Beyond The Bench: Creatine's Emerging Role In Brain, Body, And Longevity.

By Dr Juanri Jonck from LifeLAB

Creatine – previously known as the primary bulking agent for every gym fanatic has made headlines in recent years due to emerging studies showing that this molecule is more than just a bodybuilders friend. Creatine Monohydrate in doses of 3-5 grams (not the super high doses you’ve read in a 1990’s bodybuilding blog) has been shown to support cellular energy, muscle, brain, skin and even collagen metabolism.

Creatine works by increasing phosphocreatine stores in cells which leads to regeneration of ATP (our internal power stations) used for the repair, synthesis and function of cells, which make out the basis of biology and life. Increased energy availability leads to increased function of muscles, skin, brain and bone.

Did someone say collagen?

Even though creatine monohydrate does not directly create collagen, it gives support in the form of ATP to the very important fibroblasts who do in fact make collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans (like hyaluronic acid). In vitro studies showed that it increased cellular energy and viability even under oxidative stress.

For the sports fanatics, or simply those trying desperately to maintain their muscle mass in menopause or andropause (which is dominated by sarcopenia – age related loss of muscle and gaining of fat mass) , creatine might also help. With this increased ATP (energy production) there is an increase in muscle strength and power. By increasing cell hydration and stimulating muscle protein synthesis, it can result in improved lean muscle mass and even reduce fatigue and improve recovery.

Creatine does not stop with the sports bunnies though. It also showed cognitive and mental benefits since it is a key fuel for the brain. Which by the way uses around 20% of our body’s energy. It was shown to enhance short term memory and mental clarity under stress or sleep deprivation. This does not mean that sleep isn’t still the biggest priority, however in times of need it could assist. This was particularly true in vegetarians who generally had lower creatine stores.

But wait…there’s more. For metabolic and cardiovascular health creatine showed improved endothelial function (inside of the veins and arteries) by improving energy signalling and nitric oxide signalling (the one that opens up our arteries and veins). Creatine also lowers homocysteine levels and lowers inflammation. And we all know that inflammation is the big bad wolf of health in general.

When it comes to bone and connective tissue, your creatine supplement may help support osteoblast activity and can even help bone formation indirectly due to improved muscle mass and subsequent increased muscle pull on the bone. Combined with resistance training, creatine can also help older adults improve bone density.

Very important to stick to the right doses. 3 to 5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate is safe and well-studied without any evidence of kidney damage in healthy adults. It was proven safe long term (which means for longer than 5 years) It can be taken once daily, any time of day, but be sure to stay well hydrated!!

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/447 [1]

https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/creatine-supplementation-new-insights-and-perspectives-on-bone-and-brain-health [2]

https://uia.brage.unit.no/uia-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/3062436/Article.pdf?sequence=4 [3]

https://www.discoveryjournals.org/medicalscience/current_issue/v29/n155/e12ms3516.pdf [4]

https://karger.com/anm/article/78/3/183/821423/A-High-Dose-of-Creatine-Combined-with-Resistance [5]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11914-024-00895-x [6]

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z8

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