Dave: [00:00:00] Creatine wrecks your kidneys. [00:00:02] Creatine, creatine, creatine, creatine, creatine, creatine. [00:00:04] But there [00:00:06] are now two decades of research in healthy [00:00:08] adults that say up to 10 grams a day has [00:00:10] no adverse kidney effects. New [00:00:12] attention on creatine to [00:00:14] supplement bodybuilders made famous in that [00:00:16] is now all the rage.
After [00:00:18] new article in the Wall Street Journal said it [00:00:20] could be key for improving your health. And [00:00:22] longevity Creatine's, not a [00:00:24] stimulant like caffeine at all. Your body [00:00:26] naturally makes about one gram of [00:00:28] creatine per day in your liver, your [00:00:30] kidneys, in your pancreas,
News: so it's a [00:00:32] natural hair occurring compound.
It's made up of three [00:00:34] different amino acids. Our body actually [00:00:36] makes about a gram of it per day from our [00:00:38] livers, our kidneys, our pancreas.
Dave: [00:00:40] Creatine helps to protect your mitochondria and it [00:00:42] actually helps with antioxidant [00:00:44] action. Stabilizing your cell membranes [00:00:46] is one of the most important things you can do [00:00:48] if you wanna live a very long time.
Some people [00:00:50] get really upset. When I mentioned that I [00:00:52] have increased my IQ by up to [00:00:54] 20 points, increasing short-term [00:00:56] memory and working memory [00:00:58] reliably increases IQ by 12 and [00:01:00] sometimes more points. Creatine increased [00:01:02] short-term memory tasks by 20%. Now, [00:01:04] when it comes to creatine, how much should you [00:01:06] take and when should you take it?[00:01:08]
Your listening to the [00:01:10] Human Upgrade with Dave aspr.[00:01:12] [00:01:14]
You may think [00:01:16] creatine is just for bodybuilders, [00:01:18] but imagine that same [00:01:20] molecule helping your brain power [00:01:22] through those late afternoon [00:01:24] meetings, maybe making your memory work better [00:01:26] before that big presentation, [00:01:28] or stabilizing your mood on a [00:01:30] stressful day or stressful day, [00:01:32] or even making your [00:01:34] bones work better.
And making your heart work [00:01:36] better. That's how [00:01:38] important creatine is, and it's because [00:01:40] it affects mitochondria in your cells and a [00:01:42] few other things. And this [00:01:44] matters right now in the world of biohacking [00:01:46] and longevity in a major way. [00:01:48] Actually, even in the world of consciousness, [00:01:50] nearly one in three [00:01:52] adults report brain fog [00:01:54] or just being really tired at least [00:01:56] once a week, and that's a [00:01:58] 2022 study.
The problem is, [00:02:00] that's reported, and [00:02:02] what I know about humans [00:02:04] is that we are the same as the sheep on my [00:02:06] farm. Sheep. If one of them is [00:02:08] sick, it'll hide inside [00:02:10] the herd. It will not show that it's sick [00:02:12] because it doesn't want to get kicked out. Humans are [00:02:14] the same way, so we're not gonna report [00:02:16] weakness unless it's really bad.
[00:02:18] So my data says that [00:02:20] 48% of people under age [00:02:22] 40 have early onset mitochondrial [00:02:24] dysfunction, and everyone over age 40 [00:02:26] has that. In other words, even if [00:02:28] you're not reporting brain fog, you probably have [00:02:30] some, and maybe you haven't noticed yet. [00:02:32] But creatine helps in a major way. [00:02:34] And creatine is not a [00:02:36] stimulant like caffeine at all.[00:02:38]
Bodybuilders have used it for a [00:02:40] very long time because it [00:02:42] helps you to get water into muscle, which makes 'em [00:02:44] look bigger, and it increases muscle power. [00:02:46] And what we know now [00:02:48] is that creatine works inside your cells, [00:02:50] mitochondria inside the [00:02:52] phosphocreatine system, and it helps [00:02:54] the cells do a better job of [00:02:56] regenerating a TP And.[00:02:58]
Well, you know, if you've [00:03:00] read any of my books, especially my [00:03:02] brain book called [00:03:04] Headstrong, or my longevity book, superhuman [00:03:06] or the newest one, heavily meditated about [00:03:08] mitochondria and consciousness. [00:03:10] These guys are major players and their [00:03:12] job, among other things is to [00:03:14] make a TP more a TP, more [00:03:16] consciousness, more a TP, more [00:03:18] anything your willpower is trying to do.[00:03:20]
And here's what's interesting. [00:03:22] Clinical trials show that one [00:03:24] week of creatine [00:03:26] loading at a pretty high dose, 20 grams a [00:03:28] day can improve short-term [00:03:30] memory tasks by 10 to [00:03:32] 20%. Now, some people [00:03:34] get really upset when I mention that I [00:03:36] have increased my IQ by up to [00:03:38] 20 points. Why? Up to, because [00:03:40] IQ is not constant.
