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The Health Pulse
Creatine: Beyond the Gym | Episode 61
Think creatine is just for bodybuilders? Think again. In this eye-opening episode of The Health Pulse, we unpack the real science behind creatine—a naturally occurring compound that fuels your brain, supports cellular energy, and may even improve mental clarity, memory, and mood.
You’ll learn how creatine helps regenerate ATP, your body’s universal energy currency, and why this matters far beyond the gym. We explore who benefits most from supplementation—including vegans and vegetarians, older adults, those with chronic fatigue or brain fog, and individuals with depression, Parkinson’s, or post-viral fatigue conditions like long COVID.
We also bust common myths and highlight the decades of research supporting creatine’s impressive safety profile. Unlike temporary stimulants, creatine works by building true metabolic resilience—helping your brain and body function better at a cellular level.
If you’ve been feeling foggy, drained, or mentally sluggish, this episode might just uncover the missing piece in your energy and brain health strategy.
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Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for quick, actionable insights on health, wellness and diagnostics. Whether you're looking to optimize your well-being or stay informed about the latest in medical testing, we've got you covered. Join us as we break down key health topics in just minutes. Let's dive in.
Speaker 2:Okay, let's get into this. When you hear the word creatine, what's the first image that comes up?
Speaker 3:Oh, for most people Probably. You know protein shakes, gyms, bodybuilders.
Speaker 2:Exactly Gym culture, right, but what if that picture is, well, just a tiny corner of much bigger, maybe more surprising story?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
Speaker 2:Today we're doing a deep dive into creatine. It's one of the most studied supplements out there, used all over the world.
Speaker 3:Hugely studied.
Speaker 2:But its benefits go way, way beyond just building muscle. Our mission here is to really understand how creatine works as cellular fuel.
Speaker 3:That's a great quote from Dr Darren Kandow, leading researcher in the field cellular fuel. That's a great quote from Dr Darren Kandow, a leading researcher in the field Cellular fuel.
Speaker 2:It really captures it. We'll explore its role in things like mental clarity, brain health generally, energy levels, even how resilient your cells are day to day.
Speaker 3:It's fundamental really.
Speaker 2:Because, at its core, creatine helps your cells make ATP adenosine triphosphate.
Speaker 3:The body's main energy currency. You use it for everything.
Speaker 2:Literally everything right Thinking, moving, recovering but things like getting older, stress your diet, even getting sick.
Speaker 3:Yeah, all those can drain your ATP stores significantly.
Speaker 2:So in this deep dive, we'll look at how creatine can support cognitive performance, help with mood, focus, energy and benefit adults of all ages, not just athletes.
Speaker 3:That's the key takeaway shift we're seeing.
Speaker 2:We're here to clear up some myths, break down the science and show you why creatine might just be one of the simplest, safest and smartest supplements you're maybe not taking yet.
Speaker 3:It's definitely worth considering for a lot of people.
Speaker 2:So let's start right at the beginning. What exactly is creatine, this compound we're talking about? How does it actually work in our bodies?
Speaker 3:fundamentally, Okay, so creatine is well. It's fascinating because it's natural. Your body actually makes it.
Speaker 2:Oh right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, mainly in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. It uses three amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And once it's made or you get it from food its main job is super rapid energy production. It's stored right in your cells.
Speaker 2:Stored energy.
Speaker 3:Exactly so. When your body needs a quick energy burst, like lifting something heavy, running upstairs or even, you know, tackling a tricky problem, your cells burn that ATP.
Speaker 2:But that runs out fast.
Speaker 3:Very fast. Atp is limited and that's where creatine stored as phosphocreatine jumps in. Ah when ATP drops, phosphocreatine quickly donates a phosphate group, basically regenerating ATP almost instantly.
Speaker 2:Like a super fast recharging system.
Speaker 3:Precisely. It gives your muscles and your brain this really reliable, quick energy reserve exactly when they need it most.
Speaker 2:That paints a really clear picture. So where do we usually get it from? You mentioned food, I think I read. The average person gets about one to two grams a day, mostly meat and fish.
