About this Video

• Video Title: The Optimal Creatine Protocol for Strength, Brain, and Longevity | Darren Candow, PhD
• Channel: FoundMyFitness
• Speakers: Kelly Starrett, Darren Candow
• Duration: 01:50:31

Introduction

This FoundMyFitness video features a discussion with Dr. Darren Candow, a leading researcher in creatine and muscle aging, about the multifaceted benefits of creatine supplementation. The conversation explores creatine's impact on exercise performance, muscle health, bone health, brain health, and even its potential roles in preventing certain illnesses. The video aims to provide an evidence-based understanding of creatine's uses and optimal protocols for various populations and goals.

Key Takeaways

• Creatine's Role in Exercise Performance: Creatine enhances ATP production, leading to improved strength, power, and training volume, particularly in later sets of resistance training. It also accelerates recovery between sets.
• Creatine and Aging: As we age, we lose type II muscle fibers, impacting explosive power. Creatine can help mitigate this loss and improve strength and function in older adults.
• Creatine's Benefits Beyond Muscle: Emerging research highlights creatine's positive effects on bone health (reducing bone loss), brain health (improving cognition, especially under stress), and potentially the immune system (reducing inflammation).
• Optimal Creatine Dosing: While 5 grams/day is a common recommendation for muscle benefits, higher doses (10-20 grams/day) may be optimal for brain health and possibly bone health, particularly under conditions of stress or aging. The loading phase is not necessary for long-term use.
• Creatine Safety and Supplementation: Creatine monohydrate is considered safe and effective. GI distress can be minimized by taking smaller, more frequent doses with food. It's important to inform your doctor about creatine use as it can affect creatinine levels in blood tests.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the provided transcript, focusing on concise points:

1. Creatine enhances athletic performance: Primarily by increasing ATP availability for explosive movements and improving training volume.

2. Creatine aids recovery: It speeds up recovery between sets and potentially reduces inflammation after strenuous exercise (especially endurance activities).

3. Creatine combats age-related decline: It helps mitigate age-related loss of type II muscle fibers and associated strength reduction.

4. Creatine benefits bone health: It may increase osteoblast activity (bone formation) and decrease osteoclast activity (bone breakdown), potentially reducing bone loss. Weight-bearing exercise is crucial for bone health.

5. Creatine supports brain health: Particularly under stress (sleep deprivation, aging), it may improve cognition and memory by increasing brain creatine levels. Higher doses (10-20g) may be needed for brain benefits.

6. Creatine may boost the immune system: By reducing inflammation, it may help prevent respiratory illnesses. Combined use with glutamine may be particularly beneficial.

7. Creatine's impact on vascular health: Early research suggests potential benefits for endothelial function and cardiovascular health.

8. Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard: Other forms are often more expensive and lack the extensive research supporting monohydrate's safety and efficacy.

9. Addressing GI issues with creatine: Micro-dosing (smaller, more frequent doses) and taking creatine with food can reduce gastrointestinal distress.

10. Creatine is generally safe: While it can elevate creatinine levels in blood tests (requiring disclosure to physicians), creatine does not appear to harm kidneys or liver at recommended doses. There is no evidence to support the myths of hair loss, hypertension, or disrupted sleep.

Here are 100 highlights and key takeaways from the transcript, attempting to maintain the original language and phrasing as much as possible. Due to the length of the transcript, some points are necessarily paraphrased for brevity while still preserving the core meaning:

Creatine & Exercise Performance:

1. Creatine increases the ability to produce ATP or maintain it during an exercise session.
2. It delays the utilization of other energy systems that might be a bit slower.
3. Benefits are seen in high explosive anaerobic sports, weightlifting, and HIIT.
4. Creatine improves training volume (load, reps, sets, exercise capacity).
5. It improves muscle strength, endurance, and power.
6. Creatine improves lean body mass (approximately 50% muscle).
7. It maximizes the recruitment or ability of type II muscle fibers.
8. Creatine benefits are most noticeable in sets two, three, and four of resistance training.
9. Creatine speeds up recovery between sets (reducing the typical 3-5 minute recovery).
10. It speeds up recovery between contractions.
11. Creatine allows for more intense workouts in less time.
12. Creatine improves muscle fiber recruitment (primarily type II).
13. Meta-analysis shows creatine and weight training lead to greater increases in lean body mass, muscle size, and performance compared to placebo and weight training.

Creatine & Aging:

1. Explosive power decreases with age.
2. Strength decreases with age, affecting quality of life and independence.
3. Loss of type II muscle fibers accelerates with aging (after the fourth decade).
4. Exercise is foundational, with creatine and protein offering additional benefits.
5. Older adults may have reduced creatine stores, potentially needing higher doses.
6. As we age, creatine might need to be dispersed throughout the body (bone, brain).

Creatine & Muscle Health:

1. Creatine doesn't directly increase protein synthesis.
2. It reduces leucine oxidation (an indicator of whole body breakdown) in young males.
3. It reduces 3-methylhistidine (another indicator of whole body breakdown).
4. These anti-catabolic effects are less pronounced in females.
5. Estrogen or other sex hormones might influence creatine's anti-catabolic effect.
6. Creatine increases muscle size through mechanisms other than protein synthesis (satellite cells, growth factors).
7. Creatine has general anti-inflammatory effects in young and older individuals, males and females.
8. Anti-inflammatory effects are more pronounced under stress.

