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Creatine raises brain energy levels and slows cognitive decline: study

531 points by MrJagil 4mo ago

cj 4mo ago
Direct link to the study: https://jpbs.hapres.com/htmls/JPBS_1766_Detail.html https://jpbs.hapres.com/htmls/JPBS_1766_Detail.html I wanted to check the dosages they used. Looks like the review includes studies ranging from 5g/day to 20-25g/day. (Typical dosage you'll see for daily use is 5 grams)
- SoftTalker 4mo ago
  I use it as a supplement because I do weightlifting. 5g/day. I did 20g/day for a week once, and didn't notice it made any difference, so I'm back to 5g now. In terms of stuff like memory, mood, etc. I can't say it's made any improvement but the idea that it might be helping prevent decline is nice.
  - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
    Its changed my life. Im also a long time vegan with MTHFR gene mutations and sleep issues though.
    - SoftTalker 4mo ago
      I've heard others say it helps with mood, energy, depression, etc. and if that's the case for some people then great. I don't notice it myself but that's just me. Not everyone has the same body chemistry.
      - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
        Did you try higher dose. You need to take 0.35g/kg body weight for effects on brain, atleast thats the doses that are usually used in the studies. I believe your body will distribute it to your muscles before any goes to the brain, so you need to take a dose that will saturate your muscles and then have extra left over. I take 25grams whereas the usually reccomend daily dose is 5grams
        SoftTalker 4mo ago
        I did a week trial at 20 or 25g/day once. This was after being on the standard weightlifter's 5g/day for a while so muscles should have been fairly saturated. Didn't notice any effect. 0.35g/kg dose seems like way more than our bodies would have ever had even in a prehistoric hunter's diet. For me that would be 30g/day.
    - iwontberude 4mo ago
      That’s a pretty amazing acronym if real
      - Insanity 4mo ago
        Say MTHFR one more time, I dare you. Never heard of the acronym though so not sure what the mutation implies.
    - throwmeowaway 4mo ago
      I also have MTHFR gene mutations and sleep issues. What exactly helped you?
      - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
        As a vegan you dont get any creatine since you're not eating meat, so your body has to make it itself, which requires a ton of methylation and if you're like me and have bad genes for methylation your body had a hard time with it as it is. So by supplmenting creatine you're reducing some of that burden. As far as sleep goes, high dose creatine has been studied to have an extermely positive effect on brain function during sleep deprevation, better than stimulants/caffine I think the prescribed dosing for creatine and sleep deprevation is 0.35g per KG, much higher than the typically recommended dose of 5gs a day for muscle. The positive effects on the brain come at much higher doses. Which is perfectly safe for your kidneys, this is a myth (as long as you dont already have poor kidney function). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16416332/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16416332/
        matwood 4mo ago
        Also note, that if someone is going to start taking creatine they need to up their hydration - likely a lot.
    - adrian_b 4mo ago
      For vegans, creatine is among the recommended supplements, because the amount that is produced internally is insufficient for most people, so they need some extra amount in food. (The same is true for a few other substances, e.g. choline, taurine, menaquinone.) I also take some creatine, for this reason.
  - radial_symmetry 4mo ago
    For lifting you hit a saturation point quickly where your muscles will only hold so much of it. Not sure if there is an equivalent for any brain related effects.
    - insanitybit 4mo ago
      I'm sure there's something for the brain too. The thing is, there's a floor for the brain. If your muscles aren't saturated already and you don't "megadose" (from a muscle perspective) then you won't see any cognitive effects it seems.
  - wtetzner 4mo ago
    I've found it helps cognitively if under a lot of stress and/or sleep deprived. If I'm not especially stressed and am well rested, I don't know that I notice any difference.
- deleted 4mo ago
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- gardnr 4mo ago
  Just in case anyone is thinking about trying it: 25g seems pretty high. It’s worth it to review what that means for the rest of your body before starting this regime. Kidneys are really useful organs to have working.
  - SoftTalker 4mo ago
    Yes, the labeling does caution against using it if you have kidney disease. Not sure how much of a risk there is if your kidneys are functioning normally. Maintaining good hydration is always a good idea.
  - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
    This is a myth, its not bad for your kidneys. The reason this gets spread is because you will have higher levels of creatine in your urine if your Doctor tests your urine for kidney function, which indicates kidney disease. However, If you reveal to that doctor that you're supplementing Creatine it will not be concern them.
    - laszlojamf 4mo ago
      This has been my understand as well. I have CKD and my doctors have always been chill about it as long as I stop taking it about a week before having blood work done. EDIT: I don't do 25g though... sounds like a lot...
      - vidarh 4mo ago
        You're lucky your doctor is aware of it. I've had several who did not understand, and insisted creatine must be dangerous if it elevated creatinine levels, and/or didn't understand the effects.
      - egfr 4mo ago
        If your egfr is above 80 it’s you won’t notice it. But CKD is a late in life problem so you are basically making your end of life worse by making your kidneys work harder now. You might as well take up smoking: claiming it doesn’t hurt now is a lot different to 20 years of constant use.
- piskov 4mo ago
  High dosage is not for your daily intake It’s called a loading phase to quickly saturate the tissues i.e for a week or so for someone who never took the creatine. You can absolutely skip this. I wouldn’t go higher than 10g daily on a regular basis. I personally take 7.5g for the last couple of years.
  - insanitybit 4mo ago
    The entire point is that >10G is justified if you're going for cognitive effects. For muscles you don't need to go above 5G. For brain, >15G.
    - piskov 4mo ago
      For now there are zero studies that I know of that support this. The only ones are for sleep deprived.
      - insanitybit 4mo ago
        There are a number of studies on the topic of varying quality but I think that's besides the point. > It’s called a loading phase This is not about a loading phase. "It's called a loading phase" indicates that the reason you would take high doses is for the muscular saturation that some people think is required. You're right that you can absolutely skip the loading phase, but that's not the point. The point is that you would take the higher dose for the cognitive effects.
        piskov 4mo ago
        Please give me a link to at least one study with verified cognitive benefits of high-intake creatine which is not for sleep-deprived case.
        insanitybit 4mo ago
        I'm not going to Google this for you, sorry! They're out there though.
- resident423 4mo ago
  >CONFLICTS OF INTEREST DC has conducted industry-sponsored research involving creatine supplementation and received creatine donations for scientific studies and travel support and speaking honoraria for presentations involving creatine supplementation at scientific conferences and on social media. In addition, DC serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Alzchem and Create (companies that manufacture creatine products) and as an expert witness/consultant in legal cases involving creatine supplementation. NF declares no conflicts of interest A nice unbiased study, I may as well ask Exon Mobil for their opinion on climate change at this point
adamking 4mo ago
Creatine is one of the few supplements I actually notice a difference if I quit taking. Happy to see it’s benefits extend to beyond performance in the gym.
- unshavedyak 4mo ago
  What sort of differences beyond gym related?
  - j45 4mo ago
    After 10g or so, the excess starts going to the brain which helps quite a bit with brain energy.
    - cryptoegorophy 4mo ago
      What exactly does it do? What is brain energy?
      - the_sleaze_ 4mo ago
        A good question, but we don't know what anti-depressants do or how they do it, same with anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, psychedelics, etc. I think we can say we have good theories for creatine. We do know that it does do something at certain doses.
        j45 4mo ago
        There are lots of studies. It's possible to find satisfactory information. Creatine has been studied for a very long time. First hand experience for many is a noticeable improvement, especially during busy/sleep minimizing times, to the point where it can sometimes be a substitute for caffiene without the crash.
      - j45 4mo ago
        [flagged]
manishsharan 4mo ago
How do you take Creatine ? And how much for what age group and weight?
- dominojab 4mo ago
  [dead]
- OutOfHere 4mo ago
  I take 3-5g of creatine monohydrate in a glass of water. People usually take it with their protein shake, which for me contains a 30g serving of Organic low-sodium pea protein powder. If I take creatine too late in the day, it definitely wrecks my sleep. It is good when taken as early in the day as possible. As for the age group, I think it could be fine for anyone who is 18 or older. As for a second dose, that's of possible value for intense exercise, but again be mindful of insomnia. Note that some sensitive brains, e.g. those with excitotoxicity/inflammation pressure/headache/migraine issues, may not always tolerate creatine well. Such people need to fix their underlying brain issue first before using creatine.
- CalRobert 4mo ago
  It's often a powder you can mix in to a drink. 5g a day for an adult is pretty normal.
- gchamonlive 4mo ago
  Im 34, 72kg, I take 5g a day. White powder I mix in water, tastes like nothing and has a sandy texture I dislike a bit, but you get used to it. There is the build up period where you take a higher dose for a week, 8g, in order to saturate the body faster.
- cmckn 4mo ago
  I dissolve it in my coffee every morning, it’s flavorless. I believe 5 grams is the standard dose, it’s about a teaspoon. I wouldn’t bother with the “loading phase” you often see recommended online. Just be consistent.
  - 4mo ago
pillefitz 4mo ago
Unfortunately, I get terribly tired and brain-fogged from even small quantities. Anyone else experienced this?
- xeromal 4mo ago
  I haven't heard of that but I know creatine causes loads of water absorption. I wonder if you're borderline dehydrated and creatine pushes you over the limit.
  - ck2 4mo ago
