Creatine: What Cyclists Need To Know To Benefit From Creatine Supplementation

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
From the team at CTS, this is the Time Crunch
Cyclist Podcast, our showdedicated to answering your
training questions and providingactionable advice to help you
improve your performance, evenif you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, Coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches who makeup the team at CTS.

(00:27):
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
other coaches, and experts inthe field to provide you with
the practical ways to get themost out of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now, on to our show.

(00:54):
My short answer is it depends,but generally speaking, sure.
Especially if you compete inraces with sprint finishes, full
gas moments, or you just enjoydoing hard group rides or
training sessions with highintensity efforts.
But if you're not alreadymaximizing your aerobic training
volume or your missing trainingsessions, please don't think

(01:17):
that this is going to make upfor all of that.
And if you're more of an ultraathlete, like a 200-mile gravel
racer or 100-mile ultra runner,creatine won't give you a
performance boost at all.
However, it could provide somecognitive benefit and some
health benefit to almost anyone,especially vegans.

(01:37):
I'm Coach Adam Pulford.
This is a Time Crunch Cyclist,the podcast that takes
complicated topics and boilsthem down to short, actionable
advice.
Today we'll be talking aboutsupplementing with creatine
monohydrate for enduranceathletes.
Now, this is a topic I coveredback in 2023, before creatine
was getting super hyped, again,amidst all the popular

(02:00):
influencer types out there.
And for some reason, I'm seeingit everywhere right now, on
podcasts, in my feeds, andhearing from you, our listeners,
asking if you should be takingit.
My advice will be the same nowas then.
And yes, there are some directand indirect benefits for the
right endurance athlete, andit's a pretty cheap supplement.

(02:23):
So it gets the coach AP stamp ofapproval if you meet that
criteria.
But let's talk about somedisclaimers first.
I am not a doctor or adietitian, so take my advice as
a performance coach and curiousinvestigator of supplements with
over 20 years of helpingathletes navigate some decisions

(02:43):
like this.
Number two, if you want to hearfrom a great dietitian certified
to give professional advice likethis, listen to my episode with
Nicole Rubenstein, which iscalled Creatine for the Time
Crunch Cyclist, and that'sepisode number 161.
There we dive deeper into thewhy, how, when, and all things

(03:05):
about creatine.
Now, third, today I'll beproviding you with some cliff
notes of that discussion andalso share what I have learned
since.
And I'll give my best advice onthe intersection of training,
performance, and supplements.
So let's dive in.
When it comes to supplements,many people think or want to

(03:27):
think that there is a magicbullet or pill that will help
them increase fitness orperformance.
Nobody likes the dull, boringanswer, which is it takes hard
work, good rest, and time todevelop fitness and performance.
But that is the secret, if thereever was one.
And I want everyone to know thatmy best advice before taking any

(03:49):
supplement is to start with ahealthy diet of natural foods,
consume macronutrients in theproper amounts that match your
energy demands, and haveexcellent sleep habits.
If you do all that, plus reallygood training and resting
habits, you're doing 90%, maybe95% of what it takes to get fit
and increase your performance.
So if you're doing all of that,and if you're curious about

(04:12):
supplementation, we can now talkabout creatine.
The original question back in2023 was what are the best
supplements for an enduranceathlete to increase their
performance?
And I came up with these fivethings.
Number one, processedcarbohydrates in the two to one

(04:33):
or one to point eight ratio ofglucose to fructose.
That's a whole I mean I've donetons of podcasts on that, but
that's that's number one.
Number two, caffeine, numberthree, creatine, number four,
beta's or beetroot, and numberfive, beta-alanine, which are
that's different than beta's.
Many argue that processedcarbohydrate is not a

(04:54):
supplement, but in my opinion,and if you think about all the
powders, potions, and processedenhanced food items out there,
it's definitely in the realm ofsupplements.
Plus, compared to water alone inhigh-intensity time trials, race
scenarios, and peer-reviewedresearch papers, increased
exogenous carbohydratedefinitely increases
performance.
And it's the number onesupplement we all use.

(05:17):
Technically speaking.
So if you've been living under arock for the past five years and
that like just rocked yourworld, uh go back and listen to
any of my episodes oncarbohydrates and fueling for
the time-crunched athlete.
Heaps of information there.
Now, it and that too, processedcarbohydrates, is more important
than creatine, by the way.

(05:38):
I've since done podcasts oncaffeine, creatine, betalines
from beetroot, and beta-alanine,of which creatine is a very
well-researched and establishedsupplement to increase
performance in the non-endurancesport side of things.
But it's getting another look,especially in cycling, because
of its ability to helpanaerobically.
So now that we're all on thesame page and I've shared my

(06:01):
worldview on supplements, let'sdiscuss how creatine works,
potential benefits anddownsides, who should use it and
when, and then cut through someof the marketing hype of it all.
Creatine, how it works.
Creatine works primarily throughits effects on energy
metabolism.
Every cell in your body uses ahigh energy molecule called

(06:23):
adenosine triphosphate or ATP todo primary functions.
When ATP is used, it will lose aphosphate molecule and form ADP
and AMP.
That's adenosine diphosphate andadenosine monophosphate.
Creatine is stored in our cellsas creatine phosphate or CP.
Stored and available creatinephosphate provides an extra

(06:48):
phosphate molecule to regenerateADP to ATP, thus providing your
body with more energy andability to regenerate energy
more readily.
Okay, so it's kind of amouthful.
But remember that this is notjust the peripheral system,
meaning like skeletal muscle,but it's the whole body,
including the central nervoussystem.

