Am I right in thinking that Creatine is Vegan, or at least the brand you’re recommending? As a 12 year vegan I wouldn’t want to take anything that isn’t Vegan. My sister is dealing with a bad concussion for the past 6 months. She still gets very woozy every day. She is 170lbs. How much do you recommend she take daily? Thank you for your advice. 😊
Not all creatine is vegan. Sometimes there are animal based ingredients used in production. Momentous Creatine Monohydrate is 100% vegan. It’s also NSF certified as I mention in the episode which means we know that what’s on the label is actually in the product and nothing else. I personally try to always buy NSF certified products where I have the choice and just helped 38Tera get the DMN prebiotic NSF certified. www.livemomentous.com/products/creatine-monohydrate?srsltid=AfmBOop8dwVA_EZGrm3IF8LLGC0ev06_0COrDUYq5IbgImJz_npGs6l0 Remember you can get 20% off your first purchase by using the code LIVINGPROOF at checkout
I have an inflammatory muscle disease called Dermatomyositis that affects my muscle strength as well as muscle mass. My husband has taken creatine for years and several months ago he finally convinced me to try it. We are 77 and 74 years old. It has been a game changer for me with no ill effects other than a little water weight when I first started. My husband is a runner, lifts weights and very healthy. For people our age recovery time is especially important and the addition of creatine has helped with that as well. Thanks for all great videos you have produced….I've learned so much from what I considered a trusted source of information.
@@c7f22 could you please share how you were diagnosed - I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with my muscles but am getting the run around, no answers, and dead ends. TIA 🙏
@ I finally went to Mayo in Rochester. It can be diagnosed with a skin biopsy or muscle biopsy. Also an MRI of muscles or EMG might be good enough for some physicians. There are 3 inflammatory muscle disease and only Dermatomyositis also has skin symptoms that are quite unique to the disease. The other two are polymyositis and inclusive body myopathy (IBM) and a rheumatologist, neurologist or dermatologist that specializes in systemic diseases that affect skin should be able to diagnoses. I would go to a large center with specialists that list as their special interests inflammatory muscle disease. The Myositis Association would be able to help you find someone in your area. Good luck to you…be persistent!
"Physionic" - one of the YT health gurus I rate, and who uses meta-analysis of studies, rates creatine as the top supplement. I'm struggling to maintain muscle mass (a ruptured bicep that has slowed me down and sarcopenia at age 71) and may try it.
I had heart palpitations and irregular heart beat from it. Diagnosed by a cardiologist. Although there are no studies about this side effect. Stopped taking it, the symptoms went away. I took 3 g / day. It's a pity because I could feel more stamina and recovery was faster.
I had the exact same problems, my heart beat was all over the place, it was quite scary, after stopping creatine, everything went progressively back to normal. I hate listening about all these great benefits :)
I’m sorry that you had a bad experience. I have a type of a heart problem, SVT that has to do with sudden heart rate increases but I didn’t have any episodes with the introduction of creatinine. I didn’t change anything about my physical activity when I started the creatinine.
@irenag3994 I had SVT, but it stopped when I went planted based 8 years ago (zero animal products). It's interesting that creatine doesn't affect you at all.
My husband takes creatine but he says I shouldn’t because it causes weight gain. Is this true? I am 49 and vegan/plant based for 10 years now. I used to weight 534 but I’ve lost 406 pounds as of today. I love this channel! Thank you
@DinaHavens, congrats on your health transformation! I understand why you don't want to reverse that! I'm not a scientist, but I took creatine for years when I was training for powerlifting. Based on my experience as a muscular, over 200-lb man, I would gain 3-5 pounds in the first week or two as glycogen and water were pulled into my muscles, and no continuing gain after that, and the extra weight would come off when I stopped taking it. A person with less muscle mass might gain 1-2 pounds, per the video. I would start with a low dose with food and see how you tolerate it. It can cause bloating or diarrhea. I suspect eating a banana to get some potassium would help if it causes water retention. On the positive side, while taking it I felt like I could get an extra repetition or two on most of my lifts, and when riding a stationary bike for fitness, I could ride fast longer or generate a little more power for the same time.
Wow, I am recently post-menopausal with some OA starting. I am doing resistance training, have creatine here but not taking it. I am getting on that! Thank you!
Very good, I started taking creatine 1 month ago and notice big changes. I'm taking it 5 g/day. As it is the standard recomendation. But now i'm thinking on going to 10 g/day. I'm a 93 kg male, that workouts 6 times /week. Thank you =)
Thanks Simon, a superb breakdown, you jammed a lot of info into this relatively short video. I do have a specific follow-up q: Do you recommend taking creatine at any particular time on training days (e.g. immediately before / after training)? And/or do you have any recommendations for when to take creatine on non-training days? Thanks again
I was moving out of a townhouse about 30 years ago and ran out of energy carrying boxes of books down the stairs and out to the truck. I took some creatine, and it got me through the rest of the day.
Hey Simon, this was really informative. I've been consistently taking 3-5g daily with my coffee, but I think I need to read that study regarding brain performance in vegans. I'm going to use your protocol and double my intake to see if it helps with some neurological issues I suffer with. Thanks again!
That dose is probably not high enough to increase brain creatine levels. You might want to try something closer to 0.2-0.35g per KG of body weight and see how you feel after a few weeks. If you get any GI symptoms have your creatine with a meal and split the dose into 2/3 serves across the day.