    The water retention can be avoided with low-dose creatine which still has some benefits in studies Instead of 5grams/day like 2grams/day You can also spread it out during the day to avoid retention, 1000mg x 4 or x 2 Creatine is also a precursor to SAM-e which is a natural antidepresant
- dc_giant 4mo ago
  Be sure it’s pure creatine, they often mix in all kinds of shit. I take creapure just to be sure.
  - beacon294 4mo ago
    Just buy 95% creatine monohydrate. This is the most common formulation, but others do exist.
  - SoftTalker 4mo ago
    I use Creapure (a/k/a "German Creatine")as well. Always hard to know with supplements but Creapure seems to be legit. Also use creatine monohydrate not creatine HCL. Monohydrate is harder to disolve so use warm water (I put mine in my coffee) but it's the one that's been studied the most and has the most documented evidence.
  - ck2 4mo ago
    creapure got too expensive IMHO probably tariffs but you are right, independent testing finds some brands are garbage * https://supp.co/tested/creatine.pdf https://supp.co/tested/creatine.pdf * https://supp.co/articles/suppco-tested-creatine-testing-results-gummies-failed-lab-analysis https://supp.co/articles/suppco-tested-creatine-testing-resu... I switched to sportsresearch brand when they had a sale on amazon $19 for 1KG (2.2 pounds) but it's like double that now (don't buy) amazon.com/dp/B0DXR7MPNV
bmmurphy 4mo ago
The article's entirely AI-generated; not necessarily untrue but may not have been fully reviewed by an editor.
- narmiouh 4mo ago
  What did you use to determine this? Ask because many of the online tools I've tried, they will sometimes tag what I've written at 30-40% AI written and sometimes purely AI written stuff is flagged as 60-70% AI
  - tom_ 4mo ago
    "Quietly". Also, the first paragraph. If this wasn't actually 100% LLM generated, one has almost certainly been used to imbue it with the flavour.
    - gwern 4mo ago
      (That LLM rhetorical tic is especially funny because it's so obviously nonsensical in almost all contexts like OP - what would it mean for creatine supplementation's effects to not be 'quiet' and to be loud? The pills come with little Bluetooth speakers? You are trapped on the toilet for several hours a day with GI issues? The world suddenly takes on psychedelic colors and imagery all day long?)
  - relevant_stats 4mo ago
    As of now there are only two somewhat reliable tools. First one is Pangram. Other available detectors are varying level of bad, with some of them entirely shit (eg zerogpt something). The second one is human mind. Read enough of that slop and your brain hopefully will start detecting AI patterns. And this article is totally AI, both to Pangram, and to my mind.
    - vidarh 4mo ago
      My experience in testing actual AI written content on willing participants is that people are entirely useless at detecting AI written content with any reliability whatsoever.
cheschire 4mo ago
Feels like a sign of the times that I expect half the comments here to be paid astroturfing about how amazing creatine is.
- pydry 4mo ago
  You tend to see that more for the more high margin and branded supplements. The profit margins on creatine are not high.
  - computerphage 4mo ago
    Do you?? Show me an HN thread where half the comments are paid for
    - pydry 4mo ago
      How can you accurately detect what is and isn't a not? You seem very confident you can tell the difference so I thought I'd ask first.
      - computerphage 4mo ago
        In my view, you're the one claiming to be able to tell the difference! You said, "You tend to see that more..." ...which I took to mean that there were threads where you can look at the comments and categorize them into the two categories and then assert that the size of the paid comments category was larger on posts for high margin than it is for low margin. Like, it makes sense that the incentive is stronger in that case, but that's not what you said. You said "you tend to see that more"
        pydry 4mo ago
        If I did show you such a thread you'd likely just say "yeah I don't think any of them are paid". So what's the point? You've just confirmed very clearly that your criteria for what constitutes a paid comment is your idiosyncratic opinion. you refused to give criteria beyond "convince me".
aatd86 4mo ago
I feel like crap when taking creatine... Actually most of these purported supplements are a no go. Preworkouts would work first session then make me ultra tired, caffeine is fine as long as I 'cycle' it... Wondering strongly if those studies are not just to sell more cheap supplements... As long as for some reason we find that it has some level of effect on most people. It has some effect for sure but not sure it is that positive... Besides, I don't know if it helped jump start the process or not but I build muscle either way, on little protein, no creatine... Carbs seem to be more important actually. Anyway, let me take a scoop of creatine to try again, even though I am unconvinced... Hope sells... :s (I think hydration levels are more important and that is not solved by drinking low mineralized water although I find it has better taste, it gets rid of tiredness)
- OutOfHere 4mo ago
  What precisely does it mean to "feel crap"? Is that how you would describe it to a doctor? You seem to also be making broad generalizations. Overall your comment is providing zero insight whatsoever wrt creatine. In my experience, those with creatine intolerance, especially if assuming it's not taken late in the day, have unresolved excitotoxicty/inflammation/pressure/headache/migraine issues in their brain. Also, be mindful with blends as they can be fairly dangerous. It's best to get an isolated creatine monohydrate product that is not a blend. Check your blood pressure. It is very possible that there is something else in your blend that is raising your BP.
  - deleted 4mo ago
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- piskov 4mo ago
  Try micronised (even finer powder, maxxwell has them) or even in jelly gummy form. I take 7.5 g every day for a couple of years now and what I definitely noticed is much lower sugar cravings during hard programming days: previously I would eat almost one chocolate every day. Though YMMV, as I also bench press 140 kg.
- mfro 4mo ago
  I had a lot of issues with stomach when taking creatine until I tried the micronised version. Bucked up makes a good product you can find at Walmart.
ck2 4mo ago
not sure if I got it from here or reddit but someone made an automated site that gathers all published creatine studies https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app/ https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app/
deleted 4mo ago
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WhitneyLand 4mo ago
The article made up the claim it’s not from the paper itself. There was some improvement in cognitive scores, but no placebo group. Without a placebo group, there are a lot of explanations for the data.
- zug_zug 4mo ago
  >> Recently, a pilot study (single-arm) by Smith et al., recruited 20 patients (73 years of age) with AD and provided them with 20 grams/day of CrM for 8 weeks [20]. Serum creatine levels were increased at weeks 4 and 8 (p < 0.001), and total brain creatine levels (as measured by H-MRS) increased by 11% (p < 0.001). Clinically, there were demonstrated improvements in cognition on global (p = 0.02) and fluid composites (p = 0.004), as well as List Sorting (p = 0.001), Oral Reading (p < 0.001) and Flanker tests (p = 0.05). Yeah 20 patients is not a lot. I'm inferring this is a pre-post test. However some of those p-values are pretty good (.001 on reading and and sorting). Very promising pilot study but not conclusive imo.
  - tgv 4mo ago
    19 patients completed, according to the article. And List Sorting, Oral reading, and Flanker only? The first and last are part of global and fluid composites, so those have to be excluded from comparison. That leaves us with 3 improved scores out of 12 tests. So 9 did not improve, or got worse. Figure 3 (of the original article) shows that the changes aren't big. Just "significant". Since the participants were in the early stages of dementia, this seems well within expectations. So I can't see those numbers as impressive.
    - rzz3 4mo ago
      Sounds like something we should study more rather than dismiss.
      - tgv 4mo ago
        This study holds little promise at first sight. Remember that there is a lot to study, and only limited research capability. > Sounds like something we should study more rather than dismiss. Ignoring the implication of your use of "dismiss", why? How is this pilot promising?
suzzer99 4mo ago
Peter Attia is a crap human being for being buddies with Epstein after most of his crimes were already known. But I still trust his analysis more than anyone else at dissecting this kind of stuff and separating the wheat from the chaff. I'll be curious to see if he covers this.
- WaitWaitWha 4mo ago
  His website https://peterattiamd.com https://peterattiamd.com returns several direct creatine articles, podcasts, and AMAs with him and others.
dakolli 4mo ago
I have bad central sleep apnea, and regardless of CPAP I still end up with poor quality sleep unfortunately. I was on stimulants like Modafinil and Ritalin for over a decade, which comes at a huge cost physically, mentally. Its the only supplement I take other than Vitamin D, I'm not some freak biohacker. I've completely replaced stimulant use with 15g of Creatine a day, and 25-30g on days when I feel especially sleep deprived. It has actually changed my life. I decided to try this after reading this paper and will never go back: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 There's lots of interesting literature on Creatine starting to be published. EDIT: Also Creatine destroying your kidneys is a myth (unless you already have kidney issues). This myth is spread because people go to their doctors and get their kidney function tested while supplementing creatine. The doctor will initially be concerned because there will be higher levels of creatine in your urine, which is a sign of kidney disease. However, they will not be concerned if you tell them you're supplementing creatine. If you have excess creatine in your urine while not supplementing creatine then that would be of concern. If you are worried about this stop supplementation a week prior to getting kidney function testing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10999421/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10999421/
- daquisu 4mo ago
  I just tried that since I read your comment and it is really helping me. Thanks!
el_benhameen 4mo ago
Curious if anyone has had hair issues while taking it. I’m aware that there’s no positive evidence for an effect, but there is an at least plausible mechanism. I’ve gone through two periods where I took it and liked the effects, but felt like I shed way more hair and stopped due to that.
- softwaredoug 4mo ago
  I take 10 g a day and have maybe noticed muscles seem to bulk more after a hard strength workout. But other than that I feel about the same.
  - vkazanov 4mo ago