Speaker 3:That's spot on. Red meat and fish are the main dietary sources. Plus, our bodies make about another gram internally from those amino acids, and this is really important. It explains why vegetarians and vegans often have lower creatine stores.
Speaker 2:Ah, that makes sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and older adults too, their levels tend to drop. This can directly affect, you know, brain energy and muscle endurance, so they're actually prime candidates for considering supplementation.
Speaker 2:Interesting and most of it's in muscle right, Like 95 percent.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the vast majority, but that other 5%, it's absolutely critical. It's in your brain, liver, kidneys, other organs.
Speaker 2:So even that small amount in the brain is doing heavy lifting.
Speaker 3:Huge lifting In the brain. It's like a vital backup energy source. It helps neurons keep firing, even when you're stressed, sleep deprived or unwell. Wow, what's really striking now is that researchers see creatine as essential for neurological health. It's not just about athletic performance anymore.
Speaker 2:It really is like this cellular turbo boost. So, speaking of fueling the brain, what does this mean for things like mental clarity, feeling less fatigued, just overall cognitive resilience?
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, I mean, our brains are energy hogs, right?
Speaker 2:Totally Something like 20% of our body's total energy, but only 2% of the weight.
Speaker 3:Exactly so. When that brain energy supply dips, you absolutely feel it. That's your brain fog, your mental fatigue, maybe forgetfulness.
Speaker 2:We've all been there.
Speaker 3:And this is precisely where creatine can be so powerful. The research consistently shows it enhances brain performance, especially when energy demands are high.
Speaker 2:What kind of improvements are we talking about?
Speaker 3:Well, clinical studies show things like improved working memory, better reasoning skills, faster mental processing speed, less mental fatigue during tough tasks and better executive function. That's been seen in both younger and older adults.
Speaker 2:That's pretty broad.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and there was this one compelling randomized trial, I think, in psychopharmacology. It showed just five grams of creatine a day a significantly boosted memory and intelligence scores in healthy adults.
Speaker 2:Five grams a day. That's significant and thinking about. You know, people who don't eat meat vegetarians, vegans. You said they have lower baseline levels in the brain.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:So does supplementing show even bigger improvements for them, like in clarity or task performance.
Speaker 3:It absolutely does. Yeah, because they're starting from a lower baseline, the improvements can be well quite pronounced more noticeable.
Speaker 2:Makes sense.
Speaker 3:And it's not just about immediate performance. You know, there's growing evidence creatine might help protect against age-related cognitive decline.
Speaker 2:How so. By boosting energy production in brain cell mitochondria reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and supporting brain plasticity. Brain plasticity that's the brain's ability to adapt and learn Exactly.
Speaker 3:Its ability to form new connections, retain memories. There's even early research looking into its potential for conditions like Parkinson's, mild cognitive impairment, even major depressive disorder where energy deficits in the brain are common.
Speaker 2:Really Depression too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a study in Neuroscience Letters noted creatine improved mood and cognition in cases of treatment-resistant depression. The thinking is, it helps improve brain bioenergetics.
Speaker 2:So, okay, it's really clear Creatine isn't just fueling workouts, it's fueling focus, memory resilience. For anyone dealing with stress, maybe not sleeping enough, or just that everyday brain fog, it sounds like it could be a simple way to regain some clarity.
Speaker 3:It really could be.
Speaker 2:You know that feeling of being tired for no reason or struggling with brain fog, finding it hard to bounce back after stress. Maybe the issue isn't just motivation, Maybe it's cellular energy.
Speaker 3:That is such a crucial point. Creatine plays this pivotal role in how your body and your brain produce, store and use energy, especially when demand ramps up. And the emerging research is pretty clear Supplementation can help restore energy in people who aren't getting quite enough from their food, or maybe from sleep, or their own internal production isn't keeping up.
Speaker 2:Like with chronic fatigue.
Speaker 3:Exactly Chronic fatigue, whether it's from stress, illness, overtraining. It's often linked to mitochondria not working optimally. Atp depletion. Creatine acts like that backup battery system you mentioned.
Speaker 2:Helping cells recharge faster.
Speaker 3:Precisely. Research shows it can help reduce both physical and mental fatigue, improve energy availability in muscle and brain cells.