Hey Simon! Thanks for putting out this clear and educational material! I (and probably many other people) would be interested in a generalized approach on -> how to FIND actual good research -> how to READ and FOCUS within a study (experiment) -> how to DIFFERENTIATE and VALUE several kind of research techniques basically LEARN THE APPROACH :)
I recently (2 months ago) had a very traumatic event happen, and my sleep deprivation has sky rocketed, so I really need to get on my creatine game because I fell off that wagon unintentionally. I have a ton of Creapure stocked in my cabinet that I need to reintroduce into my day. Thanks for the extra motivation to get that back into my routine!
Thanks for the nerd out on the hot topic of creatine. Would love to know if blood creatine levels tend to run high (.96, .95, .91, 1.01 mg/dl (0.57-1.00)) on a regular basis. Then, would supplementing be a good idea? Or more precisely, if you are already exhibiting high levels then perhaps supplementation is not needed or would not be a good idea? Thank you!
After watching the video, I want to give creatine to my 86 year old mother with osteoporosis and mild cognitive decline. Aside from monitoring her kidney function, is there any other side effects/risks we should look out for? She does do some light strength training.
A very informative video. Would be interesting to know what de body does with the "exes" creatine, since its relatively cheap. Would the body turn "exes" creatine in to proteins, or just burn it as fuel?
Thank u yes will always be on creatine, no doubt! Simon I started watching u to find out how to body build mostly plant based do u have a more updated list of supps other than creatine like citruline malate, TMG, glycerol, NO boosters like arugula & beet root, stuff to get me swole like u but naturally & healthily? I’ve heard most of ur foods like seitan etc & know lots of the exercises thanks to ur previous amazing episodes but haven’t heard much about pre workouts etc thank u for all ur endless works they’re invaluable 💪👊
Download the supplement guide at theproof.com and strongly recommend getting the new LIVING PROOF challenge guide when it comes out in a few weeks. Also available on my website
Does creatine survive cooking and baking techniques? I usually put mine in a drink but it would be nice if I could bake it in to something for a change or just put it in some mashed potato so I can just have it with a meal since I only do protein shakes on days that I resistance train.
What are the effects of creatine on tumor cells? I mean if it works well for normal cells wouldn’t it makes tumor cells grow also? In one point just wondering right on the highway.
very thorough presentation of creatine monohydrate, thank you. I take it for marginal strength but mainly for recovery benefits. You don't necessarily need it, but it is quite inexpensive and I have seen marked benefits in my own training.
Digging trenches to repair drain tiles with tree roots blocking the flow I was worn out after several days. I went to a job interview the following day, and my mind wasn't working well. Another day and my mind was working better. From this video, I think creatine would have helped. Makes me wonder if it would have helped after H1N1 (2009?). Many students sick for a week. Campus felt strange with so few on campus. Some had trouble with remembering and depression after that.
Is it OK to heat creatine? I have a powdered creatine that I put in smoothies, but I don't have smoothies regularly. But I do have oatmeal everyday and I'd like to add it to my oatmeal.
I was the first, or certainly one of the first, to write about the non gym benefits of creatine in the mid 90s in the print pubs. Yes, there was a time were no 'net existed! If you're not using creatine, you're doing it wrong whether you exercise regularly or not. Of course you maximize benefits by exercise, RT in particular. Other supplement would be whey BTW. I do wish the papers discussed in the vid were linked below the vid.
i actually tried more and more time to take creatine cause of the strong evidence everyone was describing. But still… i never liked it; it doesn’t increase my performance at all and it causes me a lot of water retention (not in a good and esthetic way) so…. it will also be scientifically proven to work, but it doesn not work well on me!! 🤷♂️
I've seen individual reports that creatine significantly raises intraocular pressure (IOP). With the increased water retention that creatine produces, you can see how increased IOP might result. If true, this would be a major negative. Is there any way to get a handle on this? There are no studies that I can find.
@@TheProofWithSimonHill Thanks for the reply. I don't think Google will let me enter links here, so I can only suggest that you Google for "does creatine increase intraocular pressure". Or maybe ChatGPT. There was a report on Reddit of a guy whose IOP on creatine got up to the 50s, which is very high, and required eye surgery. And there's a PubMed study that reports elevated creatine levels in people with open-angle glaucoma - but of course that's not necessarily saying the creatine caused the glaucoma; it could be the other way around, or just coincidence. I believe you know a UA-camr who is a Professor of Ophthamology at Stanford. Maybe he would know. But my suspicion is this just has never been measured systematically. It should be.
Thank you for this. I wish that creatine was a little easier on my stomach. I'm hoping also that you do an in-depth nutrition & exercise look at bone health and osteoporosis at some time in the future.
Hi Simon, New sub here. As a bodybuilder, I’m familiar with creatine. I’ve been using it since I was 14 (1998). The more recently discovered and emerging brain benefits are definitely of interest to me. I’m also looking into the topic of fat, in particular saturated fat and how it pertains to cholesterol markers and CVD risk. It seems you have a treasure trove of content relating to this! I find it interesting that there are such polarised views on this topic. As a sports nutritionist, I am fascinated by the research of Jeff Volek, and I am trying to learn more about why some endurance athletes are adopting high fat/keto diets. Given that much of his work in sports nutrition was focused on carbohydrates, I also find Tim Noakes very interesting. It would be amazing to see you have Jeff and Tim as guests on your podcast. I watched your discussion with Alan Aragon, I’m a big fan of his work!
