from
Olympic athletes to your averagegym goer.
Now, before we move on.
Let's clear up safety.
Is creatine safe For healthyindividuals?
The consensus is yes.
Creatine is generallyconsidered safe when used at
(04:28):
recommended doses.
It's been around as asupplement since the 1990s, and
used even earlier by someathletes, and it has a strong
safety record.
Extensive research, includinglong-term studies up to five
years, show no harmful effectson healthy kidney livers or
other organs.
The old myth that creatinemight damage your kidneys has
(04:51):
been debunked in Healthy People.
Now, if you have pre-existingkidney disease, that is another
story and you should talk toyour doctor first.
The main side effects that somepeople might notice are usually
mild Things like slight weightgain, which we'll talk about in
a minute, or an upset stomach ifyou take too much, and staying
well hydrated tends to minimizeany issues.
(05:11):
So for the vast majority ofpeople out there, creatine is
about as safe as it gets in thesupplement world.
All right, now that we know whatcreatine is, what it does,
let's talk about how creatinefits into different stages of
life.
Should teenagers take it Middleage Beyond?
Let's break it down a littlebit.
(05:31):
So for children and teens under18, is it safe?
You might have seen thosewarning labels on creatine
products saying not for useunder 18.
Now these warnings are largelyput out there by manufacturers
out of caution and legalliability, not necessarily due
to documented health dangers.
(05:51):
In fact, experts in sportsnutrition say that creatine can
be used by younger athletessafely if certain conditions are
met.
The International Society ofSports Nutrition, for example,
states that with properprecautions and supervision,
creatine supplementation inyouth athletes is acceptable and
(06:12):
can be a safer alternative thanfor them seeking out riskier
performance enhancers.
Now, that said, it's not amagic growth formula for kids
and it's certainly not neededfor the average active child
who's just playing sports forfun.
Most pediatricians andnutritionists would agree that
children under 18 should focuson good nutrition, skill
development and safe trainingpractices first.
(06:32):
Creatine might be consideredfor a mature teen athlete who's
in serious competitive sportsand already has a
well-structured program and diet.
And even then it should stillbe done with parental consent,
coaching oversight and withinrecommended doses.
The typical scenario may be a16 or 17-year-old football
(06:53):
player or swimmer who's at anational level of
competitiveness, looking for alegal performance edge, and
under those circumstancesexperts say creatine is
generally fine.
Talk to your knowledgeable adultcoach, doctor, dietitian before
starting and remember creatinereally works if you're putting
in hard work in your training.
If you're a teenager, sittingon the couch taking creatine is
(07:14):
just not very helpful, and we'llexplain in the exercise section
later.
So how about young adults, sayfrom 18 to 30 years old, okay,
this is the group that mostcommonly uses creatine.
If you're in your late 20s,early 30s, into weightlifting
sports, crossfit, creatine isbasically a staple supplement,
and for good reason.
This is the life stage wheremany people are pursuing peak
(07:38):
performance in muscle gains andcreatine can reliably help with
those gains.
What can young adults expectfrom creatine?
Increased strength and power.
Research has shown that youngadults taking creatine can lift
heavier weights, perform betterin high-intensity workouts than
those who don't.
It allows your muscles to domore work over weeks and months,
which translates into bettertraining adaptations.
(07:59):
Secondly, creatine has shown toimprove recovery between bouts
of intense exercise.
It helps replenish energyfaster, so you may feel slightly
less wiped out between sets andpotentially less sore the day
after.
Some evidence even suggestscreatine can reduce muscle cell
damage and inflammationpost-exercise, aiding recovery.
(08:19):
Many athletes report lessmuscle soreness, although
individual experiences may vary.
But what about the side effectsor downsides for young adults?
Honestly, there's very little.
The most noticeable thingathletes report is weight gain
from water retention, and that'sthe facial bloat that I
mentioned at the beginning ofthe podcast.
Creatine pulls water into yourmuscle cells, which is how it
(08:41):
works to increase muscle volume.
So you might see the scale goup by one to three pounds in the
first week or two, and that'snot fat gain.
It's mostly water and possiblya little bit of new muscle.
Your muscles may look a littlebit fuller, and for most young
people that's not an issue, butif you're in a sport with weight
classes or you have to bemindful for extra weight, such
(09:01):
as wrestling or gymnastics, it'ssomething to consider.
Other than that, as long as youstay hydrated and stick to the
recommended 3-5 grams a day,creatine is extremely low risk
for healthy young adults.