IQ [00:03:42] is to a certain extent, [00:03:44] dependent on. Your toxin exposure [00:03:46] increased toxins. You lower iq, [00:03:48] yes, lead will do that very [00:03:50] reliably and probably permanently. [00:03:52] But if you don't believe me, take an IQ [00:03:54] test when you're hungover there. There you [00:03:56] go. The other thing though is that [00:03:58] increasing short-term memory and working [00:04:00] memory reliably increases iq.[00:04:02]
By 12 and sometimes more points [00:04:04] just from that. And what do you know? Creatine [00:04:06] increased short-term memory tasks by 20%. [00:04:08] That's cool. So [00:04:10] my goal for you today is to talk [00:04:12] about the history of creatine, [00:04:14] and it's probably not what you think it is in some of the [00:04:16] myths I. I'm gonna share with you [00:04:18] five key ways that creatine [00:04:20] fuels your mind and your body.[00:04:22]
It's not just mitochondrial, [00:04:24] it's how your body makes [00:04:26] creatine. It does, and it turns [00:04:28] out men make more than women and how it [00:04:30] uses creatine. We'll talk about [00:04:32] brains, heart, bones, and the other [00:04:34] things it does when you should take it. [00:04:36] How much you should take [00:04:38] and things to make it absorb better, [00:04:40] including things I've never heard on any other [00:04:42] podcast, real world biohacks and [00:04:44] use cases, what to stack it with, what it [00:04:46] synergizes with, how to get [00:04:48] good creatine.
It turns out it's not that hard. [00:04:50] They'll talk about safety side effects, [00:04:52] including some that I've experienced personally that [00:04:54] are pretty unusual and [00:04:56] precautions. And I'll give you a quick [00:04:58] five step. Here's how to get started with [00:05:00] Reine. Alright. The history of [00:05:02] Reine [00:05:04] 1832. A French chemist. I won't try to [00:05:06] say his name because, well, all the [00:05:08] French people will be very angry at me and they'll [00:05:10] throw croissants at me.
[00:05:12] See what I did there. Anyway, [00:05:14] uh, his name was Michelle. I can say [00:05:16] that. Uh, he first [00:05:18] isolated creatine from meat, [00:05:20] which is its natural source notice it's not [00:05:22] a vegetable. And he named [00:05:24] it for flesh. Which [00:05:26] is great. And then, oh, [00:05:28] only almost 90 years [00:05:30] later, Otto Meyerhoff and [00:05:32] AV Hill discovered that [00:05:34] Creatine provides a rapid energy [00:05:36] source in muscles [00:05:38] 1924.
And then [00:05:40] you fast forward another [00:05:42] 70 years and [00:05:44] athletes started using it. This is in the [00:05:46] nineties. It was all over the [00:05:48] place. I was, I think, in high [00:05:50] school, in the very early nineties. [00:05:52] And it was something [00:05:54] everyone was just taking [00:05:56] creatine. So we're in our second big creatine wave right [00:05:58] now, and studies [00:06:00] at the time showed that increased [00:06:02] muscle phospho creatine by up to [00:06:04] 40% in a few days.
So it [00:06:06] had its moment of fame, and then it just became [00:06:08] like an old bodybuilding supplement. [00:06:10] Why? Because of some myths. Well. [00:06:12] Someone came out, [00:06:14] probably a medical doctor with [00:06:16] big pharma backing, but I don't have any facts about [00:06:18] that. And likely because [00:06:20] creatinine in kidneys, which is not [00:06:22] creatine, can be confused, but [00:06:24] they started saying this myth, creatine [00:06:26] wrecks your kidneys.
But [00:06:28] there are now two decades of research in healthy [00:06:30] adults that say up to 10 grams a day [00:06:32] has no adverse kidney [00:06:34] effects. And we've known that since [00:06:36] 2000 when that got published. But it takes a while [00:06:38] for new knowledge to [00:06:40] enter back into our consciousness. [00:06:42] And myth number two says, you'll [00:06:44] get bloated and gain fat from creatine, [00:06:46] which is funny if you understand mitochondria and [00:06:48] fat.
This is because initial [00:06:50] weight gain does happen, but it's [00:06:52] water pulled into muscle cells, not [00:06:54] fat, and that actually helps [00:06:56] downstream muscle growth. Oh, and [00:06:58] hydration is good for you. And [00:07:00] myth number three is it's only for men. [00:07:02] I guess 'cause women are worried [00:07:04] about getting bulky. Well, it [00:07:06] also just so happens to make you very healthy.[00:07:08]
Women will experience similar strength [00:07:10] gains, cognitive benefits, and cell hydration [00:07:12] to men. And perhaps even better [00:07:14] because women don't make as much in their [00:07:16] body, so maybe they need more.[00:07:18] [00:07:20]
Your body naturally makes [00:07:22] about one gram of creatine per day in [00:07:24] your liver, your kidneys, in your [00:07:26] pancreas. That is if you're getting enough [00:07:28] amino acids like arginine, glycine, [00:07:30] and methionine, oh, if you're vegan, [00:07:32] uh, you're not getting those amino acids the way you [00:07:34] need them, so you're screwed and you [00:07:36] need even more.
