June 4, 2023 • 13 mins
Creatine is a popular supplement in the fitness world. Touted for increasing performance and strength gains, rumored to ruin your kidneys and make your a water-retaining sea cow. Are any of these claims true? We look to the science for answers!
Show Notes:
3:07 - Creatine: State of the Science at the Millennium - https://www.creightonprep.creighton.edu/uploaded/Athletics_Page/Weight_Room/Supplement_Info/creatine.pdf
4:00 - Creatine Supplementation - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas-Trojian/publication/249320351_Creatine_Supplementation/links/5a85a236aca272017e560cba/Creatine-Supplementation.pdf?_sg%5B0%5D=started_experiment_milestone&origin=journalDetail
5:30 - Creatine Supplementation - https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Citation/1999/08000/Creatine_Supplementation.3.aspx (download the pdf to view article)
7:37 - Does long-term creatine supplementation impair kidney function in resistance-trained individuals consuming a high-protein diet? - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/1550-2783-10-26
7:39 - Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-011-0878-2
8:26 - Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Body Weight and Percent Body Fat - https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2003/11000/Creatine_Monohydrate_Supplementation_on_Body.30.aspx
8:26 - Creatine Supplementation - https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2013/07000/creatine_supplementation.10.aspx
9:10 - Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022465203458
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
welcome to Primedy where we find simple techniques to help address modern problems for our primitive
bodies today we'll be discussing creatine supplements supplements are commonplace here in
the United States almost all supplements Proclaim to offer some benefit whether it's improving
performance improving metabolism for weight loss or enhancing beauty while most seldom live up to
(00:23):
their claims being largely unregulated and hard to hold accountable for deceptive practices or claims
supplement companies stand to gain much while not having to bother with actually providing
results assuming their product doesn't actually bring harm that is however supplements continue
to be a thriving business because there are products and compounds that do confer benefit
(00:45):
today we're going to look specifically at creatine does it work how much is needed
to be effective is there timing involved can you consume too much does it make you fluffy
we will find out today my name is Andrew Pafford and I'm a health and wellness professional with
over a decade of experience helping Olympic level athletes desk jockeys and seniors achieving their
(01:08):
goals and improving their quality of life our goal with Primedy is to find simple at-home techniques
and strategies rooted in science to help you with your health related goals our information is meant
to be descriptive not prescriptive we will always recommend that you talk to your appropriate health
professional before making any serious changes to your routines Now setting the stage creatine is a
(01:32):
compound that your body already makes it plays a couple pivotal roles in energy metabolism starters
it is the primary energy source in many explosive movements by way of bonding with phosphate to form
creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine creatine itself is a stable compound so it is energetically
easy to knock off the phosphate bonded to it and when chemical bonds are broken energy is
(01:57):
released this means creatine can create a lot of energy very quickly making it ideal for explosive
movements this also means it is depleted very quickly and thus why our explosive movements
tend to become less explosive after about 10 seconds or so depending on your level of training
(02:17):
this is important to remember because this is one of the main factors why creatine is sought
after as a supplement if I can be more explosive in my training or weightlifting I can not only
improve my performance but I can also become more efficient with my training in hopes that I can get
stronger in that regard as well if I'm able to train harder I'm able to get more gains creatine
(02:41):
is also formed from the amino acids glycine Arginine and the methionine in the liver this
means that the body is quite capable of producing its own endogenous creatine provided of course
there's enough amino acids to go around but for our purposes what of exogenous creatine or rather
(03:01):
can we absorb creatine made outside of the body indeed yes the literature shows the body is quite
capable of absorbing creatine directly through the small intestine and into the bloodstream this very
quickly answers one question of whether our bodies are even able to absorb creatine in supplement
form or from dietary sources such as meat now that we can supplement creatine how much is enough
(03:27):
body weight plays a role as is the case with most other medications and supplements and additionally
how much of a rush are you in like most exogenous compounds it takes time for the levels inside the
body to rise to an effective dose as such many starting creatine will go through a loading
(03:48):
phase where they will make they will take larger doses of creatine to help raise the levels inside
the body and then switch to a maintenance phase to Simply maintain those levels the data shows
approximately 0.3 grams per kilogram per day for about five to seven days is adequate for
(04:10):
a loading phase the maintenance phase then drops to 0.03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day
with which the maintenance phase can then last for weeks at a time if you aren't in a hurry it
is possible to Simply take the maintenance dose in the very beginning and creatine levels in the body
(04:32):
will eventually rise to the same levels as if you had gone through the loading phase albeit it'll
take a little bit longer while we're on the topic of phases there is one point I would like to make
in order to play Devil's Advocate as is was most things most things in the body our bodies like to
maintain balance having too much or too little of anything can be detrimental so our bodies
(04:56):
are constantly engaged in what we call Dynamic homeostasis of just about everything in our body
that said one concern is that our bodies like our creatine to be at a certain level and playing God