    Creatine is known to give you some more energy. Like, 3%-5%. That's just an extra rep, hardly noticeable.
    - wtetzner 4mo ago
      And extra rep seems like it could be a big deal when strength training.
      - vkazanov 4mo ago
        Yeah, sure. The point is that it doesn't work like those Witcher potions. Nothing changes here and now.
    - matwood 4mo ago
      I wouldn't say hardly noticeable especially for experienced lifters. After training for a few years those extra reps and slightly more weight have compounding effects over time.
      - vkazanov 4mo ago
        True. What i am saying is that one has to have a good feeling of what this extra rep is like. Personally, i only saw that it works over time because of my journal. Most people dont do records.
traviswingo 4mo ago
I wonder how long it’ll take this thread to become a proxy of r/creatine.
- site-packages1 4mo ago
  I don't take it. But to the best of my knowledge there are basically only three things with any body of evidence that they work with few/any downsides: protein supplements, fish/algae oil, and creatine. That's it. It's kind of weird that people get so hyped up about it, but at least they're not getting hyped up about some random wellness influencer supplement.
brunooliv 4mo ago
Side question: I've always been a recreational runner, running 3/4x a week, completed a few half marathons, and recently decided to _also_ go to the gym to do strength training as it has a lot of benefits for runners too. Should I consider/take creatine, is it useful?
- dgellow 4mo ago
  Check this video, that gives you a good overview and the description has a good amount of references you can look at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZB3Q6EFJU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZB3Q6EFJU In short: seems to help with high intensity exercises and post-exercise recovery, helps with muscle development, and a bunch of other benefits.
- vkazanov 4mo ago
  Used to do something similar. If you intend to have any benefits of going to the gym then protein (and overall calorie consumption) would have to be monitored. Running sort of conflicts with working out: it wants you to be light and burns plenty of energy. Gym wants you to gain mass. No mass gains -> gym us useless. Creatine is kind of an afterthought in this bigger picture. Might give you an extra rep or two but that's it.
  - YZF 4mo ago
    Agree on getting enough protein (and sleep, and recovery time). Strength training isn't all about mass. You can get stronger without gaining mass. There is a neural component and an efficiency component. At some point though you do need a bigger muscle to be stronger. There is also the question of whether you're optimizing for faster (fast twitch) or slower movements.
    - vkazanov 4mo ago
      Strength training is not only about mass but for most intents and purposes it is about gaining as much muscle as possible while not gaining too much extra. It's not like one can move from squating 100kg to squating 150kg without extra 2-3 kgs of meat. And there is NO WAY of growing meat in a calorie deficit. And running often leads to that.
SilverElfin 4mo ago
Has anyone else had GI issues from creatine? Even at low doses?
- yjftsjthsd-h 4mo ago
  Isn't that, like, the most common side effect of it? I was just googling for side effects, and different sources vary a bit, but almost all list digestive discomfort
  - SilverElfin 4mo ago
    Yes from what I’ve read. But I wonder if some people simply can’t take any amount of it at all. The low doses are SUPPOSED to fix discomfort.
Scene_Cast2 4mo ago
Just beware that for some people (myself included), it causes stomach issues (quite intense in my case). There are mitigation strategies (slowly build up the dose, use more water, take with food, split up the doses across meals, and consider using the less studied HCL variant).
- piskov 4mo ago
  Try the micronized (even finer powder) version — never had an issue with 7.5g daily
- jonex 4mo ago
  Did you dissolve it in hot water before consumption?
oh_my_goodness 4mo ago
I kind of hate it when people "explain" what happens in Alzheimer's disease. Because we actually don't know that.
tacone 4mo ago
The first time I took creatine (6g IIRC), I actually felt the mental effect just 2 minutes later. A pleasurable sensation of augmented presence and (mental) relaxation. I paused taking that momentarily out of precaution while I wait some physical issue to normalize, but I plan to resume it in some weeks. Also it is considered a very safe supplement.
- merlindru 4mo ago
  How can you be sure you weren't placebo'ing yourself into feeling it? To my knowledge creatine has no significant effects until your levels rise after, say, a week of taking daily
  - snovv_crash 4mo ago
    I've felt dehydrated while I'm in loading phase, it's very noticeable from that perspective. But the mental effects only come after at least a week (for me: longer attention span, less impacted by poor sleep).
  - tacone 4mo ago
    Well.. I can't, nobody can. Perhaps it was a placebo effect or perhaps I had low levels of creatine and felt the difference. I often felt better right after taking it though, not consistently but often.
- lII1lIlI11ll 4mo ago
  Did you inject or smoke it in order to feel "the mental effect just 2 minutes later"? Taken orally it can only be placebo effect.
deleted 4mo ago
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solenoid0937 4mo ago
I get seizures more often when I use creatine. I wonder if it's related to "raised brain energy levels."
MilnerRoute 4mo ago
What is TheSciVerse.org? The domain was registered 8 weeks ago. Although The Guardian also covered the study... ___ More recently, attention has shifted beyond the gym. Early research suggests creatine could have a role in cognitive function, with some studies pointing to protection from cognitive decline. “A few bigger studies have brought it into focus,” says [Bethan Crouse, a sports nutritionist at Loughborough University]. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/may/25/is-it-true-that-we-should-all-be-taking-creatine https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/may/25/is-it-t...
snitzr 4mo ago
Bipolar people should avoid creatine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6769464/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6769464/
keybored 4mo ago
This looks like research just three months too late, to be honest. In the Agentic Timeline I’m not worried about Alzheimers. My Google Glasses paired with ChatGPT can tell me where the power button is.
jshaqaw 4mo ago
I usually throw my 5g scoop on my morning coffee where I don’t notice it exists. Any reason not to take it with coffee or am I doing it right?
- saint_angels 4mo ago
  that should be perfectly fine
- keane 4mo ago
  “potentially deleterious interaction between caffeine and creatine” in https://doi.org/10.1097/WNF.0000000000000102 https://doi.org/10.1097/WNF.0000000000000102 mentioned later/elsewhere in today’s thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348670 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348670
cadr 4mo ago
I feel like for me it would be thwarted by the fact creatine seems to completely mess up my sleep. I don't remember that from when I was younger, but recently tried adding it to my diet and had to bail.
- almost_usual 4mo ago
  I counteract it with Magnesium Glycinate. Works well for me.
  - rpozarickij 4mo ago
    Magnesium Taurate is the form of magnesium I settled on. I take 1500mg of it (300mg elemental Mg) every evening before sleep, but I feel that even half of this dose has a noticeable effect on my sleep. Magnesium Glycinate was destroying my sleep even when I took it in the afternoon. I'd wake up after 4-5h of sleep and would feel completely alert as if it was midday and then tiredness would slowly ascend on me over the next few hours but I'd still be unable to fall asleep.
  - jcul 4mo ago
    Magnesium has a crazy effect on my sleep, very very noticeably deeper. Not necessarily more restful, but deep and I don't remember anything. With B6 it's deep but more interspersed with vivid dreams. I take zinc with them too, my own zma stack basically. I'm not sure the zinc has a direct effect on sleep, I take it for testosterone benefits. These made me realize that legal vitamins and supplements can have much more than a subtle effect.
  - jq-r 4mo ago
    I can't stop having vivid, and mostly bad dreams with it making me tired the next day. I guess I should switch to something else.
- SkyPuncher 4mo ago
  I discover the sleep issues were related to my inability to digest the monohydrate form. I’d get sweats, chills, all of the nasty side effects. I switched to HCL and tolerate it massively better.
t1234s 4mo ago
All Men should be on creatine daily and lift weights a few times a week.
- rpozarickij 4mo ago
  While this is true, but to my understanding this applies to women as well. Even one of these things has lots of benefits, but both are even better.
moomoo11 4mo ago
i’ll pass on the hair loss. besides i’d rather just avoid brainrot and substances in general
jstummbillig 4mo ago
Where does the 240 number come from? Can anyone tell?
kbrisso 4mo ago
I'm 56 and have been experimenting with it. It definitely helps me stay laser focus on a task. I take between 10 to 15 grams a day in multiple doses. It does help with brain fatigue if you don't sleep well either. I'm also on keto diet and it helps me at the gym. Here is the thing everyone's DNA is different - keto works for me because I have tried it on and off. I have way more energy off carbs. I can also tolerate creatine, some people can't.
- pitched 4mo ago
  I’m still in the 30s but have found it to lower how much energy it takes to start something, rather than helping me stay focused. Same sort of idea, being in a higher-energy state, just pointing out that age doesn’t seem to be a requirement to get any benefit. I do also respond well the low-carb diets and heat that a lot from pro-creatine people so maybe there’s a connection to diet.
  - mrsvanwinkle 4mo ago
    if it helps, i did keto fasting for weight loss monitored using a blood ketone meter, ate close to zero calories of korean konjac jelly and zero sugar drinks. and the drastic mental health benefit was a welcome surprise for me. even my physical energy felt infinite. but i experienced exactly what you described after hitting my target weight, very roughly at 15% body fat. at that point the fat burning noticeably slows down and my blood ketone levels drop. important to note that this is at a miraculously stable nondiabetic 70mg/dL glucose level, and zero intake of anything that may induce insulin production. a bite of chicken breast made me lose ketosis and felt the energy loss after a bit so there is that, the biggest confounding var will always be anything you eat that triggers insulin release that instantly halts ketosis, that can only be reactivated hours later. some other "paradoxical" benefit is control of appetite/absence of hunger pangs: https://brainresilience.stanford.edu/news/unlocking-secrets-ketosis https://brainresilience.stanford.edu/news/unlocking-secrets-...
    - kbrisso 4mo ago