Sorry, [00:07:38] I was a vegan too. Here's why you're [00:07:40] not getting enough creatine in your [00:07:42] diet unless you are [00:07:44] carnivore or carnivore ish and you eat a meat [00:07:46] centric diet the way I do. If [00:07:48] you eat an 18 ounce [00:07:50] steak, that's not a bone in steak. Just [00:07:52] an 18 ounce steak, you're gonna get [00:07:54] between three and five [00:07:56] grams of creatine, so pound and a [00:07:58] half of beef every day.
[00:08:00] Yikes. That's gonna get you where you need to go. [00:08:02] Okay. I actually do eat that [00:08:04] much beef on some days, and I don't regret [00:08:06] it, but I also take creatine [00:08:08] if you eat herring or salmon, [00:08:10] it's also in there, but at slightly [00:08:12] less amounts. There's also a study from [00:08:14] 2003 back when [00:08:16] veganism still had some credibility.[00:08:18]
Well, it shows that [00:08:20] vegetarians in particular, [00:08:22] vegans start with much lower reine [00:08:24] stores, so when they [00:08:26] supplement, they get even larger [00:08:28] relative benefits. This means that [00:08:30] if you are vegetarian and you can be a healthy [00:08:32] vegetarian, I have tons of friends from India who [00:08:34] do that. It's very [00:08:36] hard, if not impossible to be a healthy vegan.[00:08:38]
And I say that with love having been a devout [00:08:40] vegan. I don't want you or your children to [00:08:42] be, um, unhealthy [00:08:44] because you believe a nutritional myth. [00:08:46] So anyway, you're gonna get more [00:08:48] benefits if you live in India. You probably [00:08:50] need creatine just straight up.[00:08:52] [00:08:54]
Here are the five main [00:08:56] ways that Creatine provides energy [00:08:58] for your mind, for your body, for everything you do. The [00:09:00] first mechanism is the phosphagen [00:09:02] system. You can imagine a TP is a [00:09:04] battery with a charge, and [00:09:06] after you use the charge, [00:09:08] it goes from a TP, which [00:09:10] has three phosphates back down to a [00:09:12] DP, which means it has two [00:09:14] phosphates.
And so it's a battery, [00:09:16] takes an electron, moves it [00:09:18] around, gets another electron, moves it around, [00:09:20] and. [00:09:22] PCR, which is a phospho. [00:09:24] Creatine is a backup battery [00:09:26] that you can tap into when you run [00:09:28] out of a TP. That means you can sprint [00:09:30] harder or you can lift extra [00:09:32] reps. This is interesting because [00:09:34] taking about five grams a day [00:09:36] of creatine raises muscle [00:09:38] phospho, creatine stores by up to [00:09:40] 40% in five [00:09:42] days, which can increase your [00:09:44] sprint power by 15%.[00:09:46]
And we've known this [00:09:48] since 2007. [00:09:50] It's just not something [00:09:52] that most people think about because [00:09:54] lifting, if you're not in the gym, maybe you don't [00:09:56] care, but mental lift is what [00:09:58] you do as a CEO or just as a human [00:10:00] being, working on having better willpower or [00:10:02] learning how to meditate or something like that.[00:10:04]
So think of it as an [00:10:06] extra battery pack that you [00:10:08] bolt on the back of your phone or that [00:10:10] sticks on with a magnet there. Now it lasts [00:10:12] longer.[00:10:14] [00:10:16]
It turns out it [00:10:18] isn't just muscles because there's a [00:10:20] neuronal phosphagen system, and this is the [00:10:22] second mechanism [00:10:24] because brain cells use creatine kinase to [00:10:26] maintain a TP. They [00:10:28] do this during bursts of mental [00:10:30] activity, so you want to focus on that final [00:10:32] exam, focus on the meeting. [00:10:34] Well, you want to have a backup battery [00:10:36] at the same time, and it's a [00:10:38] meaningful cognitive boost.
And for this, you might [00:10:40] want a bigger dose. There's a study of [00:10:42] 20 grams a day of creatine as a [00:10:44] loading phase. For five days, [00:10:46] it improved working memory and [00:10:48] intelligence test scores by 10 to [00:10:50] 20%. And young adults, [00:10:52] if someone says, you can't raise your iq, you [00:10:54] can say, well, Dave just talked about a [00:10:56] study that said intelligence test scores [00:10:58] went up with something as simple as creatine.[00:11:00]
It's not that hard and maybe [00:11:02] add some electrolyte and God knows what you might do. You [00:11:04] might pass your exam right. Uh, [00:11:06] again, young adults, [00:11:08] most of them are healthy. At least they were when this [00:11:10] study was done. There's more health problems in young adults [00:11:12] now than you need. Even more 20 [00:11:14] grams a day for five days while [00:11:16] you're studying before finals and during [00:11:18] finals.
And not only will your brain work [00:11:20] better, you might grow abs. Wouldn't that be [00:11:22] terrible? And if that's not enough. [00:11:24] Maybe you're anxious, [00:11:26] depressed, angry, or [00:11:28] distracted, or whatever the heck else is going on with your brain. [00:11:30] Supplementing five grams a [00:11:32] day of creatine [00:11:34] alongside antidepressants for eight [00:11:36] weeks, increased treatment [00:11:38] response rates by 30% [00:11:40] compared to just taking the medication.