Thanks for the comment. I recommend listening to my episode with Kieron Rooney. It’s fairly deep but we actually discuss some of Volek’s work. Love to have Jeff on
Most studies I’ve read on creatine supplementation report marginal benefit, and I wonder given the lack of formal quality control for supplement manufacturers whether it’s worth it at all. Personally, it sounds to me like a case of majoring in the minors. Show me 10% improvement
Generally not recommended due to insufficient evidence of safety in that population. I would ask your Dr what they think as they know your precise health status and history
check out the blurb at Cleveland Clinic on CKD (chronic kidney disease) for which high blood pressure and diabetes are 2 common causes. They have a section on creatine too.
I was urinating far more pretty much from the very first dose, to the point that i had to stop due to inconvienience of that. Is there any explanation of that or indication of something off in my body?
I had the same happen to me. I was taking 10 grams. I gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks and my blood pressure went up 10 points systolic. I loved the way I felt and the feel of my muscles but had to stop due to the symptoms. I had no GI symptoms. I may try again someday with a smaller dose.
Its a combination of three synthetic chemicals sodium sarcosinate, acetic acid and cyanamide that is heated to over 100 centigrade. This is meant to be identical to a substance found in raw meat and raw fish. I choose nature due to food synergy, the food matrix. I eat raw meat.
Even though I don't trust some doctors completely (especially those who heavily rely on stuff they were taught or read, and not on actual practical experience), the safest thing is to consult a physician who has actual dealings with people who have fatty liver disease and also take creatine supplements. These tend to be sports medicine doctors or doctors who treat or have treated some athletes. Athletes, especially bodybuilders and weightlifters, are known for using creatine supplements. Some athletes may also be recovering alcoholics who developed fatty liver disease. If the doctor has patients that fit the bill, ask for his recommendations. He may still not know what to recommend, but at least he knows how his patients are doing healthwise (given those parameters). If he's not comfortable giving you the recommendations, he most likely will be able to consult with or refer you to a health provider (probably a hepatologist...liver doctor) that may have more experience and knowledge about your situation. Just make sure that these health providers you consult with have their knowledge based on their own actual, practical experiences, and not just based on what they were taught or read in some medical publication. If you still can't find the person who can give you definitive advice, then it is up to you whether or not to take the advice of some "expert" on UA-cam who seems to base recommendations solely on the studies of others (and possibly on the results of experimenting on himself) but not on actual experience of working on someone with liver disease who also takes creatine supplements. Actually experiencing something always trumps getting second hand information.
I've been using 5gr of creapure for 6 months now, daily. I honestly feel no difference at all. Just a little bit of weight gain around 2kg. No difference at the gym, while cardio and energy. I think I'll finish the box and stop.
Disappointed that Simon is pushing a particular brand given that it is in his financial interest to promote the product ... While I have come to believe that creatine is beneficial - (I'm 78 and am really noticing improvement )- I like to get my information from sources that do not have a vested interest .. As to sources of creatine I buy mine from Costco ... also vegan and gluten free ... $35 USD for I kg (2.2lb) and made in Canada..
@@TheProofWithSimonHill 5g/day @ 70kg, so maybe slightly underdosed. I guess I can try 7g next time. I don't mind having smaller muscles and a larger wallet, though.
@@aeroclouds absolutely not. Have you been watching the channel? What about all the professional athletes who are vegan? Do you they’re deficient? Vegan bodybuilders ?
They’re a sponsor of my show. But I actually approached them because I was using the sir products anyway (plant protein and creatine). I like their philosophy around ingredients and transparency with third party testing (NSF sports certification in particular). Partners like momentous allow me to prepare, record and publish The Proof episodes at zero-cost to listeners. And listeners are not obliged to buy their products but can if they want to 🙏🏼
Another question. I've heard claims that taking creatine with electrolytes will improve absorbtion. Is there any truth to that? It seems like putting it in something like liquid IV or even Gatorade would be an easy eay to take it.
@@earx23 That mean's its bad and nobody talks about it. I had a blood test after having taken creatin for months and the level of creatinin in my blood was so high that my doctor told me to stop eating salt and reduce my protein intake. But instead I stopped taking creatin and now it's normal. But my doctor doesn't know anything about creatin and doesn't want to comment. Gym bros also don't know anything. As I see things currently creatin is actually dangerous.
@@AhimSaah this a classic mistake from your doctor. You need to tell him you're taking creatine. Creatine has almost no adverse effects. It has been studied more than a thousand times. Only kidney patients need to take precautions.
@@earx23 But I did have a very high level of creatinin regardless of what my doctor told me. And after I stopped taking creatin I'm fine. So, it seems pretty simple? Or do you know something more?
@@AhimSaah creatinine levels are a marker for kidney dysfunction but do not imply your kidneys are actually dysfunctional. Creatinine is a metabolite of creatine. So it's completely logical you'll have more of it even if your kidneys are completely fine. You can try stopping creatine supplementation for a month and then let your doctor test you again.
@TheProofWithSimonHill My normal weight is 70kg, so yes. I wonder what would be the reason of non responding. in case of Piracetam, I am hyper-responder.
@@juno6 not saying this is the case with you specifically - but was this simply because your creatanine levels went up significantly? This will affect your eGFR. I believe that is expected when taking creatine- you may need to inform your doctor that you’re taking creatine and they may request a different type of test that doesn’t rely on creatinine levels.
This brings up questions for me before I commit to taking a highly refined white powder (the joke is stay away from them). Do we know enough about long term safety or side effects? Could this provide relatively short term gains at long term cost in some way? I've read this puts strain on kidneys, is that really worth the 1% gain in muscle mass or recovery? And lastly should we really care about muscle mass, or rather muscle density/fat ratio. It seems like one of the commonalities between centenarians is they usually are pretty lean but not particularly muscular and never were.
