Creatine

Super supplement or glorified gym dust?

Creatine. Over the past year, a lot of people have asked me about it—Do you take it? Are you going to write about it soon? They’ve tried it and say they’ve noticed results.

Supplementation hasn’t been a first-order priority for me. I’ve been more focused on the basics: exercise, food, and sleep.

But I do take a select few things. And with all the enthusiasts I’ve encountered, I’ve started to wonder—should creatine be one of them? Especially now, as I’m working to build more muscle.

Finally, my thoughtful friend KP bought me a tub of Creapure creatine.

So I downed my first dose—and sat down to figure out what I’ve just signed up for.

Good enough for them

I don’t usually dose first and research later. But in this case, I’d already noticed that three of the physiology and healthspan experts I follow—Dr. Stacy Sims, Dr. Peter Attia, and Dr. Rhonda Patrick—not only recommend creatine, but also take it daily themselves.

What is creatine, anyway?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. It’s stored mostly in your muscles, where it helps regenerate ATP—the molecule your cells use for energy.

It’s long been popular among athletes and gym-goers because it helps muscles do more work and recover faster. But now, research is showing that creatine may also support cognitive function and metabolic health, while helping protect against age-related muscle loss.

So its promise is both performance and prevention—it could help me feel better today, and slow down age-related decline in the decades ahead.

Sounds good—how do I get it?

Creatine is essential, and our bodies will step in to make it—especially for high-energy tissues like the brain and muscles.

We also get creatine from food, particularly animal protein like red meat and fish.

But just because we can make it and get some through our diet doesn’t mean we’re getting enough.

Whereas the amount shown to support performance and cognitive benefits is around 3–5 grams per day, our bodies can synthesise only about 1 gram a day. A steak delivers around 0.5 grams and vegetarian diets offer virtually none.

That’s what supplementation becomes interesting - especially for women, who tend to have lower baseline creatine stores to begin with.

Feel skeptical?

Me too, always. Especially when there’s something for sale. I looked into the quality of evidence:

Strength & performance - high confidence - this is where the benefits of creatine are most well established, especially when paired with resistance training.

Maintaining muscle mass - high confidence - flowing from the point above, by helping us grow and maintain muscle mass, creatine has been shown to help prevent age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). (If you need a reminder about why you really want to maintain muscle mass and avoid sacropenia, please re-read Essential Exercise)

Brain health - moderate confidence - Emerging research suggests that creatine supports cognitive performance, particularly under stress, sleep deprivation, or hormonal shifts like menopause.

Mood & mental health - low to moderate confidence - A small but growing body of research has indicated that creatine may reduce symptoms of depression, possibly due to its role in brain energy metabolism.

Are there downsides?

Creatine is widely regarded as safe for healthy people, at the recommended dose (3-5 grams daily). It’s one of the most well-researched supplements in the world, with thousands of studies conducted and decades of use in clinical and athletic settings.

A few people experience bloating or water retention when they first start taking it.

Really, I think the main downside is cost - both in time and money. Creatine isn’t wildly expensive, but the cost and time commitment of another daily habit will add up over years. If it’s crowding out foundational habits like exercise, good food and sleep, or causing financial pressure, I doubt it’s worth it.

Here's what I'm trialling

Reactiv brand “Creapure” Creatine Monohydrate, 5g daily after exercise, for one month.

Creapure is a patented form of creatine monohydrate—well-studied and used in many of the highest-quality supplements. It’s also what KP gave me, which made the decision easy (thanks again KP!).

I’ll stick with it for six weeks, which according to the research is long enough to detect changes in energy, strength, and recovery. I’ll also be paying attention to any shifts in mental clarity, focus, or mood.

Honestly, I’m skeptical that I’ll feel anything obvious—but let’s see.

If you’re already a creatine convert, I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed.

And in case you’re creatine curious, I’ll be sure to report back.

xx

Toni

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