Okay, so how aboutperimenopausal women, say in
your early 40s or 50s?
Now, this is a group that untilrecently, didn't get much
(09:22):
attention in creatine research.
These are women who areexperiencing the hormonal
changes leading up to menopause.
Recent research has suggestedthat creatine might offer some
unique benefits for women inthis stage of life in terms of
muscle, bone and even brainhealth.
During perimenopause, asestrogen levels decline, women
often start to lose muscle massand bone density at an
(09:45):
accelerated rate.
Athletes might notice itbecomes harder to maintain
strength, or their workoutsleave them more fatigued than
before.
And here's where creatine canhelp.
Supplementation, especiallycombined with resistance
training, can help counteractperimenopausal related muscle
and strength loss.
In fact, some studies in periand postmenopausal women have
(10:07):
shown that taking creatine whiledoing strength exercise leads
to greater improvements inmuscle function and even bone
density compared to exercisealone.
Women tend to have lowernatural creatine stores than men
to begin with.
One source suggests women mayhave 70 to 80 percent less
creatine stored in their muscleson average.
(10:29):
Partly that's because mengenerally have more muscle mass.
But diet can also play a roleif a woman eats less red meat
than a man, which results inless dietary creatine.
So by supplementing, womenmight actually experience a
relatively bigger boost in theirmuscle creatine levels, which
could translate into noticeablyimproved performance and energy
(10:51):
benefits.
Many women report feelingstronger, having better workout
endurance when they startcreatine, which makes sense if
they're starting with lowerstarting stores.
Now, beyond muscle and bones,there's also a potential brain
benefit too.
Some small studies indicatecreatine might help with
cognitive function, things likememory or mental fatigue, which
(11:14):
can be affected during themenopausal transition.
Creatine is used by brain cellsfor energy, just like muscle
cells, but researchers havelooked at whether it can
alleviate the brain fog someperimenopausal women experience.
While more research is needed,early results are promising.
Creatine supplementation hasshown improvements in short-term
(11:35):
memory and overall cognitiveprocessing in middle-aged adults
.
There's even ongoing researchinto mood improvement, since
menopause can bring mood swingsor mild depression, and creatine
might have some role insupporting brain energy
metabolism linked to mood.
We can't make any definitiveclaims yet, but it's a
(11:55):
fascinating area, importantlyfor women worried about bulking
up or creatine making them looktoo muscular.
Fear not, creatine is not ahormone and it won't suddenly
turn you into a bodybuilder.
A hormone and it won't suddenlyturn you into a bodybuilder.
You'd need heavy training and alot of food to try to achieve
that.
What creatine will do is helpyou preserve lean muscle and
(12:16):
strength, which is critical forhealth as we age.
Now, for those athletes in themiddle age range around 40s and
50s, which we've partly coveredwith women, creatine can be
viewed as a maintenance andprevention supplement.
As we progress into our fourthand fifth decades.
We will start losing somemuscle mass every year and our
(12:37):
strength and power declinegradually.
We might not bounce back fromhard workouts as quickly as we
did when we were 20, but this iswhere creatine plus exercise
can help to slow down theseage-related declines.
If you're a middle-aged athletegetting into strength training
for the first time, it can giveyou a nice boost with your new
gains and it can help you buildmuscle a bit faster.
(12:58):
If you've been a long-timeathlete, it can help you hang on
to those performance levels fora little bit longer.
However, exercise is key.
Creatine augments the benefitsof exercise.
Studies in adults in their 50shave shown that those who did
resistance training and tookcreatine gain more muscle and
strength than those who did thesame training with a placebo.
(13:21):
It's the combination that workssynergistically.
The emerging evidence has shownthat creatine might help all
middle-aged adults with mentalsharpness, memory and reduce
mental fatigue, especially insituations of stress or sleep
deprivation.
And there have been somestudies in middle-aged adults
and older which have shownimproved memory recall.
(13:43):
Now, for older adults aged 60and up, creatine might be
helpful too.
Now you may wonder why a70-year-old would need to take
creatine, but sarcopenia, whichis that loss of muscle mass and
strength, accelerates in your70s and 80s, that reduced muscle
mass and strength means reducedmobility, higher risk of falls
(14:06):
and potentially lessindependence higher risk of
falls and potentially lessindependence.
Research on adults over 60 havefound the same results, where
those who do resistance traininglike weightlifting or
bodyweight exercises, and takecreatine gain more lean mass and
strength than those whoexercise without creatine, and
you may not have to do heavyback squats or sprints.