[00:11:42] You could also, if you're not on [00:11:44] medication, you could look at taking [00:11:46] saffron, which has an effect [00:11:48] as strong or stronger than [00:11:50] SSRIs in some people, but not all, [00:11:52] and stack with creatine. And then maybe you [00:11:54] don't need the antidepressants that the doctor wanted [00:11:56] to give you before they tested something as easy as [00:11:58] creatine.
See how important stuff [00:12:00] is. The third reason that [00:12:02] creatine works is around cellular [00:12:04] hydration and anabolic [00:12:06] signaling, and these are, I put 'em together, but they're a [00:12:08] little bit separate. Well, [00:12:10] creatine draws water into your [00:12:12] cells. That increases your cell volume [00:12:14] by about 5%. [00:12:16] You want that because now your cells are [00:12:18] hydrated.
At upgrade labs, we measure [00:12:20] thousands of people's cell [00:12:22] hydration with medical grade technology when [00:12:24] they come in the door, and a lot [00:12:26] of people, probably about half, I would guess, [00:12:28] show signs of cellular dehydration, [00:12:30] even if they're drinking water. While [00:12:32] creatine can help to solve that problem, [00:12:34] and increased cell volume [00:12:36] sends a growth signal that [00:12:38] activates mTOR.
And mTOR [00:12:40] is the thing that regulates protein [00:12:42] synthesis and muscle repair. So if you wanna repair [00:12:44] your muscles or just grow them, you [00:12:46] might wanna have enough water in the cells. [00:12:48] Now some people say, but I want my mTOR to [00:12:50] be low. No, you don't. [00:12:52] You want occasionally to have low [00:12:54] mTOR and occasionally have high mTOR, but [00:12:56] limiting mTOR by dehydrating your cells [00:12:58] is a terrible trade off.
You don't want to do [00:13:00] that. If you wanna drop your mTOR, eat [00:13:02] no carbs, and then [00:13:04] maybe limit protein. But really not eating [00:13:06] carbs is the big thing, or just fast [00:13:08] and there's something else that happens and it's beyond [00:13:10] just muscle. [00:13:12] Hydrated cells resist heat and [00:13:14] chemical stress better, [00:13:16] and osteoblasts [00:13:18] also respond to volume changes, [00:13:20] which means you could get better bone [00:13:22] density and it doesn't come with a surprise.[00:13:24]
If you wanna measure how [00:13:26] healthy someone's metabolism is and you [00:13:28] can look at their bone density, it's a very [00:13:30] good indicator that your mitochondria working [00:13:32] dense bones, highly functional [00:13:34] mitochondria. So if you can make highly [00:13:36] functional mitochondria, will it increase bone [00:13:38] density? Likely, but your bones [00:13:40] are still gonna need some stimulation.
I don't think it's [00:13:42] gonna fix an astronaut with no bone [00:13:44] flexion. The fourth [00:13:46] reason that you should start taking creatine [00:13:48] is that it helps to [00:13:50] protect your mitochondria and it actually [00:13:52] helps with antioxidant action, which is [00:13:54] not what people know reine for, but [00:13:56] it's an important effect. Stabilizing [00:13:58] your cell membranes is one of the most important [00:14:00] things you can do if you wanna live a very long time [00:14:02] or just have more energy.
And [00:14:04] creatine inside [00:14:06] mitochondria help to move a [00:14:08] DP and to maintain membrane [00:14:10] potential when you're stressed and that [00:14:12] prevents energy collapse. Energy [00:14:14] collapse feels like bonking or a [00:14:16] brown out or just like crashing, [00:14:18] and some of that can be a [00:14:20] blood sugar crash or a blood pressure [00:14:22] crash. But there's also a mitochondrial crash where you [00:14:24] just can't make any more energy.[00:14:26]
And that's something you can fix with creatine. [00:14:28] Creatine also directly [00:14:30] neutralizes free radicals [00:14:32] inside the mitochondria, which [00:14:34] reduces oxidative damage to [00:14:36] mitochondrial DNA and in [00:14:38] models of stroke and Parkinson's, it's [00:14:40] extra effective. So if [00:14:42] you don't want to get [00:14:44] Parkinson's, maybe having some [00:14:46] creatine's, a really good idea.
I would [00:14:48] consider anything that increases. [00:14:50] Mitochondrial [00:14:52] performance or mitophagy [00:14:54] is going to be over a long [00:14:56] period of time, reducing your risks of [00:14:58] Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, sile, cognitive [00:15:00] dementia, and a whole host of other things that make you old [00:15:02] and tired. But wait, there's more. [00:15:04] The fifth reason that creatine [00:15:06] should be on your short list of things you [00:15:08] take aside from the fact that it's really [00:15:10] cheap, is that it helps with [00:15:12] gene expression and long-term [00:15:14] adaptation distress.