(07:09):
So that's your brain, yourspine, your skin cell.
I mean, everything is using ATPin this ADP plus CP regeneration
cycle.
Okay?
Okay, so let's get away fromsome of the chemical biology now
and swing back to the potentialbenefits.
So now I will emphasize thatthis is potential benefits.

(07:31):
Okay.
We've got increased anaerobiccapacity, increased high power
repeatability, increasedglycogen rethysynthesis, and
reduced oxidative stress forendurance training, which may
enhance recovery aspects.
Now there's a really nicearticle from uh Oscar Zukendrup
that I would suggest reading foranyone.

(07:53):
It's it's like a five to sevenminute read.
Uh he organizes all theinformation really well.
Look for that one in the shownotes, but he covers how that
all those potential benefitscould be in cycling alone.
Okay.
Uh other sports, and I'll get tothat here in a minute, uh, have
a little bit of asterisk behindit.
There's also this increasedcognitive function, which again

(08:16):
goes back to uh the centralsystem, meaning the brain and
the spine being able to use thisATP to ADP plus CP rejuvenation.
Okay, so the brain is using ATPto do that.
If we have creatine phosphateavailable, it can replenish its
stores more quickly.
Finally, there's uh someprotection against concussion

(08:39):
symptoms and potentially quickerrecovery from uh concussion
impact.
Now I go into that with NicoleRubenstein in in episode number
161.
So for a deeper dive on that, gothere.
But essentially, when you hityour head real hard, if you
crash in a bike race, your brainis injured, it swells, it needs
to recover and repair.

(09:00):
And so, again, coming back tothis very uh, I'd say very high
level and dumbed down version ofhow I describe the ATP and ADP
plus CP kind of rejuvenationcycle, that is the premise for
your brain healing after aconcussion where creatine could
potentially have some benefitthere.

(09:22):
Okay, let's talk about thedownsides.
There is some weight gain, uhprimarily through water weight.
So as you start to use creatine,you could increase a little bit
of weight, but as soon as youstop using it, it usually goes
away as well.
And that's kind of the functionof water weight.
Uh, there's also some GI issues.
So especially in loading phasesor uh if you're not drinking

(09:44):
enough water with uh takingcreatine, especially for the
first time, you can get some gutrot.
And it is, it doesn't feelgreat.
So just make sure to drinkplenty of water if you're gonna
start taking uh creatine.
Now, hear me on this one.
There is no direct aerobicbenefit to endurance athletes,
and that is a downside if you'retaking it as an endurance

(10:06):
athlete.
Okay, it's it's all on theanaerobic side of things, okay?
That's the potential of usingthis, and it's not aerobically.
So steady state andweight-bearing competition like
running seems like it has nobenefit at all.
Again, go back and read thatarticle from Astra Zukendrup,
and he explains all in detailwhy that is.

(10:28):
So another downside is it's justanother thing to remember to
take, use, or manage, and it hasvery small potential gains.
Okay, so you could just bewasting your money and your time
and brain space trying to takethe supplement that could or
could not be useful for you.
Now, who should use this?

(10:49):
Athletes in high-intensitytraining cycle or athletes in
competition with anaerobicperformance determinants, that's
who should be taking it.
You know, finishing sprints,crits, mountain bike races,
cycle cross, and shorter roadraces.
Now, athletes who want potentialcognitive function, again,
maybe.
And also because creatine isfound in animal products like uh

(11:13):
beef, chicken, fish, eggs,vegans and vegetarians may
actually benefit more bysupplementing with creatine.
And then it's both from uh theperformance standpoint as well
as just the wellness and healthstandpoint.
Let's talk about who shouldn'ttake it.
Uh ultra athletes, so those whoare competing just to complete a

(11:35):
thing uh that is really long,let's just call it, I don't
know, over six hours, okay?
And having a relatively lowanaerobic performance aspect to
what they're doing.
So, like I said, you know, longdistance gravel racers, uh ultra
runners, and you if you're justgoing to complete the Basta
marathon, something like that.
You don't need to be jackingyourself on creatine for the

(11:58):
performance aspect.
Also, I, you know, for myathletes who's who are taking
it, I don't have them take itduring a transition or a base
phase.
Again, intensity is low.
Uh, we don't necessarily needit.
Some people might take themaintenance dose of three grams,
and I'll get into dosing here injust a second.
Um, for the cognitive benefitsor prevention against

(12:18):
concussion, which can happenanytime.
But overall, I think it's Ithink it's important to say you
don't need to be taking thisyear round if you're going to
take it at all.
And basically anyone with kidneyissues or pre-existing
conditions uh shouldn't betaking creatine.
So always check with your doctoror professional nutritionist
before you start taking a newsupplement.