      The reason for the drop, I think you might be keto adapted. If you had < 20 grams of carbs you might be using all the ketones in your blood. If you can tolerate MCT oil you can use it as a ketone boost.
comboy 4mo ago
Since we are throwing in random N=1, it is very well tested and safe yes. But in my personal experience it does limit my creativity somehow. It seems to have like slightly calming/lower anxiety effect, and to me it comes with me coming up with fewer interesting things. Kind of lowering the model temperature if you will. Curious if anybody had a similar experience.
- HumanOstrich 4mo ago
  N=1 P=0.5
ven0m 4mo ago
Not something to worry for the general population, but persons with genetic likelihood of getting Parkinsons should be wary of taking both Creatine and Coffee together. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4573899/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4573899/
- hilsdev 4mo ago
  Wow I have been mixing 5g of creatine in my morning for the past several months, this is terrifying.
  - piskov 4mo ago
    You don’t have Parkinson and you probably don’t take that much coffee Usual espresso from 42mm puck is 18g of coffee beans in, something around 40g of total coffee out. This has 90…150 mg of caffeine. The study focused on people having more than 300 mg daily. So don’t drink more than 2 cups per day and you’ll be fine.
    - __alexs 4mo ago
      Also don't smoke or do any of the other things this study didn't control for but do correlate with caffeine consumption in the general population.
    - nonethewiser 4mo ago
      Oh 2 cups. Ok. We’re all fucked.
    - hilsdev 4mo ago
      I drink 3 moka pots each morning and usually one in the afternoon. I don’t have Parkinson’s right now, but for all I know I am pre diagnosis…. I have been getting tingling feelings in my fingers lately
    - Garlef 4mo ago
      > So don’t drink more than 2 cups per day and you’ll be fine. Easier said than done...
chopete3 4mo ago
Most of the human moods, energy levels, immunity, recovery, consciousness can be controlled by chemicals. It is no surprise that continuous use of a chemical will have impact. The worry always is what does that extra chemical destroy as the body doesn't produce it naturally.
- citadel_melon 4mo ago
  Creatine has been tested over long time spans already so this comment is not applicable here. The better rebuttal is that the paper didn’t follow RCT protocols.
- diego_sandoval 4mo ago
  Creatine is one of the most studied substances that humans consume.
kherud 4mo ago
Feedback about creatine often seems mixed. Many love it, but many also report problems. Just in this thread there are people talking about heart palpitations and sleep problems. I have the theory that these side effects and mixed experiences come from impurities of lesser quality products. Apparently there are mostly two sources: Creatine mono-hydrate which mostly comes from China and "creapure", which is a patented formula known for its purity. Does anyone have insight into how substantiated this theory is? How likely are negative effects because of pollutants/impurities?
- dempedempe 4mo ago
  On the sleep deprivation topic, adenosine buildup in the brain is, along with melatonin, one of the brain's core sleep mechanisms. As you expend energy during the day, adenosine builds up, so your brain has an idea of how long you've been awake. Creatine recycles adenosine back into ATP, so less adenosine builds up. The amount of creatine you find in foods naturally is way less than the amount people are supplementing with. So it makes sense physiologically why mega doses of creatine might negatively affect sleep.
  - Etheryte 4mo ago
    As with anything in medicine, if it was that straightforward, someone would've already discovered that right now. Human physiology (and biology in general) is such a messy field that the simple act of using isolated facts very rarely gives useful insights.
  - pedalpete 4mo ago
    So creatine adds the phosphates back to the adenosine? However, it's a good reason to exercise. Burn the phosphates from ATP and be left with adenosine, which as you say promotes sleep. However, I don't think it is so much of a signal of your brain having an idea of how long you've been awake, that's the circadian cycle. I always looked at adenosine as a driver of sleep need. If you burned this much ATP, we're going to need to recover. Seems like an elegant process.
- SkyPuncher 4mo ago
jwr 4mo ago
The 30% figure seems to be completely made up and this whole article is adfarm-bait. The CABA trial is an 8-week single-arm pilot (no placebo). The study measured cognitive improvement over 8 weeks in a single group — not "slowing of decline versus placebo." There is no 30% figure anywhere in the paper. I'm glad we have AI to quickly read this kind of stuff and check these kinds of claims for us.
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edoloughlin 4mo ago
“a 30% slowing of cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients in controlled trials. None of this is in the marketing on the tub sitting in most gym bags” Why would it be? I’m so sick of reading AI slop.
moussore 4mo ago
Mods can you take this down? This is psy-ops and/or marketing BS. Daniel Okoro is NOT a science journalist - there are no other references to him online except for some Nigerian dude who doesn't match the article's profile. I also saw this on reddit - please keep Hacker News a safe spot :(
cubefox 4mo ago
There is also strong evidence that the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine reduces dementia risk: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/02/could-a-vaccine-prevent-dementia-shingles-shot-data-only-getting-stronger/ https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/02/could-a-vaccine-preve... Herpes simplex also increases Alzheimer's risk: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Herpes https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Herpes But there is currently no vaccine for it.
Danox 4mo ago
How do you get to the point A to point B if you don’t study do research and development there are no instantaneous solutions most of the time it’s just long and slow hard grunt work?
deleted 4mo ago
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ramon156 4mo ago
I honestly have no idea if it works. First time I took it was for working out. I was a lot sharper, mainly due to working out. Then I took it when I wasn't working out. I had issues with muscles, brain fog, etc. Now I don't use it and have signs of brain fog, I'm going to start taking again, this time without coffee. I do not expect much of a difference, and I expect the same muscle spazms to happen. I have a feeling that stress creates these spazms, and creatine pushes it further
shdh 4mo ago
Creatine also has a benefit to reducing the symptoms of sleep deprivation
DaveZale 4mo ago
My weight dropped 10%, and my blood lipids and "bad" cholesterol dropped to levels I hadn't seen in 35 years, after 2 years with creatine. Do not overthink this. Just try it, especially if you are 40+
AndreyK1984 4mo ago
Now please, start researching TRT too. Just go to pubmed and make a meta analysis of all advantages and disadvantages.
syspec 4mo ago
For someone who's always been interested in creatine, but never tried it due to being overwhelmed by choice... what's a standard go to product?
- mmanfrin 4mo ago
  Powder, from any company that you find reputable. I like the micronized form. I would avoid any of the gummies, as a huge percentage of them have nowhere near the amount of creatine they claim (I believe the cooking process denatures it or something but this is just conjecture).
  - bl4ckneon 4mo ago
    +1 a good video to watch if you like to watch informative/entertaining videos on YouTube. https://youtu.be/7gLVOGJpSpE?si=kXNMStmNC1w7TpAX https://youtu.be/7gLVOGJpSpE?si=kXNMStmNC1w7TpAX
  - syspec 4mo ago
    I don't know any reputable companies in this space.
- papascrubs 4mo ago
  I get mine from bulksupplements. Gummies and many gym focused powders are extremely overpriced. Buying in bulk you should be able to get it for ~$.15 a day at 5g.
- jzig 4mo ago
  Anything NSF certified
  - syspec 4mo ago
    I'd love a specific recommendation,
    - jzig 4mo ago
carlostkd 4mo ago
That is new? I thought it was old school. Our body itself makes creatine; unfortunately, the older we are, the less quantity our body produces. Taking a suplent its the correct and normal step to do.
HDBaseT 4mo ago
If I do nothing all day, eat slop all day, is it still worth taking creatine?
dyauspitr 4mo ago
There needs to be standardized numbers for medical tests and procedures on how to do them. Like basic stuff like there needs to be a control group there needs to be a certain n. Any paper that satisfies all those standard criteria should get some sort of like seal that puts them in a different, more reliable category.
samora 4mo ago
Thanks for the reminder. I forgot to take my creatine today.
stefantalpalaru 4mo ago
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stanleydupreez 4mo ago
[flagged]
onesandofgrain 4mo ago
no net study so what is this shilling
mclanett 4mo ago
I don't hate AI but AI writing is SO boring. Not worth suffering through to read the article.
TheAceOfHearts 4mo ago
Does anyone have advice for getting it down? I feel like no matter what I mix it with, it grosses me out and it becomes extremely challenging to get it down. I've tried pouring the dry powder in my mouth and just chugging it down quick as well as mixing it with various liquids, but they sandy texture makes me gag. I've managed to sustain taking creatine for a while but it never gets any better.
- joshcsimmons 4mo ago
  Gummies of all things. Costco sells them! I have trouble stopping at the recommended dose of 5 they're so good. Can find online too.
  - happyopossum 4mo ago
    Most of the gummies you find online have zero creatine in them - plenty of lab testing has been done thanks to fitness YouTube
- bananabiscuit 4mo ago
  It dissolves a lot easier in warmer water, like around 45 degrees.
- yellottyellott 4mo ago
  greek yogurt. i cant tell it’s there.
- triphoppin 4mo ago
  dude it's tasteless, just drink it with water and fucking get over it
  - blharr 4mo ago
    Texture is independent of taste
- fragmede 4mo ago
  How are you mixing it? Spoon? Fork? Milk frother? Blender? The latter two might help.
triphoppin 4mo ago
I'm at 10g a day
stevenhubertron 4mo ago
Headline stronger then the evidence.
aspectop 4mo ago
aaah thats why i failed in my exams this semester. bcz of this damn creatine
bariswheel 4mo ago
A small catch here. Make sure to drink plenty of water if you want to keep your kidneys healthy.
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amai 4mo ago
How comes people in the gym don’t seem to profit from that? Maybe the reason is that you also need to train your brain, when you are taking creatine. Otherwise it is just wasted. It is the same if you just take creatine, but don’t do any sports. It will have no effect.
- wtetzner 4mo ago
  You need to take a larger dose. Your muscles absorb it first, so you end up needing to take a lot more to get it to your brain cells.