They could do even better with creatine supplementation. That’s why we need science. Remember our biology is really only hard-wired to get us to an age to procreate and perhaps a few decades after that until they’re old enough to survive on their own.
Creatine it's endogenous. There is plenty of long term studies with exogenous creatine and there are only good long term effects. Might cause indirect kidney issues as creatine absorbs water and might dehydrate you. So take more water It's not really about muscle mass. And rather all the other benefits
Why the sudden need for creatine supplementation? As Simon says in the video: Of course, vegans will need more of it because they have lower levels of it ...and they need the synthetic form because the natural source of creatine is meat. Even meat eaters, though not as much as vegans, will also need supplementation. This is all because "science" and nutrition "experts" say so. Have they never been completely wrong before? Why are several scientific research and studies being debunked by other "scientists and experts?" This is why the fields of diet and nutrition have been confusing..."scientists" and "experts" of opposing beliefs trying to prove each other wrong by the so-called scientific evidence. Also, saying that we need more or less of some nutrient, when we have been doing fine with the amounts that we have been taking in or that our bodies produce. Humans have survived all through the centuries without the need of creatine supplementation. Some have even lived long healthy, active lives. Creatine may indeed have benefits, but is it really necessary to have more of it beyond the levels that we get from food and that our bodies create? Creatine supplementation may look safe right now, but, in the 70s and 80s, trans fats were also "scientifically" found to be safe and healthy...from the 19th century through thev1950s, smoking and tobacco products were also deemed to be safe and healthy, and even considered medicinal. What will you do when someone finds out that the supplementation of creatine has bad consequences? At the rate that researchers and scientists are debunking each other, I suspect someone will find that this may have not been a good idea. If you are doing fine without the additional creatine, why take it if your body feels fine without the supplement? If you're not feeling fine, isn't it possible it may not be because of low creatine levels? Couldn't it be something else? There are medical conditions were someone can't absorb creatine properly. In this case, additional creatine won't help without first fixing the absorption problem. Of course, if you are barely producing any creatine but are able to absorb it properly, you should take creatine supplements while also treating your production problem. Treat supplementation like medication. Do you really need it? Are there better and/or safer alternatives? Are you taking the right one? Do you have a pre-existing condition that could worsen with the additional creatine? Do you have medications or other supplements that could negatively react to the additional creatine?
Yes I did. And the very reason creatine is at the top of my list is because there are 100s of clinical trials from different labs all pointing in the same direction and the results are typically significant while the supplement is well tolerated.
Aren't the majority of creatine studies financed by creatine manufacturers ? If so, I wouldnt really consider that as super safe, it could be the same or similar to what Pfizer did with their c0vid vax by financing pretty much every single study on their c0vid vax. On the other hand, I did experience positive brain effects while using creatine for around 2 months before stopping it.
Am I right in thinking that Creatine is Vegan, or at least the brand you’re recommending? As a 12 year vegan I wouldn’t want to take anything that isn’t Vegan.
My sister is dealing with a bad concussion for the past 6 months. She still gets very woozy every day. She is 170lbs. How much do you recommend she take daily?
Thank you for your advice. 😊
Not all creatine is vegan. Sometimes there are animal based ingredients used in production. Momentous Creatine Monohydrate is 100% vegan. It’s also NSF certified as I mention in the episode which means we know that what’s on the label is actually in the product and nothing else. I personally try to always buy NSF certified products where I have the choice and just helped 38Tera get the DMN prebiotic NSF certified.
www.livemomentous.com/products/creatine-monohydrate?srsltid=AfmBOop8dwVA_EZGrm3IF8LLGC0ev06_0COrDUYq5IbgImJz_npGs6l0
Remember you can get 20% off your first purchase by using the code LIVINGPROOF at checkout
I have an inflammatory muscle disease called Dermatomyositis that affects my muscle strength as well as muscle mass. My husband has taken creatine for years and several months ago he finally convinced me to try it. We are 77 and 74 years old. It has been a game changer for me with no ill effects other than a little water weight when I first started. My husband is a runner, lifts weights and very healthy. For people our age recovery time is especially important and the addition of creatine has helped with that as well. Thanks for all great videos you have produced….I've learned so much from what I considered a trusted source of information.
@@c7f22 could you please share how you were diagnosed - I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with my muscles but am getting the run around, no answers, and dead ends. TIA 🙏
@ I finally went to Mayo in Rochester. It can be diagnosed with a skin biopsy or muscle biopsy. Also an MRI of muscles or EMG might be good enough for some physicians. There are 3 inflammatory muscle disease and only Dermatomyositis also has skin symptoms that are quite unique to the disease. The other two are polymyositis and inclusive body myopathy (IBM) and a rheumatologist, neurologist or dermatologist that specializes in systemic diseases that affect skin should be able to diagnoses. I would go to a large center with specialists that list as their special interests inflammatory muscle disease. The Myositis Association would be able to help you find someone in your area. Good luck to you…be persistent!
I am subscribed!
Also, really enjoy the mid length videos. They're always so rich with very helpful information.
Thanks, Simon!
Glad you like them! Thanks for subscribing
50-year old female here: supplementation with creatine does seem to have helped me with recovery after exercise.
"Physionic" - one of the YT health gurus I rate, and who uses meta-analysis of studies, rates creatine as the top supplement. I'm struggling to maintain muscle mass (a ruptured bicep that has slowed me down and sarcopenia at age 71) and may try it.
I had heart palpitations and irregular heart beat from it. Diagnosed by a cardiologist. Although there are no studies about this side effect. Stopped taking it, the symptoms went away.