(12:40):
Okay, so let's talk about how touse it.
Three to five grams of creatinemonohydrate daily.
You want to do this most of theyear.
No need to take it, like I said,during the transition or base
phase, in my opinion.
It's always good to cycle offsupplements for a while.
So if you are taking things forperformance or health or
something like that, it use thetransition period and the base

(13:02):
phase to maybe cycle off of thatand then come back to it when
the intensity or the density ofyour training picks back up.
Now, for endurance athletes inparticular, I don't suggest or
see the need for using a loadingphase.
Loading phase for creatine istypically 20 grams a day for
seven days.
Now, if you do the three to fivegrams per day for three to four

(13:26):
weeks, your body is fully loadedand you avoid the water gain and
potential stomach rot issuesthat I talked about.
I don't see the need to use ityour own unless you like the
cognitive benefits.
For my own athletes takingcreatine, which are only a very
few, by the way, theseguidelines are exactly what I
recommend to them asindividuals, and all of this

(13:48):
information has come fromworking with professional
dietitians and nutritionistslike Nicole Rubinstein, who I
already mentioned, KristenArnold, Dana Lis, as well as
reading the latest research, ofwhich I want to give a shout out
to examine.com.
They do a great job of providingsummaries on all supplements and
substances, along with backingit up with the latest research

(14:10):
so that you can understand howthings work.
Better and more accurate thanChatGPT, in my opinion.
So uh if you're a supplementnerd, I suggest checking them
out.
Again, that's exam.com, and I'lllink to them in our show notes
uh in our landing page.
All right, so let's talk aboutsome of the marketing bullshit
of creatine.

(14:31):
Okay, creatine is not the holygrail, it is not the fountain of
youth, it will not make you intoa sprint machine or two de
France winner.
You still need to train hard tomake the gains.
Creatine can marginably help onthe anaerobic side of things.
Now, you will also not increaseyour IQ, you will not increase

(14:51):
your VO2 max or your aerobiccapacity.
Additionally, I've heard on somepodcasts where they've been
claiming 10 to 15 grams ofcreatine in the afternoon makes
them feel ultra focused, andthey're skipping the caffeine
now.
I don't know.
I I mean, not for me, but Iwould say that with every
supplement out there, even theeffective ones, they have a high

(15:15):
rate of individuality and nuanceto them.
So go ahead and try it,experiment, but just know that
you might be getting some gutrot if you don't drink enough
water.
And if it doesn't work, you'rejust kind of peeing away some
creatine and some money alongwith it.
So the bottom line is thiscreatine is safe and one of the
most studied supplements outthere.

(15:36):
The benefits are mostly in thehigh intensity realm of things,
especially in non-endurancesport.
Some new studies are showing thepotential benefit in high
intensity for endurance events,especially in sprints and
repeatability of high poweroutputs.
If you already struggle tryingto hit your training volume and

(15:56):
training intensity, or have apoor diet, or have bad sleep
patterns, something like that,creatine's not gonna help you as
much as improving those aspectsof your life and your habits
first.
That's it.
That's our show.
Thank you to our listeners foralways chiming in with good
questions and topics, even ontopics I've already done before.
Things do change and evolve, andstaying up on the current,

(16:20):
latest of what works in thefield as well as in the lab is
what I try to do daily.
And I do feel like I can alwaysdeliver a better message than a
few years ago.
So I hope I've done that intoday's episode.
In fact, we've been doing thisweekly podcast for over five
years now.
So that's over 260 episodes,which is pretty wild when I

(16:42):
think about it.
But I wanted to mention that ifyou do have a specific question
like creatine or thresholdtraining or something like that,
simply go wherever you get yourpodcasts and search it up with
the phrase time crunched afterit, and you'll likely find an
episode or more on that topic.
For example, uh, you can takeVO2 Max Time Crunched, search

(17:04):
for that, and I think there'slike four episodes on that
alone.
So if you're a new listener, Isuggest going back into some of
those episodes as I think you'llfind some good stuff in there.
It may spur on some bigger, morespecific questions, and if so,
great.
Go over to trainwrite.combackslash podcast, click on ask
a training question, and send itover to me, and I'll do my best

(17:26):
to answer it on a futureepisode.
Speaking of which, I am batchingseveral new shows right now and
over the coming weeks.
So and I'm really excited aboutthem.
So be sure to come back eachweek so you don't miss any of
them.
Thanks again for listening andsee you back here again soon.
Thanks for joining us on theTime Crunch Cyclist Podcast.

(17:48):
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even more actionabletraining advice, head over to
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Each week you'll get in depthtraining content that goes
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That's all for now.

(18:09):
Until next time, train hard,train smart, train right.

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