531 points by MrJagil 4mo ago

cj 4mo ago

Direct link to the study: https://jpbs.hapres.com/htmls/JPBS_1766_Detail.html https://jpbs.hapres.com/htmls/JPBS_1766_Detail.html I wanted to check the dosages they used. Looks like the review includes studies ranging from 5g/day to 20-25g/day. (Typical dosage you'll see for daily use is 5 grams)

SoftTalker 4mo ago
I use it as a supplement because I do weightlifting. 5g/day. I did 20g/day for a week once, and didn't notice it made any difference, so I'm back to 5g now. In terms of stuff like memory, mood, etc. I can't say it's made any improvement but the idea that it might be helping prevent decline is nice.
- ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
  Its changed my life. Im also a long time vegan with MTHFR gene mutations and sleep issues though.
  - SoftTalker 4mo ago
    I've heard others say it helps with mood, energy, depression, etc. and if that's the case for some people then great. I don't notice it myself but that's just me. Not everyone has the same body chemistry.
    - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
      Did you try higher dose. You need to take 0.35g/kg body weight for effects on brain, atleast thats the doses that are usually used in the studies. I believe your body will distribute it to your muscles before any goes to the brain, so you need to take a dose that will saturate your muscles and then have extra left over. I take 25grams whereas the usually reccomend daily dose is 5grams
      - SoftTalker 4mo ago
        I did a week trial at 20 or 25g/day once. This was after being on the standard weightlifter's 5g/day for a while so muscles should have been fairly saturated. Didn't notice any effect. 0.35g/kg dose seems like way more than our bodies would have ever had even in a prehistoric hunter's diet. For me that would be 30g/day.
  - iwontberude 4mo ago
    That’s a pretty amazing acronym if real
    - Insanity 4mo ago
      Say MTHFR one more time, I dare you. Never heard of the acronym though so not sure what the mutation implies.
  - throwmeowaway 4mo ago
    I also have MTHFR gene mutations and sleep issues. What exactly helped you?
    - ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
      As a vegan you dont get any creatine since you're not eating meat, so your body has to make it itself, which requires a ton of methylation and if you're like me and have bad genes for methylation your body had a hard time with it as it is. So by supplmenting creatine you're reducing some of that burden. As far as sleep goes, high dose creatine has been studied to have an extermely positive effect on brain function during sleep deprevation, better than stimulants/caffine I think the prescribed dosing for creatine and sleep deprevation is 0.35g per KG, much higher than the typically recommended dose of 5gs a day for muscle. The positive effects on the brain come at much higher doses. Which is perfectly safe for your kidneys, this is a myth (as long as you dont already have poor kidney function). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16416332/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16416332/
      - matwood 4mo ago
        Also note, that if someone is going to start taking creatine they need to up their hydration - likely a lot.
  - adrian_b 4mo ago
    For vegans, creatine is among the recommended supplements, because the amount that is produced internally is insufficient for most people, so they need some extra amount in food. (The same is true for a few other substances, e.g. choline, taurine, menaquinone.) I also take some creatine, for this reason.
- radial_symmetry 4mo ago
  For lifting you hit a saturation point quickly where your muscles will only hold so much of it. Not sure if there is an equivalent for any brain related effects.
  - insanitybit 4mo ago
    I'm sure there's something for the brain too. The thing is, there's a floor for the brain. If your muscles aren't saturated already and you don't "megadose" (from a muscle perspective) then you won't see any cognitive effects it seems.
- wtetzner 4mo ago
  I've found it helps cognitively if under a lot of stress and/or sleep deprived. If I'm not especially stressed and am well rested, I don't know that I notice any difference.
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gardnr 4mo ago
Just in case anyone is thinking about trying it: 25g seems pretty high. It’s worth it to review what that means for the rest of your body before starting this regime. Kidneys are really useful organs to have working.
- SoftTalker 4mo ago
  Yes, the labeling does caution against using it if you have kidney disease. Not sure how much of a risk there is if your kidneys are functioning normally. Maintaining good hydration is always a good idea.
- ai_fry_ur_brain 4mo ago
  This is a myth, its not bad for your kidneys. The reason this gets spread is because you will have higher levels of creatine in your urine if your Doctor tests your urine for kidney function, which indicates kidney disease. However, If you reveal to that doctor that you're supplementing Creatine it will not be concern them.
  - laszlojamf 4mo ago
    This has been my understand as well. I have CKD and my doctors have always been chill about it as long as I stop taking it about a week before having blood work done. EDIT: I don't do 25g though... sounds like a lot...
    - vidarh 4mo ago
      You're lucky your doctor is aware of it. I've had several who did not understand, and insisted creatine must be dangerous if it elevated creatinine levels, and/or didn't understand the effects.
    - egfr 4mo ago
      If your egfr is above 80 it’s you won’t notice it. But CKD is a late in life problem so you are basically making your end of life worse by making your kidneys work harder now. You might as well take up smoking: claiming it doesn’t hurt now is a lot different to 20 years of constant use.
piskov 4mo ago
High dosage is not for your daily intake It’s called a loading phase to quickly saturate the tissues i.e for a week or so for someone who never took the creatine. You can absolutely skip this. I wouldn’t go higher than 10g daily on a regular basis. I personally take 7.5g for the last couple of years.
- insanitybit 4mo ago
  The entire point is that >10G is justified if you're going for cognitive effects. For muscles you don't need to go above 5G. For brain, >15G.
  - piskov 4mo ago
    For now there are zero studies that I know of that support this. The only ones are for sleep deprived.
    - insanitybit 4mo ago
      There are a number of studies on the topic of varying quality but I think that's besides the point. > It’s called a loading phase This is not about a loading phase. "It's called a loading phase" indicates that the reason you would take high doses is for the muscular saturation that some people think is required. You're right that you can absolutely skip the loading phase, but that's not the point. The point is that you would take the higher dose for the cognitive effects.
      - piskov 4mo ago
        Please give me a link to at least one study with verified cognitive benefits of high-intake creatine which is not for sleep-deprived case.
        insanitybit 4mo ago
        I'm not going to Google this for you, sorry! They're out there though.
resident423 4mo ago
>CONFLICTS OF INTEREST DC has conducted industry-sponsored research involving creatine supplementation and received creatine donations for scientific studies and travel support and speaking honoraria for presentations involving creatine supplementation at scientific conferences and on social media. In addition, DC serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Alzchem and Create (companies that manufacture creatine products) and as an expert witness/consultant in legal cases involving creatine supplementation. NF declares no conflicts of interest A nice unbiased study, I may as well ask Exon Mobil for their opinion on climate change at this point

adamking 4mo ago

Creatine is one of the few supplements I actually notice a difference if I quit taking. Happy to see it’s benefits extend to beyond performance in the gym.

unshavedyak 4mo ago
What sort of differences beyond gym related?
- j45 4mo ago
  After 10g or so, the excess starts going to the brain which helps quite a bit with brain energy.
  - cryptoegorophy 4mo ago
    What exactly does it do? What is brain energy?
    - the_sleaze_ 4mo ago
      A good question, but we don't know what anti-depressants do or how they do it, same with anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, psychedelics, etc. I think we can say we have good theories for creatine. We do know that it does do something at certain doses.
      - j45 4mo ago
        There are lots of studies. It's possible to find satisfactory information. Creatine has been studied for a very long time. First hand experience for many is a noticeable improvement, especially during busy/sleep minimizing times, to the point where it can sometimes be a substitute for caffiene without the crash.
    - j45 4mo ago
      [flagged]

manishsharan 4mo ago

How do you take Creatine ? And how much for what age group and weight?

dominojab 4mo ago
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OutOfHere 4mo ago
I take 3-5g of creatine monohydrate in a glass of water. People usually take it with their protein shake, which for me contains a 30g serving of Organic low-sodium pea protein powder. If I take creatine too late in the day, it definitely wrecks my sleep. It is good when taken as early in the day as possible. As for the age group, I think it could be fine for anyone who is 18 or older. As for a second dose, that's of possible value for intense exercise, but again be mindful of insomnia. Note that some sensitive brains, e.g. those with excitotoxicity/inflammation pressure/headache/migraine issues, may not always tolerate creatine well. Such people need to fix their underlying brain issue first before using creatine.
CalRobert 4mo ago
It's often a powder you can mix in to a drink. 5g a day for an adult is pretty normal.
gchamonlive 4mo ago
Im 34, 72kg, I take 5g a day. White powder I mix in water, tastes like nothing and has a sandy texture I dislike a bit, but you get used to it. There is the build up period where you take a higher dose for a week, 8g, in order to saturate the body faster.
cmckn 4mo ago
I dissolve it in my coffee every morning, it’s flavorless. I believe 5 grams is the standard dose, it’s about a teaspoon. I wouldn’t bother with the “loading phase” you often see recommended online. Just be consistent.
- 4mo ago

pillefitz 4mo ago

Unfortunately, I get terribly tired and brain-fogged from even small quantities. Anyone else experienced this?