What this really [00:15:16] means. That if you take creatine on [00:15:18] a regular basis, it will [00:15:20] upregulate something called IGF one or [00:15:22] insulin-like Growth Factor, which [00:15:24] is responsible for putting on muscles [00:15:26] and increases mTOR, which [00:15:28] increases muscle fiber size. [00:15:30] And there's a study from [00:15:32] 2008 that says this happens just over the [00:15:34] course of weeks, so you don't have to be on it for a long [00:15:36] period of time.
And [00:15:38] this is perhaps the most [00:15:40] important reason. That I [00:15:42] take creatine and it is around [00:15:44] neuroplasticity. My New York [00:15:46] Times bestselling brain book [00:15:48] is all about two things for your [00:15:50] brain, increase mitochondrial function, [00:15:52] and increase neuroplasticity. You [00:15:54] do those two things, everything in your [00:15:56] life gets better, your brain works better, your [00:15:58] meditation works better, your sleep works better.[00:16:00]
It's, it's the biggest [00:16:02] thing you can do. You have to have more power [00:16:04] and more plasticity. So what [00:16:06] is. What does creatine do for [00:16:08] you? Well, we already know it gives you more [00:16:10] power in the brain, but [00:16:12] creatine directly raises BDNF [00:16:14] expression, at least in animal [00:16:16] models, and that means it [00:16:18] facilitates new neural connections and learning [00:16:20] since it works in animals and it works via [00:16:22] mechanisms.
Gonna understand, I'm pretty sure [00:16:24] it's gonna do that in my brain And yours.[00:16:26] [00:16:28]
There are two [00:16:30] little known ways to increase [00:16:32] creatine absorption when you take it. [00:16:34] One of them is that you want to [00:16:36] take a little bit of [00:16:38] sugar or any kind of [00:16:40] sweet carbohydrate with your creatine [00:16:42] because your muscles like glucose, and [00:16:44] that will change the uptake of [00:16:46] creatine. So if you're gonna put fruit in your [00:16:48] shake.
That's when you put the [00:16:50] creatine in. The other thing that [00:16:52] no one talks about to get creatine [00:16:54] into your cells more quickly and more effectively [00:16:56] is don't suspend [00:16:58] powder in a drink. Take the creatine [00:17:00] and put it in hot, but not [00:17:02] boiling water. Creatine, stable, [00:17:04] up to about 60 centigrade or [00:17:06] 140 degrees Fahrenheit, [00:17:08] and that's warmer than you want to really put [00:17:10] your hand in.
So. [00:17:12] Hot water will [00:17:14] dissolve the creatine into suspension. [00:17:16] And if the water's a little bit too hot, just drink [00:17:18] it quickly. But you don't wanna boil creatine [00:17:20] 'cause it starts to break down. If you're at full [00:17:22] boiling temperature, if you were to put [00:17:24] it in your coffee, coffee's about [00:17:26] 175 degrees after it's just out of [00:17:28] the pot.
So drink it really fast or [00:17:30] cool the coffee a little bit and you can do it that way. [00:17:32] So suspending it does one [00:17:34] thing, dissolving it [00:17:36] into solution with heat. Does [00:17:38] another thing, and it's worth doing that if you really [00:17:40] want your levels to go up more, you can even [00:17:42] take less creatine that way 'cause it absorbs better.[00:17:44]
Here's how important having some [00:17:46] carbs could be with your creatine. [00:17:48] Having 20 grams of dextrose, [00:17:50] again, that's kind of a big dose, [00:17:52] and dextrose is the same as [00:17:54] glucose and does have any fructose in it. So this [00:17:56] is something that's gonna spike your insulin. [00:17:58] Well, if you take it with creatine, it [00:18:00] doubles muscle absorption [00:18:02] via insulin mediated [00:18:04] pathways.
So. Do you want to [00:18:06] go and just punch yourself in the [00:18:08] pancreas with a ton of sugar? No, [00:18:10] but if you're gonna have some carbs, have it with a [00:18:12] creatine and you get extra benefits from it.[00:18:14] [00:18:16]
Now [00:18:18] when it comes to creatine, how much should you [00:18:20] take and when should you take it? Studies show you [00:18:22] don't really need a loading phase [00:18:24] because it'll load over time anyway, but you [00:18:26] probably do want it if you're tired. If you're [00:18:28] jet lagged, you have a final exam coming up. [00:18:30] So the typical protocol for low [00:18:32] loading creatine is 20 grams a [00:18:34] day.
You do five grams four [00:18:36] times, and you do this for five days, and [00:18:38] that's just gonna fill you up quickly. [00:18:40] Maintenance three to five grams a [00:18:42] day to keep your levels topped off. [00:18:44] And. You could just [00:18:46] do three to five grams a day for a [00:18:48] month and that'll get you there [00:18:50] anyway. And it's less work to think about it.[00:18:52]
You can have more. [00:18:54] Some people are experimenting with 10 or 20 [00:18:56] grams a day, and [00:18:58] if you have more [00:19:00] post-workout with carbs at times of [00:19:02] stress, take it with protein. [00:19:04] And I recommend taking it [00:19:06] more loaded towards the morning, [00:19:08] especially if you have a hard time with sleep. [00:19:10] And we'll get into that in a minute.[00:19:12] [00:19:14]
[00:19:16] Now, most studies use [00:19:18] creatine monohydrate. This is by [00:19:20] far the most common, but you can get [00:19:22] creatine. HCL [00:19:24] creatine, HCL is more [00:19:26] soluble and people report fewer GI [00:19:28] issues, but people don't have [00:19:30] a lot of GI issues [00:19:32] with creatine monohydrate. If they [00:19:34] put it in hot water, it's the [00:19:36] low solubility. So little.