I took 3 g / day.
It's a pity because I could feel more stamina and recovery was faster.
I had the exact same problems, my heart beat was all over the place, it was quite scary, after stopping creatine, everything went progressively back to normal. I hate listening about all these great benefits :)
I’m sorry that you had a bad experience. I have a type of a heart problem, SVT that has to do with sudden heart rate increases but I didn’t have any episodes with the introduction of creatinine. I didn’t change anything about my physical activity when I started the creatinine.
@irenag3994 I had SVT, but it stopped when I went planted based 8 years ago (zero animal products). It's interesting that creatine doesn't affect you at all.
@ this again goes to show that we are 1 of 1 and we should always apply everything cautiously in order to find out what’s best for us 🙂
Your irregular heartbeat may be coming from your gut. Food and habit digests can cause irregular heartbeats
Thank you for your video it was nicely and clearly explained, very good information,keep going, cheers!
This is an excellent factual breakdown. Thank you for your time on this 😎
My husband takes creatine but he says I shouldn’t because it causes weight gain. Is this true? I am 49 and vegan/plant based for 10 years now. I used to weight 534 but I’ve lost 406 pounds as of today. I love this channel! Thank you
Covered in the video!
@DinaHavens, congrats on your health transformation! I understand why you don't want to reverse that!
I'm not a scientist, but I took creatine for years when I was training for powerlifting. Based on my experience as a muscular, over 200-lb man, I would gain 3-5 pounds in the first week or two as glycogen and water were pulled into my muscles, and no continuing gain after that, and the extra weight would come off when I stopped taking it. A person with less muscle mass might gain 1-2 pounds, per the video. I would start with a low dose with food and see how you tolerate it. It can cause bloating or diarrhea. I suspect eating a banana to get some potassium would help if it causes water retention.
On the positive side, while taking it I felt like I could get an extra repetition or two on most of my lifts, and when riding a stationary bike for fitness, I could ride fast longer or generate a little more power for the same time.
Wow congrats!! I thought that number was a typo! Then I saw what you lost. Holy crap you’re amazing!!!❤
Im so proud of you Simon. I started following you on your podcast when you first started. Almost 100,000. Well deserved!
@ Haha! Thank you very much! 💚 it has taken 14 years but worth every second.
Great post, thanks.
Creatine has been life changing for me as a 46 yo female vegan.
thanks for the video, congrats to 100k subs und merry christmas :)
Wow, I am recently post-menopausal with some OA starting. I am doing resistance training, have creatine here but not taking it. I am getting on that! Thank you!
Great job! Sounds like you’re being very proactive. Glad you’re doing resistance training :)
@@TheProofWithSimonHill 100% plant based too! 💪
Another excellent video. Thanks Simon
Glad you enjoyed it
Very good, I started taking creatine 1 month ago and notice big changes. I'm taking it 5 g/day. As it is the standard recomendation. But now i'm thinking on going to 10 g/day. I'm a 93 kg male, that workouts 6 times /week. Thank you =)
Thanks Simon, a superb breakdown, you jammed a lot of info into this relatively short video.
I do have a specific follow-up q:
Do you recommend taking creatine at any particular time on training days (e.g. immediately before / after training)? And/or do you have any recommendations for when to take creatine on non-training days?
Thanks again
Awesome vid, thanks!
I was moving out of a townhouse about 30 years ago and ran out of energy carrying boxes of books down the stairs and out to the truck. I took some creatine, and it got me through the rest of the day.
Excellent video. Thanks for all the solid content you provide
My pleasure!
Hey Simon, this was really informative. I've been consistently taking 3-5g daily with my coffee, but I think I need to read that study regarding brain performance in vegans. I'm going to use your protocol and double my intake to see if it helps with some neurological issues I suffer with. Thanks again!
It might help. But you might want to triplicate your dose for notable cognitive effects
That dose is probably not high enough to increase brain creatine levels. You might want to try something closer to 0.2-0.35g per KG of body weight and see how you feel after a few weeks. If you get any GI symptoms have your creatine with a meal and split the dose into 2/3 serves across the day.
Hey Simon! Thanks for putting out this clear and educational material!
I (and probably many other people) would be interested in a generalized approach on
-> how to FIND actual good research
-> how to READ and FOCUS within a study (experiment)
-> how to DIFFERENTIATE and VALUE several kind of research techniques
basically LEARN THE APPROACH :)
I recently (2 months ago) had a very traumatic event happen, and my sleep deprivation has sky rocketed, so I really need to get on my creatine game because I fell off that wagon unintentionally. I have a ton of Creapure stocked in my cabinet that I need to reintroduce into my day. Thanks for the extra motivation to get that back into my routine!
My pleasure. Glad you have creapure - pls let me know how you get on. Hope you feel some benefits!
@ Thanks, Simon! Grabbed a scoop now, so I’ll let you know in the future! 😀
Thanks 😊😊
Welcome 😊
Thank you!
Thanks for the nerd out on the hot topic of creatine. Would love to know if blood creatine levels tend to run high (.96, .95, .91, 1.01 mg/dl (0.57-1.00)) on a regular basis. Then, would supplementing be a good idea? Or more precisely, if you are already exhibiting high levels then perhaps supplementation is not needed or would not be a good idea? Thank you!
After watching the video, I want to give creatine to my 86 year old mother with osteoporosis and mild cognitive decline. Aside from monitoring her kidney function, is there any other side effects/risks we should look out for? She does do some light strength training.
A very informative video. Would be interesting to know what de body does with the "exes" creatine, since its relatively cheap. Would the body turn "exes" creatine in to proteins, or just burn it as fuel?
