“Mental performance increases pretty measurably with creatine supplementation.” -Joe Rogan

The benefits of creatine:

 

  1. Cognitive Performance/Neuro protective

As mentioned in numerous studies, creatine has shown to boost cognitive tasks compared to baseline including those who have been sleep deprived. The difference between those sleep deprived and no creatine and sleep deprived with creatine was staggering.

Not only does creatine boost performance of mental tasks, it has been shown to accelerate recovery even of those having a concussion. The evidence is so strong that there are now recommendations for those who participate in high impact activities to take creatine even in the absence of injury. There is also evidence of decreased morbidity in spinal cord, cerebral ischemia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in animal models.

  1. Safety

Creatine has repeatedly been shown to be safe for adults throughout the lifespan including elderly adults. There are myths out there that creatine may cause kidney issues or dehydration, but at recommended dosages (3-5g daily of Creatine Monohydrate), data consistently shows that this is not the case.

  1. Loading Phase is NOT needed

Some people believe that one must first induce a loading phase of creatine which is 20-25g over a 5-to-7-day period to then have the maximum benefits of creatine. However, studies have shown that a daily regimen of 3-5g of creatine will provide the same benefits. While the time needed to reach maximum potential of creatine will be longer than one week, the decrease in likelihood of side effects/health issues related to taking 20-25g of creatine win out.

  1. Recovery time

Taking creatine can accelerate recovery time for in multiple activities; not just those traditionally mentioned such as weight lifting and other short burst activities. Those engaged in extended activities such as distance running can also see a boost in recovery time.

5. Females also benefit!

Like their male counterparts, females across multiple physical activities can see a boost not only in their performance, but also in their recovery time as well. What is most interesting is that there is some evidence that creatine may also be beneficial in pregnant females as well (WARNING: Any pregnant female should check with their doctor before taking ANY supplement) in that the likelihood of complications could be reduced for both mom and baby.

  1. Monohydrate is still KING

As time has gone on, various changes to creatine’s side chain have emerged to make creatine more bioavailable. The most popular form is creatine hydrochloride (HCl). The thought is that the HCl side chain is more soluble compared to Creatine Monohydrate (monohydrate means one molecule of water, H2O). To this point, there have not been enough studies to support emerging forms of creatine being superior to creatine monohydrate.

7.  Older adults also benefit

Older adults have various issues related to an aging musculoskeletal system. Creatine, along with resistance training has been shown to not only increase muscle strength, but also prevent fractures from falls. What is even more interesting is that older adults who did NO resistance training also saw a boost in strength though this was only shown in short term studies. What was demonstrated repeatedly was a decrease in muscle fatigue after utilizing creatine which aided activities of daily living.

Bonus: There are vegan options for creatine which makes it suitable across a variety of diets.

Get your creatine by clicking here. 

 

reference: Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

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