Creatine & Bone Health:

1. Weight-bearing exercise is crucial for bone health.
2. Creatine increases osteoblast cells (bone formation).
3. It reduces osteoclast activity (bone resorption).
4. Creatine resembles bisphosphonates in its effect on bone.
5. Creatine reduces bone mineral density loss, especially around the hip.
6. Creatine improves bone strength (making bones less susceptible to fractures).
7. Muscle mass pulling on bone indirectly strengthens bone.
8. The lowest effective dose for bone benefits appears to be 8g/day.
9. Weight-bearing exercise is a major driver of bone health benefits, potentially more important than creatine alone.
10. Creatine may play a preventative role in bone health.

Creatine & Brain Health:

1. The brain produces its own creatine.
2. Vegans have less muscle creatine but similar brain creatine levels to omnivores.
3. Brain creatine production may increase under metabolic stress.
4. The blood-brain barrier is resistant to creatine uptake.
5. Astrocytes act as filters, determining creatine entry into brain cells.
6. Higher doses (20g/day) or longer supplementation periods may be needed to increase brain creatine stores.
7. Creatine improves cognition and memory under stress (sleep deprivation, aging).
8. The more stressed the brain, the more creatine seems to help.
9. 5g/day might have some benefits but 10-20g/day shows more significant results in studies.
10. 20g/day improved memory and cognition after 21 hours of sleep deprivation.
11. Creatine may counteract the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
12. Creatine may improve brain bioenergetics.
13. Reduced brain creatine stores are associated with depression and concussion.
14. Creatine supplementation may help with concussion recovery.
15. High doses of creatine (20g/day) are recommended after a concussion.
16. Creatine should be taken daily as a preventative measure in contact sports.
17. Creatine shows promise in improving outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Creatine & Neuropsychiatric Disorders:

1. Creatine may improve symptoms of depression, particularly in women.
2. Creatine is used as an adjunct to antidepressant medication, not a replacement.
3. Creatine may increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and reduce neurofilament light chain (a marker of neuronal damage).
4. Creatine increases brain bioenergetics and decreases reactive oxidative species (linked to depression).
5. Creatine's anti-inflammatory effects may also contribute to its benefits in depression.

Creatine & Immune System:

1. Activated lymphocytes (T-cells) consume a lot of energy.
2. Creatine may be taken up by immune cells, enhancing their function.
3. Creatine has anti-inflammatory effects, potentially improving immune response.
4. In vitro studies suggest a potential role in anti-cancer effects (lymphoma, leukemia).
5. Creatine and glutamine supplementation may reduce susceptibility to respiratory illnesses.

Creatine & Other Health Aspects:

1. Creatine may improve male fertility (improving sperm vitality and mobility).
2. Creatine may enhance endothelial health and circulation.
3. It may improve cardiometabolic health (glucose disposal, triglycerides, cholesterol).
4. Creatine may decrease body fat (approximately 1% decrease).
5. Creatine does not cause dehydration; rather, it increases hydration.
6. Creatine does not cause muscle cramps.
7. Creatine does not damage kidneys or liver.
8. Elevated creatinine levels in blood tests are a result of creatine metabolism, not kidney damage.
9. Creatine does not cause hair loss, despite a study showing increased DHT (dihydroxytestosterone).
10. Creatine does not cause hypertension or disrupt sleep.
11. Creatine does not increase urination.
12. Creatine's effects on homocysteine levels are inconclusive.

Creatine Supplementation:

1. The body naturally produces 1-2g of creatine daily.
2. Dietary creatine intake varies (1-3g, or none for vegans).
3. Creatine is considered conditionally essential.
4. Vegans benefit significantly from creatine supplementation.
5. The loading phase (20g/day for 2-7 days) rapidly saturates muscle creatine stores but is not necessary for long-term use.
6. A daily dose of 2-3g is sufficient for maintenance after a loading phase.
7. A dose of 0.1-0.14g/kg body weight is also suggested.
8. 1g/day is a minimum effective dose.
9. Dosing can be split throughout the day.
10. Creatine should be taken consistently, daily, not just on workout days.
11. Higher daily doses may be beneficial for brain and bone health.
12. High doses (20g/day) are suggested during periods of extreme stress (sleep deprivation, jet lag).
13. Creatine supplementation does not necessarily need to be timed precisely around exercise.
14. Creatine should be taken with food to improve absorption and reduce GI issues.
15. Caffeine may blunt the effects of creatine if consumed in high doses together.
16. Creatine should be taken in close proximity to exercise to maximize uptake.
17. Creatine supplementation may benefit even sedentary older adults.
18. There is evidence of muscle performance benefits from creatine even without exercise.
19. Creatine is safe for children, with potential benefits for muscle, bone, and brain development.
20. Creatine's effects on pregnancy are still under investigation.
21. Creatine monohydrate is superior to other forms.
22. Micronized creatine improves solubility and may reduce GI issues.
23. Choose third-party tested, pharmaceutical-grade creatine monohydrate.
24. Combining creatine with protein may enhance its effects.