Been smashing 5 grams a day non stop for 4 years now. Best money I ever spent - I noticed a big difference in the gym.
Agreed. If I stop I get quite ‘flat’ and strength goes down - when I resume I see big changes especially in the first month.
@ yeh it’s been the same experience for me! I regret not trying it earlier in my life.
Triple it to 15 grams, take it before you sleep... Thank me later
@@elad_sefarad what exactly happens with 15 grams? And do you take it all at once right before bed?
Thank u yes will always be on creatine, no doubt! Simon I started watching u to find out how to body build mostly plant based do u have a more updated list of supps other than creatine like citruline malate, TMG, glycerol, NO boosters like arugula & beet root, stuff to get me swole like u but naturally & healthily? I’ve heard most of ur foods like seitan etc & know lots of the exercises thanks to ur previous amazing episodes but haven’t heard much about pre workouts etc thank u for all ur endless works they’re invaluable 💪👊
Download the supplement guide at theproof.com and strongly recommend getting the new LIVING PROOF challenge guide when it comes out in a few weeks. Also available on my website
Does Momentous ship in the UK?
I use choline 500 mg/inositol 500 mg when I only had 4 hours sleep to improve alertness and concentration.
Does creatine survive cooking and baking techniques? I usually put mine in a drink but it would be nice if I could bake it in to something for a change or just put it in some mashed potato so I can just have it with a meal since I only do protein shakes on days that I resistance train.
@@Snerdles Creatine has insane temperature stability. Up to 450 F° - 232 C°.
Please, talk about creatine and caffeine interaction and Parkinson desease. Thanks.
What are the effects of creatine on tumor cells? I mean if it works well for normal cells wouldn’t it makes tumor cells grow also? In one point just wondering right on the highway.
very thorough presentation of creatine monohydrate, thank you. I take it for marginal strength but mainly for recovery benefits. You don't necessarily need it, but it is quite inexpensive and I have seen marked benefits in my own training.
Thanks for sharing!
Digging trenches to repair drain tiles with tree roots blocking the flow I was worn out after several days. I went to a job interview the following day, and my mind wasn't working well. Another day and my mind was working better.
From this video, I think creatine would have helped.
Makes me wonder if it would have helped after H1N1 (2009?). Many students sick for a week. Campus felt strange with so few on campus. Some had trouble with remembering and depression after that.
Is it OK to heat creatine? I have a powdered creatine that I put in smoothies, but I don't have smoothies regularly. But I do have oatmeal everyday and I'd like to add it to my oatmeal.
Hi Simon, what's the thoughts on creatine for people with CFS/ME? I've seen some chatter online that it can be helpful?
Thanks
I was the first, or certainly one of the first, to write about the non gym benefits of creatine in the mid 90s in the print pubs. Yes, there was a time were no 'net existed! If you're not using creatine, you're doing it wrong whether you exercise regularly or not. Of course you maximize benefits by exercise, RT in particular. Other supplement would be whey BTW. I do wish the papers discussed in the vid were linked below the vid.
90s! What a time to be alive 🙏🏼
@@TheProofWithSimonHill 70s/80s were even better. I'm that old :)
@ based on my preferred music I feel like I would have loved the 70s
How does Paul keep all those bees away from the round up?
i actually tried more and more time to take creatine cause of the strong evidence everyone was describing.
But still… i never liked it; it doesn’t increase my performance at all and it causes me a lot of water retention (not in a good and esthetic way) so…. it will also be scientifically proven to work, but it doesn not work well on me!! 🤷♂️
I've seen individual reports that creatine significantly raises intraocular pressure (IOP). With the increased water retention that creatine produces, you can see how increased IOP might result. If true, this would be a major negative. Is there any way to get a handle on this? There are no studies that I can find.
That’s a good question I’ll add to my list. Any info you can share here would be welcomed
@@TheProofWithSimonHill Thanks for the reply. I don't think Google will let me enter links here, so I can only suggest that you Google for "does creatine increase intraocular pressure". Or maybe ChatGPT. There was a report on Reddit of a guy whose IOP on creatine got up to the 50s, which is very high, and required eye surgery. And there's a PubMed study that reports elevated creatine levels in people with open-angle glaucoma - but of course that's not necessarily saying the creatine caused the glaucoma; it could be the other way around, or just coincidence. I believe you know a UA-camr who is a Professor of Ophthamology at Stanford. Maybe he would know. But my suspicion is this just has never been measured systematically. It should be.
Thank you for this. I wish that creatine was a little easier on my stomach. I'm hoping also that you do an in-depth nutrition & exercise look at bone health and osteoporosis at some time in the future.
Have you tried having smaller doses more frequently with food?
Hi Simon,
New sub here.
As a bodybuilder, I’m familiar with creatine. I’ve been using it since I was 14 (1998).
The more recently discovered and emerging brain benefits are definitely of interest to me.
I’m also looking into the topic of fat, in particular saturated fat and how it pertains to cholesterol markers and CVD risk.
It seems you have a treasure trove of content relating to this!
I find it interesting that there are such polarised views on this topic.
As a sports nutritionist, I am fascinated by the research of Jeff Volek, and I am trying to learn more about why some endurance athletes are adopting high fat/keto diets.
Given that much of his work in sports nutrition was focused on carbohydrates, I also find Tim Noakes very interesting.
It would be amazing to see you have Jeff and Tim as guests on your podcast.
I watched your discussion with Alan Aragon, I’m a big fan of his work!