[00:19:38] Basically grains of [00:19:40] creatine that were suspended in that [00:19:42] water. They can irritate the gut, but if you [00:19:44] dissolved it into the water instead of [00:19:46] suspending it in water, you're unlikely to have those [00:19:48] problems. So you can take [00:19:50] a little bit less creatine. HCLI don't [00:19:52] bother. Just take monohydrate, heat it [00:19:54] up.
You'll be fine.[00:19:56] [00:19:58]
Here are some special [00:20:00] use cases where you really want to pay attention [00:20:02] to more creatine. One of them if you are [00:20:04] vegetarian or vegan, as I mentioned [00:20:06] earlier. Your lower [00:20:08] baseline creatine levels mean [00:20:10] that you're gonna see really big cognitive [00:20:12] gains. This is massively [00:20:14] important if you're vegetarian. If [00:20:16] you're an older adult, you need at [00:20:18] least three grams a day, and I would honestly [00:20:20] recommend three to 10 grams a [00:20:22] day because you need to preserve lean [00:20:24] mass, your strength and your memory.[00:20:26]
And there's a study that says [00:20:28] just three grams a day over 12 [00:20:30] months did preserve lean, mass, strength, and [00:20:32] memory. So if three grams works, [00:20:34] going a little bit. Heavier on the [00:20:36] dosing is a really good idea, [00:20:38] and if you have any [00:20:40] neurological condition, early trials in [00:20:42] Parkinson's, a LS, and [00:20:44] basically brain injury hitting your head, [00:20:46] slower progression and [00:20:48] reduced fatigue from reine.[00:20:50]
If you're in sports [00:20:52] like MMA or hockey or football or [00:20:54] soccer. Beyond [00:20:56] creatine, before you go out and do [00:20:58] your sport. In case you hit your head, you'll [00:21:00] really be happy with the outcome. I [00:21:02] would recommend this during [00:21:04] pregnancy and nursing and there's emerging [00:21:06] research that it's safe to [00:21:08] reduce maternal fatigue and [00:21:10] support fetal brain [00:21:12] energy.
There are pilot studies for this, given [00:21:14] that a woman's body makes creatine and it's [00:21:16] present in the diet, and eating more red [00:21:18] meat during pregnancy is good for babies anyway. [00:21:20] The preponderance of evidence [00:21:22] in my world says it's a [00:21:24] good idea to do three to five [00:21:26] grams a day. 'cause you can get these nutritionally [00:21:28] anyway.
It's unlikely to be harmful. 'cause if it [00:21:30] was eating steak would be harmful. But [00:21:32] your mileage may vary.[00:21:34] [00:21:36]
Here's some real [00:21:38] world use cases for [00:21:40] biohacking with creatine [00:21:42] high intensity interval [00:21:44] training. Do five grams pre [00:21:46] and post, and there's a study [00:21:48] showing 10 to 15% greater sprint [00:21:50] power and less muscle soreness [00:21:52] afterwards. You're welcome [00:21:54] if you're a student or a [00:21:56] cognitive loaded professional. [00:21:58] Five grams in the morning [00:22:00] plus a cup of danger.
Coffee with [00:22:02] a hundred milligrams of caffeine equals [00:22:04] a 15% faster problem [00:22:06] solving and sustained alertness. And [00:22:08] that study was creatine plus caffeine. I just get [00:22:10] my, my caffeine through danger. [00:22:12] Coffee. 'cause who knows what you might do? Shift [00:22:14] workers. You want five grams at the [00:22:16] start of your shift so you have better reaction [00:22:18] times and you have better mood.
[00:22:20] Especially the middle of the night in the emergency [00:22:22] room and the crazy drunk person comes [00:22:24] in, you're less likely to get pissed off, and [00:22:26] that's precious. If you [00:22:28] travel all the time, like I do five grams a [00:22:30] day on days you travel, you're gonna have less [00:22:32] jet lag, faster circadian [00:22:34] reset, and 40% [00:22:36] fewer sleep disturbances in a pilot [00:22:38] study.
If you have social anxiety, [00:22:40] number one, read heavily. Meditated [00:22:42] for God's sake. There's no reason to have social anxiety. It's [00:22:44] all hackable. But if you do five [00:22:46] grams before an event equals a [00:22:48] 30% drop in [00:22:50] self-reported nervousness, that's a big [00:22:52] deal. Maybe you're feeling nervous because your [00:22:54] brain is overloaded.