so to speak means that the body will act in ways to bring those levels back down namely
it might stop producing its own endogenous creatine production as an act to correct creatine
(05:23):
levels if you are making them higher than they already normally are your body will try to find
ways to bring it back down there are some concerns floating around in the science community that if
creatine is supplemented for too long the body could cease its own endogenous production long
enough that you might stop making it period even if you come off of the supplements now that is a
(05:48):
very doomsayer scenario there's no literature that proves that this is what happens in fact there are
some pieces whose participants supplemented for a number of years albeit cyclically whose blood and
urine markers were screened and showed no abnormal levels than what was expected provided the dose or
the phase that they were in but as a wise man once said just because you're paranoid doesn't
(06:12):
mean they're not out to get you so I would suggest adding a little cautionary wisdom to your usage
most athletic or training programs include a rest or a deload week this would be a great
time to cycle off-creatine and let your body get its own production going again just to make sure
everything works fine worst case scenario you save a little money on the days that you aren't having
(06:36):
to supplement and then you perform a loading phase when you get back to your training the next cycle
and your normal bodily functions are just fine so further on the topic of safety of creatine dosage
namely are there negative effects from consuming too much once creatine has lived out its useful
life it eventually breaks down into creatinine which it then Works its way into the blood and
(07:02):
is eventually filtered out by the kidneys and excreted through your urine scientists and doctors
are able to measure these creatinine levels to help determine your kidney function so it
stands to reason if someone is supplementing with creatine they will eventually have more creatine
turning into creatinine and therefore will be excreted so we can expect to see higher levels
(07:24):
this of course means there is technically an increased Demand on the kidneys as they will
be needing to squeeze out more creatinine in order to keep the body functioning
so can consuming too much creatine be harmful to the kidneys the data that currently exists shows
promising info that kidney function does not alter under extended use of creatine
(07:46):
what's more subjects in the study were on a high protein diet another lifestyle that is purportedly
touted to be hard on the kidneys yet even with both being in play the kidneys function reported
no change this would alleviate some concern about supplementing with creatine and hopefully being
on a high protein diet now another interesting tidbit is creatine also supposedly causes one
(08:12):
to retain water not a serious health concern but nonetheless information that seems to pop up quite
frequently out on the internet so individuals care enough to share so we care enough to find out
the literature does indeed show that the body does hold more water in the cells especially during the
(08:35):
loading phase of creatine in certain Sports we're making weight is important planning your creatine
supplement supplementation around weigh-ins may be important and thus crucial to know
now we've discussed a lot of the finer points and some of the myths about creatine
is it even absorbed how much does one need to take can it cause harm with extended use can it
(08:57):
make you fluffy by holding onto extra water but we've yet to really discuss does it work is it
even worth it well the resounding answer is yes we found one piece of literature that sought to
sample all of the current literature that they could find and examine 300 different studies and
(09:18):
experiments and found that 70 of the studies showed creatine did have a significant effect
on strength gains weight gain specifically lean mass so it's not going to make you fat
and performance in high intensity exercises note high intensity not long aerobic exercise
(09:40):
this and my eyes would say that yes supplementing with creatine could very well be a smart move when
considering one's physical fitness routine and goals and while I don't typically tout supplements
and usually encourage people to find more organic means of achieving their ends I want to discuss
this today to also make light of another area of concern for individuals that might may be shying
(10:04):
away from meat and animal products remember even though that we can produce our own creatine we
have to have adequate levels of glycine Arginine and methionine in order to produce it since many
plant products are already low in protein and subsequently amino acids and people who are
under vegan or vegetarian are not consuming meat and getting creatine from animal sources
(10:29):
making it exogenous protein this would prove to be a smart option to potentially supplement into
your regimen especially if you're trying to become a competitive vegan athlete in general it wouldn't
be a bad idea either to help maintain lean mass for those practicing veganism or vegetarianism now
(10:50):
today we discussed a great deal in a short amount of time not only does creatine have a critical
role within the body but also its Effectiveness as a supplement so let's go over some of the
Highlights today creatine is essential for a proper muscle functioning and metabolism
our bodies can produce our own endogenous creatine but we can also absorb it through diet like eating
(11:13):
meats or consuming supplements creatine is typically taken through a loading phase of 0.3
grams per kilogram of body weight per day for five to seven days and then tapered to a maintenance
phase of .03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for as long as needed afterward the loading
(11:36):
phase can be skipped it will just take longer for the creatine levels to get high enough in the body
to see benefit creatine dosing at the levels mentioned does not appear to have an effect on
the kidneys even with extended use supplementing with creatine can cause the user to hold water
so some weight gain is expected especially during the loading phase creatine has also been shown to
(12:02):
have a positive impact on strength gain lean mass gain and performance for high intensity exercises