(14:27):
There was one study in seniorswhich showed taking creatine
while doing light exerciseimproved grip strength and lower
body strength compared to justexercise alone.
The improvements may be alittle more modest than in
younger ages, but at this stagea little more strength can mean
the difference betweenconfidently climbing stairs or
(14:47):
struggling with them.
And something that's extremelyimportant for people over 60 is
that supplementation withcreatine might also help
cognitive functions such asshort-term memory and reasoning.
There may be someneuroprotective benefits where
creatine helps protect nervecells from damage at this age,
and creatine supplementation hasbeen explored as a possible
(15:10):
co-treatment inneurodegenerative conditions
such as Parkinson's and dementia, but the results are still
pending.
The point is creatine isn'tjust for athletic performance.
In older adults it may alsohelp the mind stay sharp, which
may be even more important as weage.
One cautionary point is thatolder people may have reduced
(15:31):
kidney function, which meansthey should definitely consult
with their physicians beforeconsidering creatine
supplementation.
So, just as a reminder for allage groups and all situations,
creatine works if somebodyexercises.
If you take creatine and sit onthe couch, you are not suddenly
going to grow muscles or getstronger.
(15:51):
Your muscles need to bestimulated through exercise to
help use that extra energysupply that creatine provides.
One researcher put it this waycreatine stored in the muscle is
like having a bigger gas tankfor high-power activities, but
if you never drive the car,having that bigger gas tank
(16:12):
really doesn't matter.
Alright, let's discuss othersupplements that may have
synergistic effects withcreatine and are commonly taken
alongside it, which is oftentermed a stack.
In the fitness and nutritionworld, this is probably the most
popular combo creatine andprotein.
They serve different purposes,so they complement each other
well.
Creatine boosts your immediateexercise performance and
hydration in muscles, whileprotein, like whey protein or a
(16:34):
high-protein diet, provides theamino acids needed to repair and
build your muscle afterexercise.
So taking them together, suchas a post-workout shake that has
protein and a scoop of creatine, can be convenient and
effective.
In fact, having your proteinand carbs with your creatine
might even help shuttle thecreatine into your muscles a
little bit better by spikingthat insulin.
(16:55):
Insulin can increase creatineuptake into muscle.
So even on its own, creatinedoes work, but adding some
protein and carbs to it mightoptimize the muscle uptake
slightly.
Let's talk about branched chainamino acids, or BCAAs.
These are sometimes taken formuscle recovery or to prevent
muscle breakdown during workouts.
Again, like protein, there's nodirect interaction with
(17:18):
creatine, but you can take themtogether safely, and BCAAs serve
a different niche.
Many pre-workout mixes orintra-workout mixes that
strength athletes take mightcontain both BCAAs and creatine.
Okay, how about beta-alanine?
So beta-alanine is anothersupplement that helps
performance, but in a differentway.
(17:39):
Alanine is another supplementthat helps performance, but in a
different way.
Beta-alanine increases musclecarnosine levels, which helps
buffer acid in muscles and canimprove high-intensity endurance
.
So stacking beta-alanine withcreatine is very common in
strength and power sports.
Research suggests that thiscombination can lead to greater
improvements in lean muscle massand body fat reduction than
creatine alone.
(17:59):
Can lead to greaterimprovements in lean muscle mass
and body fat reduction thancreatine alone, and one study on
football players found that thegroup taking creatine plus
beta-alanine gained more leanmuscle mass and lost more fat
over 10 weeks than just takingcreatine or just placebo.
So the hypothesis is thatcreatine helps with the
immediate power and strength.
Beta-alanine helps sustain highintensity effort and delay
fatigue, and so together youcould train harder and longer.
(18:23):
This is very popular amongstCrossFit athletes or anyone
doing repeated high-intensityintervals.
Now if you do try this combo,just be aware that beta-alanine
can cause a harmless tinglingsensation on the skin, which is
normal, and it might help tojust spread out the dose to try
to mitigate this sensation.
Okay, so let's talk aboutcaffeine and creatine.
Some early studies years agosuggested that taking caffeine
(18:46):
and creatine together mightblunt some of creatine's effects
or cause more dehydration.
But more recent understandingis that they don't significantly
interfere with each other.
In fact, many pre-workoutsupplements combine caffeine and
creatine because caffeine givesyou that immediate alertness
and power output, while creatinesupports your short-term energy
(19:08):
supply.
A recent review noted nonegative impact on performance
when combining caffeine andcreatine, and possibly some
enhanced power in some cases.