Add more power to the [00:22:56] brain with creatine, less overload, [00:22:58] less anxiety. And then you can be the life of the [00:23:00] party and not even be stressed about [00:23:02] it. And if you're hungover, [00:23:04] well learn how to not be hungover when [00:23:06] you drink. I've done lots of podcasts on that. Look at [00:23:08] episode 1000 for more information [00:23:10] about that.
A company called Z Biotic. And there's many [00:23:12] other things to do. Number one, don't drink, [00:23:14] but if you are hungover, five [00:23:16] grams the morning after you drink equals a [00:23:18] 50% reduction in headache and brain [00:23:20] fog according to user surveys. [00:23:22] Hmm. There's a lot of reasons you might wanna just [00:23:24] take it every day and not worry about special use [00:23:26] cases.[00:23:28]
[00:23:30] What should you stack with creatine to get the most [00:23:32] results? Well, you should stack [00:23:34] carbs and protein. There is a [00:23:36] study that shows 20 grams of dextrose and [00:23:38] a tiny dose of protein just 10 grams away. [00:23:40] Well, that [00:23:42] creates an insulin spike because whey [00:23:44] isogenic and so is dextrose, [00:23:46] and that drove creatine [00:23:48] uptake.
I would probably say less [00:23:50] sugar and more whey, or [00:23:52] halfway and half beef or something, [00:23:54] but whatever. Drive insulin up a little bit and [00:23:56] you'll get more benefits from your creatine. [00:23:58] You don't wanna drive insulin up a lot [00:24:00] because that makes you old, but if you just lift it, you [00:24:02] wanna drive insulin up because it'll cause you to grow [00:24:04] muscles.
You can also take creatine [00:24:06] with beta-alanine. Three grams [00:24:08] of beta-alanine with [00:24:10] creatine enhances muscle [00:24:12] buffering, and that extends your [00:24:14] high intensity capacity. Your [00:24:16] competitive athlete. You can do this [00:24:18] and you might want to take a source of [00:24:20] nitrates. Improve blood flow [00:24:22] plus creatine equals greater muscle [00:24:24] perfusion and power output.
My [00:24:26] favorite way to do this is N [00:24:28] 1 0 1. Which is really [00:24:30] powerful. Or the supplement VAs [00:24:32] Anox also can be really, [00:24:34] really helpful. VAs Anox has a [00:24:36] longer 24 hour [00:24:38] Halflife in 1 0 1, [00:24:40] creates a quick spike, [00:24:42] and there's evidence that [00:24:44] taking caffeine, or in my case, [00:24:46] danger Coffee with [00:24:48] Reine will increase mental [00:24:50] speed and don't do it with energy [00:24:52] drinks 'cause they have way too much caffeine to be [00:24:54] beneficial.[00:24:56] [00:24:58]
So what creatine should you [00:25:00] take? Number one, [00:25:02] any creatine will work. [00:25:04] Plain, old, boring, creatine, [00:25:06] monohydrate does work. There can be quality [00:25:08] control or contamination issues. A lot of [00:25:10] companies add weird flavorings, fillers, flow [00:25:12] agents and stuff like that, so watch out for those. [00:25:14] The gold [00:25:16] standard for creatine [00:25:18] monohydrate is creapure, [00:25:20] micronized, creatine, monohydrate, [00:25:22] and that has the most studies [00:25:24] behind it.
But like I said, any monohydrate will [00:25:26] work, and if [00:25:28] it says enhanced absorption and it doesn't have [00:25:30] really good clinicals, it's probably a bunch [00:25:32] of bs, but it could be real. [00:25:34] After creatine monohydrate, you can find [00:25:36] creatine HCL again, if [00:25:38] you're gonna do that, look for a [00:25:40] high quality manufacturer. It's hard to [00:25:42] know who's good.
I don't have a good brand. [00:25:44] To recommend for you there. The [00:25:46] new kid on the block in the world of [00:25:48] creatine is GAA [00:25:50] creatine or cregan [00:25:52] as they like to call it, if I'm even saying that [00:25:54] right? The GAA form of [00:25:56] creatine is creatine [00:25:58] or cre gatin. I have no idea how to say [00:26:00] it. It's cre ga a teen, [00:26:02] and this is new.
[00:26:04] I've used it and it's a blend [00:26:06] of GAA, an unusual form of acid [00:26:08] with creatine monohydrate, and it comes [00:26:10] out of Australia. We know this works [00:26:12] because, well, like all great [00:26:14] performance enhancers, they started using it [00:26:16] in livestock and it was so powerful [00:26:18] that now we're using it in humans [00:26:20] and it looks like it [00:26:22] works because GAA is a direct [00:26:24] creatine precursor.
Think of this [00:26:26] like taking Niacinamide [00:26:28] and N-R-N-M-N all at the [00:26:30] same time 'cause they're precursors of each other, which [00:26:32] come before NAD. So that's what [00:26:34] GAA is doing in the world of creatine. [00:26:36] And here's the evidence [00:26:38] that you can have 30 to [00:26:40] 70% greater muscle creatine [00:26:42] uptake versus just regular creatine [00:26:44] monohydrate.