retain may also be a viable option for vegans or vegetarians who do not get creatine in
their diet and might be deficient in amino acids to efficiently produce it themselves
that wraps up today's episode on supplementing with creatine hopefully we are able to
(12:27):
answer all your burning questions surrounding creatine and its Effectiveness as a supplement
we're always curious to hear what you're curious about so send us your questions
comments and feedback to info@primedy.org please make sure that you subscribe so that way you can
stay in the know of when our latest episodes drop we are also now on YouTube podcasts and
(12:48):
you can listen to us directly on our website at primedy.org and as always strength comes in
many forms from within and without so be strong to be useful take care everyone and stay strong
welcome to Primedy where we find simple techniques to help address modern problems for our primitive
bodies today we'll be discussing creatine supplements supplements are commonplace here in
the United States almost all supplements Proclaim to offer some benefit whether it's improving
performance improving metabolism for weight loss or enhancing beauty while most seldom live up to
(00:23):
their claims being largely unregulated and hard to hold accountable for deceptive practices or claims
supplement companies stand to gain much while not having to bother with actually providing
results assuming their product doesn't actually bring harm that is however supplements continue
to be a thriving business because there are products and compounds that do confer benefit
(00:45):
today we're going to look specifically at creatine does it work how much is needed
to be effective is there timing involved can you consume too much does it make you fluffy
we will find out today my name is Andrew Pafford and I'm a health and wellness professional with
over a decade of experience helping Olympic level athletes desk jockeys and seniors achieving their
(01:08):
goals and improving their quality of life our goal with Primedy is to find simple at-home techniques
and strategies rooted in science to help you with your health related goals our information is meant
to be descriptive not prescriptive we will always recommend that you talk to your appropriate health
professional before making any serious changes to your routines Now setting the stage creatine is a
(01:32):
compound that your body already makes it plays a couple pivotal roles in energy metabolism starters
it is the primary energy source in many explosive movements by way of bonding with phosphate to form
creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine creatine itself is a stable compound so it is energetically
easy to knock off the phosphate bonded to it and when chemical bonds are broken energy is
(01:57):
released this means creatine can create a lot of energy very quickly making it ideal for explosive
movements this also means it is depleted very quickly and thus why our explosive movements
tend to become less explosive after about 10 seconds or so depending on your level of training
(02:17):
this is important to remember because this is one of the main factors why creatine is sought
after as a supplement if I can be more explosive in my training or weightlifting I can not only
improve my performance but I can also become more efficient with my training in hopes that I can get
stronger in that regard as well if I'm able to train harder I'm able to get more gains creatine
(02:41):
is also formed from the amino acids glycine Arginine and the methionine in the liver this
means that the body is quite capable of producing its own endogenous creatine provided of course
there's enough amino acids to go around but for our purposes what of exogenous creatine or rather
(03:01):
can we absorb creatine made outside of the body indeed yes the literature shows the body is quite
capable of absorbing creatine directly through the small intestine and into the bloodstream this very
quickly answers one question of whether our bodies are even able to absorb creatine in supplement
form or from dietary sources such as meat now that we can supplement creatine how much is enough
(03:27):
body weight plays a role as is the case with most other medications and supplements and additionally
how much of a rush are you in like most exogenous compounds it takes time for the levels inside the
body to rise to an effective dose as such many starting creatine will go through a loading
(03:48):
phase where they will make they will take larger doses of creatine to help raise the levels inside
the body and then switch to a maintenance phase to Simply maintain those levels the data shows
approximately 0.3 grams per kilogram per day for about five to seven days is adequate for
(04:10):
a loading phase the maintenance phase then drops to 0.03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day
with which the maintenance phase can then last for weeks at a time if you aren't in a hurry it
is possible to Simply take the maintenance dose in the very beginning and creatine levels in the body
(04:32):
will eventually rise to the same levels as if you had gone through the loading phase albeit it'll
take a little bit longer while we're on the topic of phases there is one point I would like to make
in order to play Devil's Advocate as is was most things most things in the body our bodies like to
maintain balance having too much or too little of anything can be detrimental so our bodies
(04:56):
are constantly engaged in what we call Dynamic homeostasis of just about everything in our body
that said one concern is that our bodies like our creatine to be at a certain level and playing God
so to speak means that the body will act in ways to bring those levels back down namely
it might stop producing its own endogenous creatine production as an act to correct creatine
(05:23):
levels if you are making them higher than they already normally are your body will try to find
ways to bring it back down there are some concerns floating around in the science community that if
creatine is supplemented for too long the body could cease its own endogenous production long
enough that you might stop making it period even if you come off of the supplements now that is a
(05:48):
very doomsayer scenario there's no literature that proves that this is what happens in fact there are
some pieces whose participants supplemented for a number of years albeit cyclically whose blood and
