If you ask at the gym which supplement you should take in addition to your exercise, one answer is quite common: creatine. The molecule with extensive research background not only brings advantages in (strength) sports, but can also influence cognitive performance. This substance produced by the body is even recommended for astronauts to take in space. In this article, you will find out what benefits creatine brings you, how you can take it and how longevity research evaluates the molecule.
Where is creatine found in the body?
First of all, we need to clarify the question of what creatine actually is. To do this, let's take a closer look at the molecule. Creatine consists of three amino acids: arginine, Glycine and methionineOur body produces the molecule itself from these three building blocks. It is mainly produced in the liver. It is also produced in smaller quantities in the kidneys and pancreas.
Creatine is then transported from the liver to its main place of action: the muscles. There it serves as an energy store in the form of creatine phosphate. You can imagine the whole thing as a short-acting but very powerful battery. If we want to move our muscles, e.g. in the gym when doing bench presses, our muscles use a large amount of energy in the form of ATPAfter a few seconds, the ATP stores are empty and our muscles can no longer contract.
This is where creatine comes into play by donating its phosphate groups and regenerating ADP (two phosphate groups) back to ATP (three phosphate groups)Without this "battery boost" we would not be able to lift heavy weights or sprint quickly over short distances as effectively. Once creatine phosphate is used up, creatinine is produced as a "waste product".
Did you know? The amino acid glycine is a true all-rounder in the human body. It is involved in many important metabolic processes. Some of these also have an impact on longevity. For example, glycine can act as a methyl group donor for better DNA repair, or in combination with NAC it can strengthen your mitochondria. The combination GlyNAC is also available as a supplement. If you combine glycine with hyaluronic acid The molecule can also contribute to better skin health.
Creatine, creatinine, creatine monohydrate or creatine citrate – what is the difference?
Admittedly, there are a lot of similar-sounding names and these can cause confusion. That's why we'll give you a brief overview of the most important molecules. This will also help us later with the question of whether creatine is harmful to the kidneys.
But first things first:
- creatine (written in English as Creatine) is our starting molecule. We can take it in through food, supplement it and the body can produce it itself from the building blocks.
- creatinine (written creatinine in English) is the breakdown product of creatine.It is excreted via the kidneys
- creatine monohydrate: There are various options for supplementation. The best researched and most effective is creatine monohydrateHere the creatine molecules are connected to a water molecule. This combination is particularly suitable as a dietary supplement because the bioavailability is over 99%.
- creatine citrate: Is another way of supplementing creatine. In contrast to monohydrate, the creatine molecules are linked to citric acid (citrate). However, the creatine content is lower and there are fewer studies.
The Myth of Kidney Damage
Even long-term use of creatine could not be linked to kidney damage in the studiesBut why does this question come up so often?
This is because the breakdown product, creatinine, is used in medicine to measure kidney function. Creatine supplementation leads to an increase in creatinine levels in the blood, which has raised concerns that kidney function may be impaired. Several studies (R,R,R) were able to show that no kidney damage occurs. The creatinine level is therefore increased, but not due to kidney problems.
Power for your muscles – the supplement for more strength
The main effect of creatine as a supplement is seen in sports. The molecule can help especially during fast, power-intensive sessions, as the studies showed an increase in strength compared to placebos. In addition, taking creatine reduces the body fat percentage in athletes.
The molecule is also capable increase the water content in the bodyThis “side effect” is particularly desirable in strength training, as this water is mainly stored in the muscles. If you take it regularly, you should expect to gain about 1-2 kilograms in weight.
While the data is clear for strength sports, it is somewhat more mixed for endurance sports. During sprints, the developed power increased, but during longer runs, creatine does not seem to have any directly measurable effect. Nevertheless, it can be useful to supplement even for endurance athletes, because taking it after training supported a shorter recovery period.
Did you know? Creatine is the most common and best-researched supplement among athletes. There are also other molecules that not only improve your performance but also promote longevity. One of them is alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG).
In addition to research on animals, human studies showed that taking AKG in the form of calcium alpha-ketoglutarate supports muscle renewalIn addition to this very interesting effect for athletes, this study make another exciting discovery.After 7 months of taking a preparation containing AKG, the biological age of the test subjects was reduced by a full 8 years!
More than just pure strength – creatine can help you more than just in training
In addition to muscle cells, our brain cells require a lot of their daily energy in the form of ATP. Due to the close connection between creatine and ATP the hypothesis is obvious that it could also improve cognitive performanceIn fact, this has been proven by studies. The greatest effects were observed in older people, whose body's own creatine production was reduced. As we age, the synthesis capacity declines, which leads some to believe that supplementation can be particularly useful in old age. Many well-known faces from the longevity scene, such as Dr. Peter Attia, Dr. Mark Hyman or Bryan Johnson take creatine daily.