xeromal 4mo ago
I haven't heard of that but I know creatine causes loads of water absorption. I wonder if you're borderline dehydrated and creatine pushes you over the limit.
- ck2 4mo ago
  The water retention can be avoided with low-dose creatine which still has some benefits in studies Instead of 5grams/day like 2grams/day You can also spread it out during the day to avoid retention, 1000mg x 4 or x 2 Creatine is also a precursor to SAM-e which is a natural antidepresant
dc_giant 4mo ago
Be sure it’s pure creatine, they often mix in all kinds of shit. I take creapure just to be sure.
- beacon294 4mo ago
  Just buy 95% creatine monohydrate. This is the most common formulation, but others do exist.
- SoftTalker 4mo ago
  I use Creapure (a/k/a "German Creatine")as well. Always hard to know with supplements but Creapure seems to be legit. Also use creatine monohydrate not creatine HCL. Monohydrate is harder to disolve so use warm water (I put mine in my coffee) but it's the one that's been studied the most and has the most documented evidence.
- ck2 4mo ago
  creapure got too expensive IMHO probably tariffs but you are right, independent testing finds some brands are garbage * https://supp.co/tested/creatine.pdf https://supp.co/tested/creatine.pdf * https://supp.co/articles/suppco-tested-creatine-testing-results-gummies-failed-lab-analysis https://supp.co/articles/suppco-tested-creatine-testing-resu... I switched to sportsresearch brand when they had a sale on amazon $19 for 1KG (2.2 pounds) but it's like double that now (don't buy) amazon.com/dp/B0DXR7MPNV

bmmurphy 4mo ago

The article's entirely AI-generated; not necessarily untrue but may not have been fully reviewed by an editor.

narmiouh 4mo ago
What did you use to determine this? Ask because many of the online tools I've tried, they will sometimes tag what I've written at 30-40% AI written and sometimes purely AI written stuff is flagged as 60-70% AI
- tom_ 4mo ago
  "Quietly". Also, the first paragraph. If this wasn't actually 100% LLM generated, one has almost certainly been used to imbue it with the flavour.
  - gwern 4mo ago
    (That LLM rhetorical tic is especially funny because it's so obviously nonsensical in almost all contexts like OP - what would it mean for creatine supplementation's effects to not be 'quiet' and to be loud? The pills come with little Bluetooth speakers? You are trapped on the toilet for several hours a day with GI issues? The world suddenly takes on psychedelic colors and imagery all day long?)
- relevant_stats 4mo ago
  As of now there are only two somewhat reliable tools. First one is Pangram. Other available detectors are varying level of bad, with some of them entirely shit (eg zerogpt something). The second one is human mind. Read enough of that slop and your brain hopefully will start detecting AI patterns. And this article is totally AI, both to Pangram, and to my mind.
  - vidarh 4mo ago
    My experience in testing actual AI written content on willing participants is that people are entirely useless at detecting AI written content with any reliability whatsoever.

cheschire 4mo ago

Feels like a sign of the times that I expect half the comments here to be paid astroturfing about how amazing creatine is.

pydry 4mo ago
You tend to see that more for the more high margin and branded supplements. The profit margins on creatine are not high.
- computerphage 4mo ago
  Do you?? Show me an HN thread where half the comments are paid for
  - pydry 4mo ago
    How can you accurately detect what is and isn't a not? You seem very confident you can tell the difference so I thought I'd ask first.
    - computerphage 4mo ago
      In my view, you're the one claiming to be able to tell the difference! You said, "You tend to see that more..." ...which I took to mean that there were threads where you can look at the comments and categorize them into the two categories and then assert that the size of the paid comments category was larger on posts for high margin than it is for low margin. Like, it makes sense that the incentive is stronger in that case, but that's not what you said. You said "you tend to see that more"
      - pydry 4mo ago
        If I did show you such a thread you'd likely just say "yeah I don't think any of them are paid". So what's the point? You've just confirmed very clearly that your criteria for what constitutes a paid comment is your idiosyncratic opinion. you refused to give criteria beyond "convince me".

aatd86 4mo ago

I feel like crap when taking creatine... Actually most of these purported supplements are a no go. Preworkouts would work first session then make me ultra tired, caffeine is fine as long as I 'cycle' it... Wondering strongly if those studies are not just to sell more cheap supplements... As long as for some reason we find that it has some level of effect on most people. It has some effect for sure but not sure it is that positive... Besides, I don't know if it helped jump start the process or not but I build muscle either way, on little protein, no creatine... Carbs seem to be more important actually. Anyway, let me take a scoop of creatine to try again, even though I am unconvinced... Hope sells... :s (I think hydration levels are more important and that is not solved by drinking low mineralized water although I find it has better taste, it gets rid of tiredness)

OutOfHere 4mo ago
What precisely does it mean to "feel crap"? Is that how you would describe it to a doctor? You seem to also be making broad generalizations. Overall your comment is providing zero insight whatsoever wrt creatine. In my experience, those with creatine intolerance, especially if assuming it's not taken late in the day, have unresolved excitotoxicty/inflammation/pressure/headache/migraine issues in their brain. Also, be mindful with blends as they can be fairly dangerous. It's best to get an isolated creatine monohydrate product that is not a blend. Check your blood pressure. It is very possible that there is something else in your blend that is raising your BP.
- deleted 4mo ago
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piskov 4mo ago
Try micronised (even finer powder, maxxwell has them) or even in jelly gummy form. I take 7.5 g every day for a couple of years now and what I definitely noticed is much lower sugar cravings during hard programming days: previously I would eat almost one chocolate every day. Though YMMV, as I also bench press 140 kg.
mfro 4mo ago
I had a lot of issues with stomach when taking creatine until I tried the micronised version. Bucked up makes a good product you can find at Walmart.

ck2 4mo ago

not sure if I got it from here or reddit but someone made an automated site that gathers all published creatine studies https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app/ https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app/

deleted 4mo ago

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WhitneyLand 4mo ago

The article made up the claim it’s not from the paper itself. There was some improvement in cognitive scores, but no placebo group. Without a placebo group, there are a lot of explanations for the data.

zug_zug 4mo ago
>> Recently, a pilot study (single-arm) by Smith et al., recruited 20 patients (73 years of age) with AD and provided them with 20 grams/day of CrM for 8 weeks [20]. Serum creatine levels were increased at weeks 4 and 8 (p < 0.001), and total brain creatine levels (as measured by H-MRS) increased by 11% (p < 0.001). Clinically, there were demonstrated improvements in cognition on global (p = 0.02) and fluid composites (p = 0.004), as well as List Sorting (p = 0.001), Oral Reading (p < 0.001) and Flanker tests (p = 0.05). Yeah 20 patients is not a lot. I'm inferring this is a pre-post test. However some of those p-values are pretty good (.001 on reading and and sorting). Very promising pilot study but not conclusive imo.
- tgv 4mo ago
  19 patients completed, according to the article. And List Sorting, Oral reading, and Flanker only? The first and last are part of global and fluid composites, so those have to be excluded from comparison. That leaves us with 3 improved scores out of 12 tests. So 9 did not improve, or got worse. Figure 3 (of the original article) shows that the changes aren't big. Just "significant". Since the participants were in the early stages of dementia, this seems well within expectations. So I can't see those numbers as impressive.
  - rzz3 4mo ago
    Sounds like something we should study more rather than dismiss.
    - tgv 4mo ago
      This study holds little promise at first sight. Remember that there is a lot to study, and only limited research capability. > Sounds like something we should study more rather than dismiss. Ignoring the implication of your use of "dismiss", why? How is this pilot promising?

suzzer99 4mo ago

Peter Attia is a crap human being for being buddies with Epstein after most of his crimes were already known. But I still trust his analysis more than anyone else at dissecting this kind of stuff and separating the wheat from the chaff. I'll be curious to see if he covers this.

WaitWaitWha 4mo ago
His website https://peterattiamd.com https://peterattiamd.com returns several direct creatine articles, podcasts, and AMAs with him and others.

dakolli 4mo ago

I have bad central sleep apnea, and regardless of CPAP I still end up with poor quality sleep unfortunately. I was on stimulants like Modafinil and Ritalin for over a decade, which comes at a huge cost physically, mentally. Its the only supplement I take other than Vitamin D, I'm not some freak biohacker. I've completely replaced stimulant use with 15g of Creatine a day, and 25-30g on days when I feel especially sleep deprived. It has actually changed my life. I decided to try this after reading this paper and will never go back: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54249-9 There's lots of interesting literature on Creatine starting to be published. EDIT: Also Creatine destroying your kidneys is a myth (unless you already have kidney issues). This myth is spread because people go to their doctors and get their kidney function tested while supplementing creatine. The doctor will initially be concerned because there will be higher levels of creatine in your urine, which is a sign of kidney disease. However, they will not be concerned if you tell them you're supplementing creatine. If you have excess creatine in your urine while not supplementing creatine then that would be of concern. If you are worried about this stop supplementation a week prior to getting kidney function testing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10999421/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10999421/

daquisu 4mo ago
I just tried that since I read your comment and it is really helping me. Thanks!

el_benhameen 4mo ago

Curious if anyone has had hair issues while taking it. I’m aware that there’s no positive evidence for an effect, but there is an at least plausible mechanism. I’ve gone through two periods where I took it and liked the effects, but felt like I shed way more hair and stopped due to that.

softwaredoug 4mo ago
I take 10 g a day and have maybe noticed muscles seem to bulk more after a hard strength workout. But other than that I feel about the same.
- vkazanov 4mo ago
  Creatine is known to give you some more energy. Like, 3%-5%. That's just an extra rep, hardly noticeable.
  - wtetzner 4mo ago
    And extra rep seems like it could be a big deal when strength training.
    - vkazanov 4mo ago
      Yeah, sure. The point is that it doesn't work like those Witcher potions. Nothing changes here and now.
  - matwood 4mo ago
    I wouldn't say hardly noticeable especially for experienced lifters. After training for a few years those extra reps and slightly more weight have compounding effects over time.
    - vkazanov 4mo ago
      True. What i am saying is that one has to have a good feeling of what this extra rep is like. Personally, i only saw that it works over time because of my journal. Most people dont do records.