Speaker 2:You mentioned illness recovery.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it might even support people recovering from things like long COVID illness recovery. Yeah, it might even support people recovering from things like long COVID.
Speaker 2:There was a 2021 study suggesting creatine could help manage post-viral fatigue by supporting the mitochondria. Wow, that's a huge potential benefit for so many people right now. And thinking about mood, mood regulation needs stable brain energy too. Right, absolutely so. Could creatine also help people dealing with low mood, anxiety, maybe stress burnout or even just feeling emotionally off because of sleep deprivation?
Speaker 3:The potential is definitely there. It's fascinating. Some studies have shown creatine can even enhance the effects of antidepressants in certain cases.
Speaker 2:Really how.
Speaker 3:Well, the likely mechanism is by improving those brain bioenergetics. We talked about giving the brain the energy it needs to function better, regulate mood more effectively. But what's really important to understand here is that creatine isn't like caffeine or some other quick fix right. It doesn't just spike your nervous system. It's not a stimulant. No, it simply increases your baseline capacity to generate energy. So it builds resilience over time. Many people who use it consistently report feeling more stable, clearer, less drained, usually after a few weeks.
Speaker 2:Stable, clear, less drained. I like that. That brings us to a really important point, though.
Speaker 3:Safety.
Speaker 2:Yes, critical. For years, creatine kind of got a bad rap, didn't it? Myths about kidney damage, making you bloated, only being for men.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, those myths were persistent, but thankfully we now have decades of really rigorous clinical research.
Speaker 2:And what does that research say?
Speaker 3:It consistently shows, creatine is one of the safest, most thoroughly studied supplements available period.
Speaker 2:So the kidney damage thing.
Speaker 3:The science is very clear no evidence of kidney damage in healthy individuals, even using it long term is very clear no evidence of kidney damage in healthy individuals, even using it long term. It's safe for adolescents, adults, older people.
Speaker 2:Doses up to 10 grams a day have been studied long term without adverse effects. 10 grams is quite a bit more than the typical dose too.
Speaker 3:It is, and it doesn't raise blood pressure or negatively affect liver function either. There was a big review in 2020. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition basically concluded it's safe across the lifespan at recommended doses.
Speaker 2:OK, let's bust some specific myths. Then it causes kidney problems. That's incorrect.
Speaker 3:Incorrect. What happens is creatine use can raise blood creatinine levels slightly.
Speaker 2:Ah, creatinine, not creatine.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Creatinine is just a harmless byproduct of muscle metabolism and creatine breakdown. It gets filtered by the kidneys, so slightly higher levels aren't a sign of damage. But sometimes it gets misinterpreted on a lab test. If the doctor doesn't know, you're taking creatine.
Speaker 2:Good to know. Okay, what about it causes bloating or water retention? Is that true?
Speaker 3:That can happen, but usually only briefly and mainly if someone does a loading phase, what's?
Speaker 2:a loading phase.
Speaker 3:That's when people take higher doses, maybe 20 grams a day for five, seven days, to saturate their muscle cells really quickly. It's common for athletes, but for general health and brain benefits it's often not necessary at all.
Speaker 2:So without loading.
Speaker 3:Most people experience little to no water weight gain, especially if they're just taking a moderate, consistent dose like three to five grams daily. Any water retention is intracellular anyway inside the muscle cell, which is actually beneficial.
Speaker 2:OK, and the idea that it's only for men or bodybuilders.
Speaker 3:Completely untrue. We've already touched on this. But women, older adults, even children with certain medical conditions like muscular dystrophy, they can significantly benefit.
Speaker 2:Right. So for general health, brain benefits, what's the usual recommendation?
Speaker 3:Typically three to five grams per day is plenty. No loading phase needed.
Speaker 2:And how should you take it?
Speaker 3:It's usually best taken with food or maybe post-meal seems to help with absorption. And always make sure you're drinking enough water. Good hydration is important for cellular balance anyway.
Speaker 2:Good tip and anything else for someone starting out.
Speaker 3:Well, just general good practice, really. If you're starting any new supplement, especially if you have any underlying health conditions, it's always wise just to check in with your doctor, maybe retest kidney function, just to have a baseline and monitor.