urine markers were screened and showed no abnormal levels than what was expected provided the dose or
the phase that they were in but as a wise man once said just because you're paranoid doesn't
(06:12):
mean they're not out to get you so I would suggest adding a little cautionary wisdom to your usage
most athletic or training programs include a rest or a deload week this would be a great
time to cycle off-creatine and let your body get its own production going again just to make sure
everything works fine worst case scenario you save a little money on the days that you aren't having
(06:36):
to supplement and then you perform a loading phase when you get back to your training the next cycle
and your normal bodily functions are just fine so further on the topic of safety of creatine dosage
namely are there negative effects from consuming too much once creatine has lived out its useful
life it eventually breaks down into creatinine which it then Works its way into the blood and
(07:02):
is eventually filtered out by the kidneys and excreted through your urine scientists and doctors
are able to measure these creatinine levels to help determine your kidney function so it
stands to reason if someone is supplementing with creatine they will eventually have more creatine
turning into creatinine and therefore will be excreted so we can expect to see higher levels
(07:24):
this of course means there is technically an increased Demand on the kidneys as they will
be needing to squeeze out more creatinine in order to keep the body functioning
so can consuming too much creatine be harmful to the kidneys the data that currently exists shows
promising info that kidney function does not alter under extended use of creatine
(07:46):
what's more subjects in the study were on a high protein diet another lifestyle that is purportedly
touted to be hard on the kidneys yet even with both being in play the kidneys function reported
no change this would alleviate some concern about supplementing with creatine and hopefully being
on a high protein diet now another interesting tidbit is creatine also supposedly causes one
(08:12):
to retain water not a serious health concern but nonetheless information that seems to pop up quite
frequently out on the internet so individuals care enough to share so we care enough to find out
the literature does indeed show that the body does hold more water in the cells especially during the
(08:35):
loading phase of creatine in certain Sports we're making weight is important planning your creatine
supplement supplementation around weigh-ins may be important and thus crucial to know
now we've discussed a lot of the finer points and some of the myths about creatine
is it even absorbed how much does one need to take can it cause harm with extended use can it
(08:57):
make you fluffy by holding onto extra water but we've yet to really discuss does it work is it
even worth it well the resounding answer is yes we found one piece of literature that sought to
sample all of the current literature that they could find and examine 300 different studies and
(09:18):
experiments and found that 70 of the studies showed creatine did have a significant effect
on strength gains weight gain specifically lean mass so it's not going to make you fat
and performance in high intensity exercises note high intensity not long aerobic exercise
(09:40):
this and my eyes would say that yes supplementing with creatine could very well be a smart move when
considering one's physical fitness routine and goals and while I don't typically tout supplements
and usually encourage people to find more organic means of achieving their ends I want to discuss
this today to also make light of another area of concern for individuals that might may be shying
(10:04):
away from meat and animal products remember even though that we can produce our own creatine we
have to have adequate levels of glycine Arginine and methionine in order to produce it since many
plant products are already low in protein and subsequently amino acids and people who are
under vegan or vegetarian are not consuming meat and getting creatine from animal sources
(10:29):
making it exogenous protein this would prove to be a smart option to potentially supplement into
your regimen especially if you're trying to become a competitive vegan athlete in general it wouldn't
be a bad idea either to help maintain lean mass for those practicing veganism or vegetarianism now
(10:50):
today we discussed a great deal in a short amount of time not only does creatine have a critical
role within the body but also its Effectiveness as a supplement so let's go over some of the
Highlights today creatine is essential for a proper muscle functioning and metabolism
our bodies can produce our own endogenous creatine but we can also absorb it through diet like eating
(11:13):
meats or consuming supplements creatine is typically taken through a loading phase of 0.3
grams per kilogram of body weight per day for five to seven days and then tapered to a maintenance
phase of .03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for as long as needed afterward the loading
(11:36):
phase can be skipped it will just take longer for the creatine levels to get high enough in the body
to see benefit creatine dosing at the levels mentioned does not appear to have an effect on
the kidneys even with extended use supplementing with creatine can cause the user to hold water
so some weight gain is expected especially during the loading phase creatine has also been shown to
(12:02):
have a positive impact on strength gain lean mass gain and performance for high intensity exercises
retain may also be a viable option for vegans or vegetarians who do not get creatine in
their diet and might be deficient in amino acids to efficiently produce it themselves
that wraps up today's episode on supplementing with creatine hopefully we are able to
(12:27):
answer all your burning questions surrounding creatine and its Effectiveness as a supplement
we're always curious to hear what you're curious about so send us your questions
comments and feedback to info@primedy.org please make sure that you subscribe so that way you can
stay in the know of when our latest episodes drop we are also now on YouTube podcasts and
(12:48):
you can listen to us directly on our website at primedy.org and as always strength comes in
many forms from within and without so be strong to be useful take care everyone and stay strong
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