So if you like taking caffeinebefore training and take
creatine daily, you don't haveto separate them.
Just be aware that bothcaffeine and creatine may have
some diuretic effects, so youhave to stay hydrated.
(19:29):
If taking creatine and caffeinetogether causes stomach upset,
you may have to separate thetimes of day.
But functionally, if you likeyour cup of coffee or your
Celsius and you like taking yourcreatine supplementation, there
are no problems with that.
So one of the most popularsupplements now are electrolytes
or hydration aids.
Since creatine increases waterretention in muscles, it is wise
(19:50):
to ensure you're getting enoughfluids and electrolytes sodium,
potassium, magnesium which I'vetalked about in a previous
podcast especially if you'retraining hard.
So some people will takeelectrolyte drinks along with
their creatine, particularly inhot weather or intense training
cycles, to make sure that thatextra water being pulled into
their muscles isn't leaving themdehydrated elsewhere.
(20:11):
It's a little bit of abalancing act, but it's nothing
complicated.
Basically, drink waterregularly, eat a balanced diet
and you should be fine.
If you feel you need additionalhydration, an electrolyte drink
is totally acceptable.
Okay, so let's talk about HMB,another strength supplement.
Hmb, orbeta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate
(20:31):
, is another supplement which isa metabolite of leucine, an
amino acid that some olderadults and bodybuilders use to
prevent muscle breakdown.
Hmb can be used with creatine,although the evidence is mixed.
Unless you're doing veryintense training or you're in a
caloric deficit, there's no harmin combining HMB and creatine,
(20:53):
but the efficacy of HMB is notas universally supported by
research as creatine is.
There are also a number ofother supplements, such as
citrulline for blood flow orincreased pump, tart cherry
juice for recovery or vitamin Dfor general health, which all
have their own roles and wewon't discuss their efficacy
(21:13):
here.
But there is no direct conflictwith creatine if you so choose
to take any of these othersupplements at the same time.
So to go into detail about oneother mention I made earlier in
the podcast, creatine withcarbohydrates.
When we intake carbs, ourinsulin levels increase, which
can help drive creatine intomuscles.
There were some oldersupplement protocols that
(21:35):
suggested taking creatine withgrape juice or a sugary drink
for better absorption.
Now it's true that addingsomething like this can cause a
bigger spike in insulin, whichcan increase creatine uptake by
muscles.
But recent studies havesuggested that as long as you
take creatine consistently, yourmuscles will saturate over time
regardless.
So if you're an enduranceathlete or someone who eats a
(21:57):
lot of carbs already, you'reprobably getting that insulin
spike anyway during the day.
If you're on a low-carb diet,creatine still works, but it
might take a little longer toload fully At the end of the day
, as long as you'resupplementing with creatine
regularly, your muscles willsaturate and that insulin spike
may not be necessary.
All right.
(22:18):
So if you decided to takecreatine, how do you choose from
the five bajillion creatinesupplements on the market?
Here are a couple of guidelines.
The first is that it should becreatine monohydrate.
There are many other forms ofcreatine, but the vast majority
of research and the studiedbenefits have been with creatine
monohydrate.
This is the form proven toincrease muscle creatine levels
(22:40):
and improve performance.
Other forms may claim betterabsorption or no loading phase
needed, but none of them haveconclusively outperformed
straight-up creatine monohydratein independent studies.
Some other forms, such ascreatine hydrochloride, for
example, might dissolve easieror may be gentler on the stomach
(23:00):
for some people, but they tendto be much more expensive.
So for most people, a micronizedcreatine monohydrate, which is
basically creatine monohydrateprocessed into a very fine
powder, is ideal.
It's effective, affordable,easy to mix.
So unless you have a specificissue with monohydrate, you can
ignore all the other forms thatare out there.
(23:21):
One thing to look for is thepurity of the creatine
monohydrate.
Some forms use a patented formcalled Creapure, which is made
in Germany and known for itsextremely high purity 99.9% with
minimal impurities.
The supplement does not have tobe a branded creatine, but
Creapure can be a mark ofquality.
(23:42):
Personally, I have been usingOptimum Nutrition Micronized
Creatine Monohydrate Powder, butI now plan to switch to Fit8
Essentials Creatine Powder,which is made from CreaPure and
is third-party tested.
Avoid supplements that have alot of different additives.
If you see extras such asfillers, artificial colors or
some other proprietary blend,that's probably unnecessary.
(24:03):
You want a product that's beentested for purity or
contaminants.