Thanks for the comment. I recommend listening to my episode with Kieron Rooney. It’s fairly deep but we actually discuss some of Volek’s work. Love to have Jeff on
Most studies I’ve read on creatine supplementation report marginal benefit, and I wonder given the lack of formal quality control for supplement manufacturers whether it’s worth it at all. Personally, it sounds to me like a case of majoring in the minors. Show me 10% improvement
What about someone with mild stage 2 CKD? (61 year old with egfr of 70). At what stage does creatine supplementation become problematic?
Generally not recommended due to insufficient evidence of safety in that population. I would ask your Dr what they think as they know your precise health status and history
Thank you, asking my doc.
check out the blurb at Cleveland Clinic on CKD (chronic kidney disease) for which high blood pressure and diabetes are 2 common causes. They have a section on creatine too.
I was urinating far more pretty much from the very first dose, to the point that i had to stop due to inconvienience of that. Is there any explanation of that or indication of something off in my body?
I had the same happen to me. I was taking 10 grams. I gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks and my blood pressure went up 10 points systolic. I loved the way I felt and the feel of my muscles but had to stop due to the symptoms. I had no GI symptoms. I may try again someday with a smaller dose.
Its a combination of three synthetic chemicals sodium sarcosinate, acetic acid and cyanamide that is heated to over 100 centigrade. This is meant to be identical to a substance found in raw meat and raw fish. I choose nature due to food synergy, the food matrix. I eat raw meat.
Is it ok for someone who has recovered from alcoholism but had fatty liver disease?
Haven’t seen a contraindication for this group.
Even though I don't trust some doctors completely (especially those who heavily rely on stuff they were taught or read, and not on actual practical experience), the safest thing is to consult a physician who has actual dealings with people who have fatty liver disease and also take creatine supplements. These tend to be sports medicine doctors or doctors who treat or have treated some athletes. Athletes, especially bodybuilders and weightlifters, are known for using creatine supplements. Some athletes may also be recovering alcoholics who developed fatty liver disease. If the doctor has patients that fit the bill, ask for his recommendations. He may still not know what to recommend, but at least he knows how his patients are doing healthwise (given those parameters). If he's not comfortable giving you the recommendations, he most likely will be able to consult with or refer you to a health provider (probably a hepatologist...liver doctor) that may have more experience and knowledge about your situation. Just make sure that these health providers you consult with have their knowledge based on their own actual, practical experiences, and not just based on what they were taught or read in some medical publication. If you still can't find the person who can give you definitive advice, then it is up to you whether or not to take the advice of some "expert" on UA-cam who seems to base recommendations solely on the studies of others (and possibly on the results of experimenting on himself) but not on actual experience of working on someone with liver disease who also takes creatine supplements. Actually experiencing something always trumps getting second hand information.
Bone geometry? Huh? I wish u had explained that...
I've been using 5gr of creapure for 6 months now, daily. I honestly feel no difference at all. Just a little bit of weight gain around 2kg. No difference at the gym, while cardio and energy. I think I'll finish the box and stop.
I heard it raises blood pressure, not true?
Haven’t seen good evidence of that. Have you?
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10694109/
For me, n=1, it raised my BP by 10 points systolic in three weeks. I had to stop and it took three weeks more to get it back down.
Disappointed that Simon is pushing a particular brand given that it is in his financial interest to promote the product ... While I have come to believe that creatine is beneficial - (I'm 78 and am really noticing improvement )- I like to get my information from sources that do not have a vested interest .. As to sources of creatine I buy mine from Costco ... also vegan and gluten free ... $35 USD for I kg (2.2lb) and made in Canada..
Creatine is good. But how about puffiness from water retention?
Covered in the video!
@TheProofWithSimonHill some have said they do get puffiness in their face. Even though it shouldn't?. Thsts the only part I'm not sure about
Time stamps and no added noises please ❤
I can't stay consistent because I don't "feel" it, and I've been vegan for a decade so of all people, you'd think I'd notice a difference.
What dosing protocol?
@@TheProofWithSimonHill 5g/day @ 70kg, so maybe slightly underdosed. I guess I can try 7g next time. I don't mind having smaller muscles and a larger wallet, though.
As a vegan your diet will grossly deficient in Essential amino acids so what do you expect?
@@aeroclouds absolutely not. Have you been watching the channel? What about all the professional athletes who are vegan? Do you they’re deficient? Vegan bodybuilders ?
Do you get paid by Momentus for pushing their brand?
They’re a sponsor of my show. But I actually approached them because I was using the sir products anyway (plant protein and creatine). I like their philosophy around ingredients and transparency with third party testing (NSF sports certification in particular). Partners like momentous allow me to prepare, record and publish The Proof episodes at zero-cost to listeners. And listeners are not obliged to buy their products but can if they want to 🙏🏼
@TheProofWithSimonHill Aren't you paid by UA-cam for monetizing the video?
Another question. I've heard claims that taking creatine with electrolytes will improve absorbtion. Is there any truth to that? It seems like putting it in something like liquid IV or even Gatorade would be an easy eay to take it.
Wait, u said brain makes it's own creatine, not from food. But then that we need 10g or more for the brain?
Does creatin affect the levels of creatinine in your blood?
@@AhimSaah yes.
@@earx23 That mean's its bad and nobody talks about it. I had a blood test after having taken creatin for months and the level of creatinin in my blood was so high that my doctor told me to stop eating salt and reduce my protein intake. But instead I stopped taking creatin and now it's normal. But my doctor doesn't know anything about creatin and doesn't want to comment. Gym bros also don't know anything. As I see things currently creatin is actually dangerous.