So if you want to take less [00:26:46] of it, GAA, creatine is [00:26:48] probably better, and I like to do [00:26:50] that.[00:26:52] [00:26:54]
Now. A word of [00:26:56] warning, you can [00:26:58] run out of methyl donors if you have [00:27:00] M-T-H-F-R. Uh, or you [00:27:02] just know you have methylation issues, [00:27:04] higher doses of creatine [00:27:06] could make you run out of it. So you could [00:27:08] take TMG with your [00:27:10] creatine to be extra careful about that. That works for [00:27:12] most people. Or [00:27:14] folinic acid is something that, that [00:27:16] creatine is specifically likely to [00:27:18] deplete.
So I [00:27:20] found that if I don't [00:27:22] take folinic acid with [00:27:24] creatine over time, I get muscle [00:27:26] tension and I can't really sleep. [00:27:28] More than a few people have reported sleep [00:27:30] issues. And the big issue is [00:27:32] when your a TP is so [00:27:34] full, your sleep drive [00:27:36] is, it just goes down. So you wake up at [00:27:38] four 30, like I'm ready to go.
[00:27:40] And you are. In fact, I woke up at four [00:27:42] 30 this morning 'cause I didn't take my TMG with [00:27:44] my creatine and you know what? I am [00:27:46] so good. It's the end of the day. So [00:27:48] this is. Awesome. But if you [00:27:50] find that you're just not getting enough sleep [00:27:52] because you reduced your sleep drive, try [00:27:54] Folinic. Try TMG and try [00:27:56] taking your creatine in the morning and [00:27:58] the problem should go away.
Another thing [00:28:00] that I almost don't wanna say. [00:28:02] If you take creatine that puts water into your [00:28:04] cells and you don't have any water with it, [00:28:06] well, you're doing it wrong, so drink [00:28:08] extra water. But drinking water is dumb [00:28:10] if it doesn't have electrolytes in it, so at least put [00:28:12] some sea salt in your water or some [00:28:14] electrolytes that contain magnesium, [00:28:16] sodium, and potassium, and you're [00:28:18] gonna be much better off.[00:28:20] [00:28:22]
Now, this isn't available [00:28:24] yet, but it deserves mentioning because [00:28:26] delivery mechanisms are so [00:28:28] important for supplements. There is a company [00:28:30] working on intranasal creatine [00:28:32] that could have really cool cognitive effects. [00:28:34] So as soon as that's on the market, you can count on [00:28:36] me to stuff it up my nose and tell you what it's like.[00:28:38] [00:28:40]
Okay, here's a [00:28:42] recap of this entire episode. [00:28:44] Number one, creatine is a [00:28:46] universal energy buffer. It works for [00:28:48] muscle, it works for brain, it works for heart, it works for bone, [00:28:50] and for your immune system. [00:28:52] Start with about five grams a [00:28:54] day, and you can load if you want to [00:28:56] because it accelerates benefits, but you don't have [00:28:58] to.
If you take it with carbs and [00:29:00] protein, you're gonna benefit [00:29:02] more. If you have problems with [00:29:04] GI issues, dissolve it in hot [00:29:06] water or split the doses. You [00:29:08] can stack it with beta alanine, [00:29:10] N 1 0 1, omega [00:29:12] threes, and some amount of caffeine, and [00:29:14] you'll get additional benefits. You want to [00:29:16] choose a good form of creatine.
[00:29:18] Creatine monohydrate is [00:29:20] beneficial. Creapure [00:29:22] Monohydrate is the most studied and cine. [00:29:24] The [00:29:26] GAA form of creatine is [00:29:28] the most absorbable, so [00:29:30] there you have it. Creatine is one [00:29:32] of the safest, most versatile and [00:29:34] most science backed biohacks you can [00:29:36] take. It's been a part of human [00:29:38] performance since the beginning of the biohacking [00:29:40] movement and a part of the longevity movement [00:29:42] since before that.
And creatine is [00:29:44] enjoying its [00:29:46] second big moment in the [00:29:48] spotlight. It's [00:29:50] deserving to stay there because if [00:29:52] you spend a bunch of money on longevity [00:29:54] supplements and on mental performance and physical [00:29:56] performance, creatine for men and women [00:29:58] is a non-negotiable [00:30:00] thing. Just understand [00:30:02] the ins and outs from this episodes so you get all [00:30:04] the resilience, all the presence, all the [00:30:06] power that is yours for the taking.[00:30:08]
If you like today's episode, [00:30:10] let me know. I would love to record [00:30:12] some more of these. I love teaching. I taught [00:30:14] for five years at the University of California. I [00:30:16] taught nerds how to build the internet, and [00:30:18] I would love to teach you how to build [00:30:20] resilience, presence, inner peace, [00:30:22] and extreme amount of [00:30:24] longevity, and all the other things you want in your [00:30:26] life.
So that's what I'm here to do. If you like this, [00:30:28] you want more solo episodes, let me know [00:30:30] by sharing this or by [00:30:32] liking it. I read the comments. [00:30:34] See you next time [00:30:36] on the Human Upgrade [00:30:38] [00:30:40] Podcast.