traviswingo 4mo ago

I wonder how long it’ll take this thread to become a proxy of r/creatine.

site-packages1 4mo ago
I don't take it. But to the best of my knowledge there are basically only three things with any body of evidence that they work with few/any downsides: protein supplements, fish/algae oil, and creatine. That's it. It's kind of weird that people get so hyped up about it, but at least they're not getting hyped up about some random wellness influencer supplement.

brunooliv 4mo ago

Side question: I've always been a recreational runner, running 3/4x a week, completed a few half marathons, and recently decided to _also_ go to the gym to do strength training as it has a lot of benefits for runners too. Should I consider/take creatine, is it useful?

dgellow 4mo ago
Check this video, that gives you a good overview and the description has a good amount of references you can look at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZB3Q6EFJU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZB3Q6EFJU In short: seems to help with high intensity exercises and post-exercise recovery, helps with muscle development, and a bunch of other benefits.
vkazanov 4mo ago
Used to do something similar. If you intend to have any benefits of going to the gym then protein (and overall calorie consumption) would have to be monitored. Running sort of conflicts with working out: it wants you to be light and burns plenty of energy. Gym wants you to gain mass. No mass gains -> gym us useless. Creatine is kind of an afterthought in this bigger picture. Might give you an extra rep or two but that's it.
- YZF 4mo ago
  Agree on getting enough protein (and sleep, and recovery time). Strength training isn't all about mass. You can get stronger without gaining mass. There is a neural component and an efficiency component. At some point though you do need a bigger muscle to be stronger. There is also the question of whether you're optimizing for faster (fast twitch) or slower movements.
  - vkazanov 4mo ago
    Strength training is not only about mass but for most intents and purposes it is about gaining as much muscle as possible while not gaining too much extra. It's not like one can move from squating 100kg to squating 150kg without extra 2-3 kgs of meat. And there is NO WAY of growing meat in a calorie deficit. And running often leads to that.

SilverElfin 4mo ago

Has anyone else had GI issues from creatine? Even at low doses?

yjftsjthsd-h 4mo ago
Isn't that, like, the most common side effect of it? I was just googling for side effects, and different sources vary a bit, but almost all list digestive discomfort
- SilverElfin 4mo ago
  Yes from what I’ve read. But I wonder if some people simply can’t take any amount of it at all. The low doses are SUPPOSED to fix discomfort.

Scene_Cast2 4mo ago

Just beware that for some people (myself included), it causes stomach issues (quite intense in my case). There are mitigation strategies (slowly build up the dose, use more water, take with food, split up the doses across meals, and consider using the less studied HCL variant).

piskov 4mo ago
Try the micronized (even finer powder) version — never had an issue with 7.5g daily
jonex 4mo ago
Did you dissolve it in hot water before consumption?

oh_my_goodness 4mo ago

I kind of hate it when people "explain" what happens in Alzheimer's disease. Because we actually don't know that.

tacone 4mo ago

The first time I took creatine (6g IIRC), I actually felt the mental effect just 2 minutes later. A pleasurable sensation of augmented presence and (mental) relaxation. I paused taking that momentarily out of precaution while I wait some physical issue to normalize, but I plan to resume it in some weeks. Also it is considered a very safe supplement.

merlindru 4mo ago
How can you be sure you weren't placebo'ing yourself into feeling it? To my knowledge creatine has no significant effects until your levels rise after, say, a week of taking daily
- snovv_crash 4mo ago
  I've felt dehydrated while I'm in loading phase, it's very noticeable from that perspective. But the mental effects only come after at least a week (for me: longer attention span, less impacted by poor sleep).
- tacone 4mo ago
  Well.. I can't, nobody can. Perhaps it was a placebo effect or perhaps I had low levels of creatine and felt the difference. I often felt better right after taking it though, not consistently but often.
lII1lIlI11ll 4mo ago
Did you inject or smoke it in order to feel "the mental effect just 2 minutes later"? Taken orally it can only be placebo effect.

deleted 4mo ago

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solenoid0937 4mo ago

I get seizures more often when I use creatine. I wonder if it's related to "raised brain energy levels."

MilnerRoute 4mo ago

What is TheSciVerse.org? The domain was registered 8 weeks ago. Although The Guardian also covered the study... ___ More recently, attention has shifted beyond the gym. Early research suggests creatine could have a role in cognitive function, with some studies pointing to protection from cognitive decline. “A few bigger studies have brought it into focus,” says [Bethan Crouse, a sports nutritionist at Loughborough University]. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/may/25/is-it-true-that-we-should-all-be-taking-creatine https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/may/25/is-it-t...

snitzr 4mo ago

Bipolar people should avoid creatine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6769464/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6769464/

keybored 4mo ago

This looks like research just three months too late, to be honest. In the Agentic Timeline I’m not worried about Alzheimers. My Google Glasses paired with ChatGPT can tell me where the power button is.

jshaqaw 4mo ago

I usually throw my 5g scoop on my morning coffee where I don’t notice it exists. Any reason not to take it with coffee or am I doing it right?

saint_angels 4mo ago
that should be perfectly fine
keane 4mo ago
“potentially deleterious interaction between caffeine and creatine” in https://doi.org/10.1097/WNF.0000000000000102 https://doi.org/10.1097/WNF.0000000000000102 mentioned later/elsewhere in today’s thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348670 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48348670

cadr 4mo ago

I feel like for me it would be thwarted by the fact creatine seems to completely mess up my sleep. I don't remember that from when I was younger, but recently tried adding it to my diet and had to bail.

almost_usual 4mo ago
I counteract it with Magnesium Glycinate. Works well for me.
- rpozarickij 4mo ago
  Magnesium Taurate is the form of magnesium I settled on. I take 1500mg of it (300mg elemental Mg) every evening before sleep, but I feel that even half of this dose has a noticeable effect on my sleep. Magnesium Glycinate was destroying my sleep even when I took it in the afternoon. I'd wake up after 4-5h of sleep and would feel completely alert as if it was midday and then tiredness would slowly ascend on me over the next few hours but I'd still be unable to fall asleep.
- jcul 4mo ago
  Magnesium has a crazy effect on my sleep, very very noticeably deeper. Not necessarily more restful, but deep and I don't remember anything. With B6 it's deep but more interspersed with vivid dreams. I take zinc with them too, my own zma stack basically. I'm not sure the zinc has a direct effect on sleep, I take it for testosterone benefits. These made me realize that legal vitamins and supplements can have much more than a subtle effect.
- jq-r 4mo ago
  I can't stop having vivid, and mostly bad dreams with it making me tired the next day. I guess I should switch to something else.
SkyPuncher 4mo ago
I discover the sleep issues were related to my inability to digest the monohydrate form. I’d get sweats, chills, all of the nasty side effects. I switched to HCL and tolerate it massively better.

t1234s 4mo ago

All Men should be on creatine daily and lift weights a few times a week.

rpozarickij 4mo ago
While this is true, but to my understanding this applies to women as well. Even one of these things has lots of benefits, but both are even better.

moomoo11 4mo ago

i’ll pass on the hair loss. besides i’d rather just avoid brainrot and substances in general

jstummbillig 4mo ago

Where does the 240 number come from? Can anyone tell?

kbrisso 4mo ago

I'm 56 and have been experimenting with it. It definitely helps me stay laser focus on a task. I take between 10 to 15 grams a day in multiple doses. It does help with brain fatigue if you don't sleep well either. I'm also on keto diet and it helps me at the gym. Here is the thing everyone's DNA is different - keto works for me because I have tried it on and off. I have way more energy off carbs. I can also tolerate creatine, some people can't.

pitched 4mo ago
I’m still in the 30s but have found it to lower how much energy it takes to start something, rather than helping me stay focused. Same sort of idea, being in a higher-energy state, just pointing out that age doesn’t seem to be a requirement to get any benefit. I do also respond well the low-carb diets and heat that a lot from pro-creatine people so maybe there’s a connection to diet.
- mrsvanwinkle 4mo ago
  if it helps, i did keto fasting for weight loss monitored using a blood ketone meter, ate close to zero calories of korean konjac jelly and zero sugar drinks. and the drastic mental health benefit was a welcome surprise for me. even my physical energy felt infinite. but i experienced exactly what you described after hitting my target weight, very roughly at 15% body fat. at that point the fat burning noticeably slows down and my blood ketone levels drop. important to note that this is at a miraculously stable nondiabetic 70mg/dL glucose level, and zero intake of anything that may induce insulin production. a bite of chicken breast made me lose ketosis and felt the energy loss after a bit so there is that, the biggest confounding var will always be anything you eat that triggers insulin release that instantly halts ketosis, that can only be reactivated hours later. some other "paradoxical" benefit is control of appetite/absence of hunger pangs: https://brainresilience.stanford.edu/news/unlocking-secrets-ketosis https://brainresilience.stanford.edu/news/unlocking-secrets-...
  - kbrisso 4mo ago
    The reason for the drop, I think you might be keto adapted. If you had < 20 grams of carbs you might be using all the ketones in your blood. If you can tolerate MCT oil you can use it as a ketone boost.

comboy 4mo ago

Since we are throwing in random N=1, it is very well tested and safe yes. But in my personal experience it does limit my creativity somehow. It seems to have like slightly calming/lower anxiety effect, and to me it comes with me coming up with fewer interesting things. Kind of lowering the model temperature if you will. Curious if anybody had a similar experience.