Another area where research is currently being conducted is the interaction with the immune systemWe now know from model studies that creatine can suppress inflammatory processes in the body. For this reason, it was suspected that the molecule could contain the so-called cytokine storm after a Covid-19 infection. However, larger studies on the subject have not yet been published and we will certainly have to wait a little longer until we have more data.
Does creatine promote muscle growth? Yes and no. It increases the water content in muscle cells and some studies suggest that the inflammatory processes in the muscles after a hard workout are dampened by the molecule. Creatine makes the muscle appear fuller through water retention – but this does not directly produce more muscle mass in the form of fibers.
There is also another molecule that acts on the muscle. betaine, also a derivative of the amino acid glycine, stimulates protein synthesis and the formation of new muscle cellsIn addition, betaine increases the biosynthesis and availability of creatine. Betaine and creatine are therefore ideal partners for building strength!
Creatine in food – is that enough?
Creatine is mainly found in meat productsHere are some data on the creatine content of different foods:
- Beef: approx. 4.5g per kilogram
- Chicken meat: about 3.4g per kilogram
- Pig hearts: approx. 1.5g per kilogram
Creatine is almost never found in vegetarian products. Instead, the amino acids that our body needs to produce the molecule. In total, our body's creatine stores have a capacity of around 120g.
We lose about 1.6-1.7% of it daily in the form of creatinine. This means that we have to produce around 2g of creatine every day to compensate for this lossMuch of it is synthesized by our body itself, but firstly, performance decreases with age and secondly, the loss during sport can be even greater.Compensating for these problems purely through food is difficult due to the limited availability of food, which is why supplementation tailored to needs makes sense.
Creatine supplementation – not only useful for men
Most studies on creatine were carried out on men - male athletes in particular, whose main goal was to improve their athletic performance, were examined more closely. As is often the case in medicine, this results in a rather one-sided picture.
In this study However, women were specifically examined. In addition to the already known advantages, it was shown that that postmenopausal women in particular had improved bone mineralization through the combination of creatine and strength trainingFalls and bone fractures are common in old age and can often have serious consequences for those affected. Taking creatine can help prevent this.
Creatine in food – is that enough?
Creatine is mainly found in meat productsHere are some data on the creatine content of different foods:
- Beef: approx. 4.5g per kilogram
- Chicken meat: about 3.4g per kilogram
- Pig hearts: approx. 1.5g per kilogram
Creatine is almost never found in vegetarian products. Instead, the amino acids that our body needs to produce the molecule. In total, our body's creatine stores have a capacity of around 120g.
We lose about 1.6-1.7% of it daily in the form of creatinine. This means that we have to produce around 2g of creatine every day to compensate for this lossA large part of it is synthesized by our body itself, but firstly, performance decreases with age and secondly, the loss during sport can be even greater. Due to the limited food supply, it is difficult to compensate purely through food, which is why supplementation based on needs is certainly sensible.
Creatine supplementation – not only useful for men
Most studies on creatine were carried out on men - male athletes in particular, whose main goal was to improve their athletic performance, were examined more closely. As is often the case in medicine, this results in a rather one-sided picture.
In this study However, women were specifically examined. In addition to the already known advantages, it was shown that that postmenopausal women in particular had improved bone mineralization through the combination of creatine and strength trainingFalls and bone fractures are common in old age and can often have serious consequences for those affected. Taking creatine can help prevent this.
Creatine and longevity – what does research say?
In addition to its role in sports, studies have shown that creatine may be helpful in treating depression.In one study taking it alone could lead to a reduction in depressive symptoms, while in the other studies the absorption/effect of antidepressants was increasedSince a stable psyche is important for longevity, creatine could offer an advantage here. However, one should not expect too great an effect.
Another area of research is neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. In mouse studies researchers observed, that daily intake of creatine protected against the development of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this study examined a larger number of older mice. One group was given the molecule daily and the mice in this population lived a median of 9% longer. They also showed improved brain function and their cells contained less lipofuscin, which is also known as “age pigment”.
These promising results have not yet been reproduced in human studies, so it remains exciting to see what the future holds. We hope that you now know more about this exciting molecule. Whether as a supplement to sport or for better cognitive performance, creatine is an ideal and, above all, evidence-based everyday companion.