@@AhimSaah this a classic mistake from your doctor. You need to tell him you're taking creatine. Creatine has almost no adverse effects. It has been studied more than a thousand times. Only kidney patients need to take precautions.
@@earx23 But I did have a very high level of creatinin regardless of what my doctor told me. And after I stopped taking creatin I'm fine. So, it seems pretty simple? Or do you know something more?
@@AhimSaah creatinine levels are a marker for kidney dysfunction but do not imply your kidneys are actually dysfunctional. Creatinine is a metabolite of creatine. So it's completely logical you'll have more of it even if your kidneys are completely fine. You can try stopping creatine supplementation for a month and then let your doctor test you again.
Wow, $35 shipping from Momentus to Australia!?
Creatine makes my right leg uptain water and makes my gut go nuts (Tried several brands).
I only lasted one month without creatine and then the pros weighed out the cost haha i know its kinda cheap though, just on a tight budget.
Almost zero effect on me at 5g. "Mostly" vegan. In comparison, i can feel Piracetam at 800mg dose in an hour, clear energy and motivation boost.
There is such thing as a hypo-responder. Out of curiosity is that dose close to 0.1 per kg per day for you?
@TheProofWithSimonHill My normal weight is 70kg, so yes. I wonder what would be the reason of non responding. in case of Piracetam, I am hyper-responder.
It might be a coincidence, but after 3/4 months of taking moderate amounts of creatine I had a serious kidney problem.
When you say serious kidney problem. What was the diagnosis? What markers were out of range?
@@juno6 not saying this is the case with you specifically - but was this simply because your creatanine levels went up significantly? This will affect your eGFR.
I believe that is expected when taking creatine- you may need to inform your doctor that you’re taking creatine and they may request a different type of test that doesn’t rely on creatinine levels.
This brings up questions for me before I commit to taking a highly refined white powder (the joke is stay away from them). Do we know enough about long term safety or side effects? Could this provide relatively short term gains at long term cost in some way? I've read this puts strain on kidneys, is that really worth the 1% gain in muscle mass or recovery? And lastly should we really care about muscle mass, or rather muscle density/fat ratio. It seems like one of the commonalities between centenarians is they usually are pretty lean but not particularly muscular and never were.
They could do even better with creatine supplementation. That’s why we need science. Remember our biology is really only hard-wired to get us to an age to procreate and perhaps a few decades after that until they’re old enough to survive on their own.
Creatine it's endogenous. There is plenty of long term studies with exogenous creatine and there are only good long term effects.
Might cause indirect kidney issues as creatine absorbs water and might dehydrate you. So take more water
It's not really about muscle mass. And rather all the other benefits
😮
What would make someone a non-responder? Creatine does squat for me and I'm Vegan no less...
A different type of creatine molecule may work.
Why the sudden need for creatine supplementation? As Simon says in the video: Of course, vegans will need more of it because they have lower levels of it ...and they need the synthetic form because the natural source of creatine is meat. Even meat eaters, though not as much as vegans, will also need supplementation. This is all because "science" and nutrition "experts" say so. Have they never been completely wrong before? Why are several scientific research and studies being debunked by other "scientists and experts?" This is why the fields of diet and nutrition have been confusing..."scientists" and "experts" of opposing beliefs trying to prove each other wrong by the so-called scientific evidence. Also, saying that we need more or less of some nutrient, when we have been doing fine with the amounts that we have been taking in or that our bodies produce. Humans have survived all through the centuries without the need of creatine supplementation. Some have even lived long healthy, active lives. Creatine may indeed have benefits, but is it really necessary to have more of it beyond the levels that we get from food and that our bodies create? Creatine supplementation may look safe right now, but, in the 70s and 80s, trans fats were also "scientifically" found to be safe and healthy...from the 19th century through thev1950s, smoking and tobacco products were also deemed to be safe and healthy, and even considered medicinal. What will you do when someone finds out that the supplementation of creatine has bad consequences? At the rate that researchers and scientists are debunking each other, I suspect someone will find that this may have not been a good idea. If you are doing fine without the additional creatine, why take it if your body feels fine without the supplement? If you're not feeling fine, isn't it possible it may not be because of low creatine levels? Couldn't it be something else? There are medical conditions were someone can't absorb creatine properly. In this case, additional creatine won't help without first fixing the absorption problem. Of course, if you are barely producing any creatine but are able to absorb it properly, you should take creatine supplements while also treating your production problem. Treat supplementation like medication. Do you really need it? Are there better and/or safer alternatives? Are you taking the right one? Do you have a pre-existing condition that could worsen with the additional creatine? Do you have medications or other supplements that could negatively react to the additional creatine?
Unless I'm misunderstanding something, Simon refutes the idea of disproportionate benefit to vegans (except in performance) in 19:00 and onward.
Yes I did. And the very reason creatine is at the top of my list is because there are 100s of clinical trials from different labs all pointing in the same direction and the results are typically significant while the supplement is well tolerated.
If you want to get creatine from fish, it’s best to go with herring over salmon and cod.
Aren't the majority of creatine studies financed by creatine manufacturers ? If so, I wouldnt really consider that as super safe, it could be the same or similar to what Pfizer did with their c0vid vax by financing pretty much every single study on their c0vid vax.
On the other hand, I did experience positive brain effects while using creatine for around 2 months before stopping it.
made it to 100k subs. plant based isent as profitable as meat based content, nick norwitz, but you can sleep at night. congrats
Thanks for showing up!
Avoid creatine if you have BPH since it MIGHT increase prostate size.