HumanOstrich 4mo ago
N=1 P=0.5

ven0m 4mo ago

Not something to worry for the general population, but persons with genetic likelihood of getting Parkinsons should be wary of taking both Creatine and Coffee together. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4573899/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4573899/

hilsdev 4mo ago
Wow I have been mixing 5g of creatine in my morning for the past several months, this is terrifying.
- piskov 4mo ago
  You don’t have Parkinson and you probably don’t take that much coffee Usual espresso from 42mm puck is 18g of coffee beans in, something around 40g of total coffee out. This has 90…150 mg of caffeine. The study focused on people having more than 300 mg daily. So don’t drink more than 2 cups per day and you’ll be fine.
  - __alexs 4mo ago
    Also don't smoke or do any of the other things this study didn't control for but do correlate with caffeine consumption in the general population.
  - nonethewiser 4mo ago
    Oh 2 cups. Ok. We’re all fucked.
  - hilsdev 4mo ago
    I drink 3 moka pots each morning and usually one in the afternoon. I don’t have Parkinson’s right now, but for all I know I am pre diagnosis…. I have been getting tingling feelings in my fingers lately
  - Garlef 4mo ago
    > So don’t drink more than 2 cups per day and you’ll be fine. Easier said than done...

chopete3 4mo ago

Most of the human moods, energy levels, immunity, recovery, consciousness can be controlled by chemicals. It is no surprise that continuous use of a chemical will have impact. The worry always is what does that extra chemical destroy as the body doesn't produce it naturally.

citadel_melon 4mo ago
Creatine has been tested over long time spans already so this comment is not applicable here. The better rebuttal is that the paper didn’t follow RCT protocols.
diego_sandoval 4mo ago
Creatine is one of the most studied substances that humans consume.

kherud 4mo ago

Feedback about creatine often seems mixed. Many love it, but many also report problems. Just in this thread there are people talking about heart palpitations and sleep problems. I have the theory that these side effects and mixed experiences come from impurities of lesser quality products. Apparently there are mostly two sources: Creatine mono-hydrate which mostly comes from China and "creapure", which is a patented formula known for its purity. Does anyone have insight into how substantiated this theory is? How likely are negative effects because of pollutants/impurities?

dempedempe 4mo ago
On the sleep deprivation topic, adenosine buildup in the brain is, along with melatonin, one of the brain's core sleep mechanisms. As you expend energy during the day, adenosine builds up, so your brain has an idea of how long you've been awake. Creatine recycles adenosine back into ATP, so less adenosine builds up. The amount of creatine you find in foods naturally is way less than the amount people are supplementing with. So it makes sense physiologically why mega doses of creatine might negatively affect sleep.
- Etheryte 4mo ago
  As with anything in medicine, if it was that straightforward, someone would've already discovered that right now. Human physiology (and biology in general) is such a messy field that the simple act of using isolated facts very rarely gives useful insights.
- pedalpete 4mo ago
  So creatine adds the phosphates back to the adenosine? However, it's a good reason to exercise. Burn the phosphates from ATP and be left with adenosine, which as you say promotes sleep. However, I don't think it is so much of a signal of your brain having an idea of how long you've been awake, that's the circadian cycle. I always looked at adenosine as a driver of sleep need. If you burned this much ATP, we're going to need to recover. Seems like an elegant process.
SkyPuncher 4mo ago

jwr 4mo ago

The 30% figure seems to be completely made up and this whole article is adfarm-bait. The CABA trial is an 8-week single-arm pilot (no placebo). The study measured cognitive improvement over 8 weeks in a single group — not "slowing of decline versus placebo." There is no 30% figure anywhere in the paper. I'm glad we have AI to quickly read this kind of stuff and check these kinds of claims for us.

deleted 4mo ago

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edoloughlin 4mo ago

“a 30% slowing of cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients in controlled trials. None of this is in the marketing on the tub sitting in most gym bags” Why would it be? I’m so sick of reading AI slop.

moussore 4mo ago

Mods can you take this down? This is psy-ops and/or marketing BS. Daniel Okoro is NOT a science journalist - there are no other references to him online except for some Nigerian dude who doesn't match the article's profile. I also saw this on reddit - please keep Hacker News a safe spot :(

cubefox 4mo ago

There is also strong evidence that the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine reduces dementia risk: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/02/could-a-vaccine-prevent-dementia-shingles-shot-data-only-getting-stronger/ https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/02/could-a-vaccine-preve... Herpes simplex also increases Alzheimer's risk: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Herpes https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Herpes But there is currently no vaccine for it.

Danox 4mo ago

How do you get to the point A to point B if you don’t study do research and development there are no instantaneous solutions most of the time it’s just long and slow hard grunt work?

deleted 4mo ago

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ramon156 4mo ago

I honestly have no idea if it works. First time I took it was for working out. I was a lot sharper, mainly due to working out. Then I took it when I wasn't working out. I had issues with muscles, brain fog, etc. Now I don't use it and have signs of brain fog, I'm going to start taking again, this time without coffee. I do not expect much of a difference, and I expect the same muscle spazms to happen. I have a feeling that stress creates these spazms, and creatine pushes it further

shdh 4mo ago

Creatine also has a benefit to reducing the symptoms of sleep deprivation

DaveZale 4mo ago

My weight dropped 10%, and my blood lipids and "bad" cholesterol dropped to levels I hadn't seen in 35 years, after 2 years with creatine. Do not overthink this. Just try it, especially if you are 40+

AndreyK1984 4mo ago

Now please, start researching TRT too. Just go to pubmed and make a meta analysis of all advantages and disadvantages.

syspec 4mo ago

For someone who's always been interested in creatine, but never tried it due to being overwhelmed by choice... what's a standard go to product?

mmanfrin 4mo ago
Powder, from any company that you find reputable. I like the micronized form. I would avoid any of the gummies, as a huge percentage of them have nowhere near the amount of creatine they claim (I believe the cooking process denatures it or something but this is just conjecture).
- bl4ckneon 4mo ago
  +1 a good video to watch if you like to watch informative/entertaining videos on YouTube. https://youtu.be/7gLVOGJpSpE?si=kXNMStmNC1w7TpAX https://youtu.be/7gLVOGJpSpE?si=kXNMStmNC1w7TpAX
- syspec 4mo ago
  I don't know any reputable companies in this space.
papascrubs 4mo ago
I get mine from bulksupplements. Gummies and many gym focused powders are extremely overpriced. Buying in bulk you should be able to get it for ~$.15 a day at 5g.
jzig 4mo ago
Anything NSF certified
- syspec 4mo ago
  I'd love a specific recommendation,
  - jzig 4mo ago

carlostkd 4mo ago

That is new? I thought it was old school. Our body itself makes creatine; unfortunately, the older we are, the less quantity our body produces. Taking a suplent its the correct and normal step to do.

HDBaseT 4mo ago

If I do nothing all day, eat slop all day, is it still worth taking creatine?

dyauspitr 4mo ago

There needs to be standardized numbers for medical tests and procedures on how to do them. Like basic stuff like there needs to be a control group there needs to be a certain n. Any paper that satisfies all those standard criteria should get some sort of like seal that puts them in a different, more reliable category.

samora 4mo ago

Thanks for the reminder. I forgot to take my creatine today.

stefantalpalaru 4mo ago

[dead]

stanleydupreez 4mo ago

[flagged]

onesandofgrain 4mo ago

no net study so what is this shilling

mclanett 4mo ago

I don't hate AI but AI writing is SO boring. Not worth suffering through to read the article.

TheAceOfHearts 4mo ago

Does anyone have advice for getting it down? I feel like no matter what I mix it with, it grosses me out and it becomes extremely challenging to get it down. I've tried pouring the dry powder in my mouth and just chugging it down quick as well as mixing it with various liquids, but they sandy texture makes me gag. I've managed to sustain taking creatine for a while but it never gets any better.

joshcsimmons 4mo ago
Gummies of all things. Costco sells them! I have trouble stopping at the recommended dose of 5 they're so good. Can find online too.
- happyopossum 4mo ago
  Most of the gummies you find online have zero creatine in them - plenty of lab testing has been done thanks to fitness YouTube
bananabiscuit 4mo ago
It dissolves a lot easier in warmer water, like around 45 degrees.
yellottyellott 4mo ago
greek yogurt. i cant tell it’s there.
triphoppin 4mo ago
dude it's tasteless, just drink it with water and fucking get over it
- blharr 4mo ago
  Texture is independent of taste
fragmede 4mo ago
How are you mixing it? Spoon? Fork? Milk frother? Blender? The latter two might help.

triphoppin 4mo ago

I'm at 10g a day

stevenhubertron 4mo ago

Headline stronger then the evidence.

aspectop 4mo ago

aaah thats why i failed in my exams this semester. bcz of this damn creatine

bariswheel 4mo ago

A small catch here. Make sure to drink plenty of water if you want to keep your kidneys healthy.

deleted 4mo ago

[deleted]

amai 4mo ago

How comes people in the gym don’t seem to profit from that? Maybe the reason is that you also need to train your brain, when you are taking creatine. Otherwise it is just wasted. It is the same if you just take creatine, but don’t do any sports. It will have no effect.

wtetzner 4mo ago
You need to take a larger dose. Your muscles absorb it first, so you end up needing to take a lot more to get it to your brain cells.