Speaker 2:Makes sense. So bottom line creatine isn't just safe, it's one of the most evidence-based low-risk supplements we have.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and with proper context, like understanding the creatinine thing and maybe some basic monitoring, you can take it confidently so expert.
Speaker 2:when should someone actually consider taking creatine and what steps should they maybe take first, like testing? It's clearly not just for the gym crowd.
Speaker 3:Exactly, and lots of people who could benefit most might not even realize it's an option for them.
Speaker 2:So who are we talking about?
Speaker 3:Well, you might want to consider it. If, say, you eat very little meat or fish like vegetarians or vegans, or if you experience frequent mental fatigue, that brain fog we talked about, if you've been diagnosed with something like chronic fatigue syndrome, long COVID or burnout.
Speaker 2:Older adults too.
Speaker 3:Definitely Older adults who are noticing aid-related muscle loss, maybe some memory decline. Women, particularly in their 30s, 40s, 50s, experiencing maybe declining energy levels or finding recovery harder.
Speaker 2:Recovery from exercise or just life?
Speaker 3:Both really and anyone recovering from a significant injury, illness or a period of long-term stress.
Speaker 2:Because all these link back to cellular energy.
Speaker 3:Fundamentally, yes. Many of these symptoms trace back to low cellular ATP production, and that's exactly where creatine provides that critical support.
Speaker 2:Okay, and if someone decides they want to try it, especially if they do have some health issues, what about testing first? You mentioned kidney function.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Doing a few key blood tests can give you valuable insight and peace of mind. A basic kidney function panel that includes creatinine, BUN and EGFR just ensures your kidneys are filtering waste products properly Right Establishing that baseline. Exactly Checking electroly that baseline. Exactly Checking electrolytes is also good Sodium, potassium, magnesium. They're important for hydration and how your nerves and muscles work together. Creatine kinase, or CK, can sometimes be useful if you have a lot of unexplained fatigue or muscle soreness, just to check for underlying muscle breakdown unrelated to creatine.
Speaker 2:And liver function.
Speaker 3:Liver function tests like ALT and AST are often included in basic panels. They're optional maybe, but useful for assessing overall metabolic health.
Speaker 2:And getting these tests done is easier now right with at-home options.
Speaker 3:Oh, definitely. At-home testing services make it super convenient. You can often schedule a blood draw right at home, get your results online in a few days. You can often schedule a blood draw right at home, get your results online in a few days. It makes monitoring your kidney health and electrolytes before and during supplementation much simpler.
Speaker 2:So adding creatine could be a really powerful step for better energy, mood, brain clarity. But doing it safely and intentionally is key.
Speaker 3:That's it exactly.
Speaker 2:This is where that idea of smart supplementation starts with smart data comes in Knowing your baseline, tracking how your body responds, checking kidney function, electrolytes, energy markers it makes a huge difference in doing it safely and getting the most benefit.
Speaker 3:That's really the core message we want you to take away today. Creatine is well. It's a foundational nutrient for energy, focus, brain resilience. It's so much more than just a sports supplement. Its benefits are broad powering through mental fatigue, supporting healthy aging, helping people on specific diets or recovering from stress or illness. The evidence is strong and it's safe, it's affordable and it's effective for so many different kinds of people.
Speaker 2:Not just the athletes.
Speaker 3:Not just the athletes at all.
Speaker 2:So, as you go about your day, we want to leave you with something to think about, a question for maybe some self-reflection. Consider the parts of your daily life where you might feel drained. Maybe feeling tired for seemingly no reason, struggling with that persistent brain fog, or finding it really hard to bounce back after stress. Could those things be fundamentally linked to your cellular energy?
Speaker 3:And if they are, how might understanding that connection, maybe exploring something like creatine, open up new pathways, Pathways to feeling more well, stable, like we said, more clear and definitely less drained in your everyday life, in your everyday life.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning into the Health Pulse. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe and share it with someone who might benefit. For more health insights and diagnostics, visit us online at wwwquicklabmobilecom. Stay informed, stay healthy and we'll catch you in the next episode.