Certifications such as NSF,certified for sport, informed
choice or USP can be helpful forguidance.
Products that have beenindependently tested are
certified to contain what itsays it does on the label and
not contain things such as heavymetals or banned substances.
If you are a professionalathlete, you may want to stick
(24:24):
with an NSF certified for sportssupplement.
Currently, the website listsFirst Form, c4, thorne and a
host of other companies withcreatine supplements available.
How about form factor?
Is the powder better than thepill?
Creatine most commonly comes asa flavorless powder.
You mix it in water juice or ina shake, and this is usually
(24:45):
the cheapest way to buy it andit works perfectly.
That's the way I use it.
If you're someone who hatesmixing powders, creatine
capsules or chewable tablets arealso on the market, just note.
You'll probably have to take ahandful of those pills to get a
full 5 gram dose.
There's really no difference ineffectiveness, it's purely
preference.
I prefer the powder mix into asmoothie every day post-workout,
(25:06):
but whatever works for you isprobably fine.
However, you may want to avoidliquid creatine shots.
Pure creatine is not verystable in liquid.
Over long periods they tend todegrade, so it's probably better
to stick to some powder and mixit fresh.
How about loading creatine?
When you first start, somecreatine products or guides
mention a loading phase whereyou have to take 20 grams a day
(25:30):
for five to seven days toquickly saturate your muscles,
then drop to five grams a day.
You can do this and it is safe,but it's not strictly necessary
.
You can simply take five gramsa day and after three to four
weeks and your muscles willreach the same saturation point
as if you had done loading.
Loading can give youperformance benefits within a
week, while no loading does takea few weeks.
(25:52):
You can load four doses of fivegrams spread throughout the day
for a week.
However, a lot of people doreport some stomach discomfort
with that loading phase andsince they plan on taking it for
a long period of time, takingthat five grams a day for a
month is totally fine.
Is there a specific time whenyou should be taking creatine in
the day?
Honestly, timing isn't verycritical of creatine.
(26:14):
Some people prefer post workoutwith their shake, like me.
Some people will take itpre-workout.
Some people take it first thingin the morning.
As long as you're consistentwith your regimen, do what works
for you.
There might be a littleevidence that taking it around
your workout before or aftermight be marginally better than
completely separate from yourworkout, because your blood flow
(26:34):
to your muscles might be higheraround your workout time and if
you eat around your workouttime, that might help uptake.
But that difference is minor.
Consistency is more importantthan timing.
Take it every day at a timethat you won't forget.
I can't emphasize enough aboutstaying hydrated.
Creatine drives water into themuscles, which means you're
(26:55):
going to have to stay hydrated.
Now, for CrossFit athletes, Iwould say creatine is a
must-have.
Most CrossFit workouts or WODsinvolve short, intense bursts of
activity 100-meter sprint, maxeffort cleans.
30-second all-out row sprint.
Now these efforts rely heavilyon the phosphocreatine energy
(27:16):
system, which is the same onethat creatine fuels.
So by supplementing creatine,you can improve your capacity in
these explosive-type movements.
One CrossFit-focused articlenoted that studies show creatine
can increase ATP production byup to 40%.
Now, while creatine is not anendurance supplement in the
classic sense, longer CrossFitmed cons are usually more
(27:38):
high-intensity, interval-typeendurance, not very slow and
steady marathon-type workouts.
So creatine can help withrepeated sprint ability and some
WODs involve intervals orrepeated high-power outputs with
short rests.
So while creatine is not anendurance supplement per se, it
may help you during thesehigh-power outputs over longer
(28:00):
interval type of workouts.
So, in conclusion, creatine is asafe, effective supplement for
improving high intensityexercise performance, supporting
muscle health across a widerange of people.
It's been backed by decades ofresearch and real world use.
It will help you train harderand recover better by boosting
your muscles energy supply.
All healthy age groups canbenefit Young adults, women in
(28:23):
perimenopausal transition andseniors.
You do need to exercise.
It is the catalyst for creatine.
You can combine othersupplements generally without
issue.
Stick to a reputable productwith third-party testing.
Make sure it's creatinemonohydrate and whether you take
a loading dose or a regulardose, five grams a day
eventually will be what youwould need to take.
(28:44):
Have you taken creatine andhave you noticed a difference?
What brand do you prefer?
I'd love to hear your personalexperiences with it, success
stories or even maybe why youdidn't want to take it.
As always, please like andsubscribe wherever you catch the
podcast, and thank you againfor listening to Botox and
Burpees.
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