WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:18.396 --> 00:00:21.746 Lindsay: Welcome to the Lifting Lindsay podcast, man. 00:00:21.751 --> 00:00:25.916 Today I am super excited to be here with Dr. 00:00:25.946 --> 00:00:30.326 Darren Candow and we are gonna be talking about all things creatine. 00:00:30.331 --> 00:00:30.716 Is that right? 00:00:31.196 --> 00:00:32.696 Darren: That's, uh, that's the plan. 00:00:32.701 --> 00:00:33.086 Yeah. 00:00:33.461 --> 00:00:34.091 Lindsay: Awesome. 00:00:34.091 --> 00:00:34.481 Okay. 00:00:34.571 --> 00:00:39.551 I'm gonna have you introduce yourself to my listeners. 00:00:39.761 --> 00:00:44.231 Just tell me a little bit about your background and how come you are the 00:00:44.231 --> 00:00:45.911 person to talk to about creatine. 00:00:45.911 --> 00:00:45.941 I. 00:00:46.341 --> 00:00:47.811 Darren: My name is, uh, Darren Candle. 00:00:47.811 --> 00:00:51.111 I'm a professor in the faculty kinesiology and health studies, uh, 00:00:51.111 --> 00:00:53.211 at the University of Regina in Canada. 00:00:53.461 --> 00:00:54.571 I have a few degrees. 00:00:54.571 --> 00:00:58.231 I did an undergrad degree in biology at Acadia University in, in Canada 00:00:58.231 --> 00:01:02.551 as well, and my graduate degrees, uh, where at the University of Saskatchewan, 00:01:02.551 --> 00:01:04.231 under the mentorship of, uh, Dr. 00:01:04.231 --> 00:01:04.441 Phil. 00:01:04.891 --> 00:01:07.801 So a lot of people in the creatine area will know that name as well. 00:01:08.886 --> 00:01:11.856 Uh, I kind of got into creatine supplementation through a colleague. 00:01:12.216 --> 00:01:14.676 Uh, I was doing my master's on amino acid called glutamine. 00:01:15.556 --> 00:01:20.626 And he was interested in the organic acid, creatine and, uh, glutamine 00:01:20.686 --> 00:01:22.516 ended up being, uh, sort of worthless. 00:01:22.516 --> 00:01:26.236 And I got, you know, a little sad and dejected and then, uh, started to 00:01:26.236 --> 00:01:30.136 know really beneficial effects with creatine, primarily in young adults. 00:01:30.226 --> 00:01:33.616 And then it sort of paved the way for going from athletes all the way 00:01:33.621 --> 00:01:38.746 to clinical populations from, uh, elderly to, uh, specific focal points. 00:01:38.846 --> 00:01:42.926 So it's been very interesting where around the 1990s, creatine 00:01:42.926 --> 00:01:44.186 sort of got its momentum. 00:01:44.546 --> 00:01:46.646 Then it went away after we thought we knew everything. 00:01:46.646 --> 00:01:50.396 And now I'm sure we'll talk about today the very diverse aspects 00:01:50.401 --> 00:01:54.226 that creatine can be used, is it for everybody, things like that. 00:01:54.226 --> 00:01:56.506 So, uh, excited to be here and thanks for the opportunity. 00:01:57.251 --> 00:01:59.021 Lindsay: Yeah, I'm so excited about this. 00:01:59.026 --> 00:02:02.921 So yesterday I posted on Instagram. 00:02:02.951 --> 00:02:06.071 What questions, concerns do you have about creatine? 00:02:06.611 --> 00:02:09.551 It's interesting because I got so many, I. 00:02:09.570 --> 00:02:11.548 Very, very good questions, I feel like. 00:02:12.208 --> 00:02:18.238 But it's interesting because as a coach, a hypertrophy, fat loss coach, 00:02:19.018 --> 00:02:22.678 I work with both men and women, and it's interesting because I'll 00:02:22.678 --> 00:02:25.498 tell men to start taking creatine. 00:02:25.618 --> 00:02:26.998 They don't have a problem with it. 00:02:27.058 --> 00:02:28.018 They don't think twice. 00:02:28.078 --> 00:02:28.888 Awesome, do it. 00:02:29.308 --> 00:02:29.818 Women. 00:02:29.818 --> 00:02:35.218 It's like, no, let me pull out a whole list of reasons why I cannot do this. 00:02:35.248 --> 00:02:36.658 It's horrible for me. 00:02:36.928 --> 00:02:40.918 So I'm so excited to have you on here and we're just gonna break 00:02:40.923 --> 00:02:45.538 down everything, but I wanna start from the very, very, very bottom, 00:02:45.538 --> 00:02:47.008 like the very, very foundation. 00:02:47.488 --> 00:02:49.108 What is even creatine? 00:02:50.008 --> 00:02:52.438 Darren: So creatine is technically an organic acid. 00:02:52.438 --> 00:02:54.748 It's kind of like a protein that we would eat. 00:02:54.988 --> 00:02:55.978 Uh, it's very similar. 00:02:55.978 --> 00:03:00.748 It's made actually, or, uh, from reactions involving three amino acids, uh, from all 00:03:00.748 --> 00:03:02.728 the protein, uh, foods that we do eat. 00:03:02.998 --> 00:03:06.358 So we naturally produce this little compound in reactions in the 00:03:06.363 --> 00:03:07.888 kidneys and liver and the brain. 00:03:07.948 --> 00:03:10.618 So everybody that's listening is synthesizing this. 00:03:10.963 --> 00:03:13.813 Uh, compounded about a one to three grams per day. 00:03:14.263 --> 00:03:19.543 Um, we also consume about a few grams, uh, through red meat, seafood, or poultry. 00:03:19.873 --> 00:03:22.423 So I think later on we'll talk about is it a difference between 00:03:22.428 --> 00:03:25.993 vegans and vegetarians versus those on a carnivore, omnivore diet. 00:03:26.483 --> 00:03:29.808 But I think most people are very familiar with the powder creatine supplementation 00:03:29.808 --> 00:03:31.938 they see on stores or on social media. 00:03:32.298 --> 00:03:37.338 So at the end of the day, this compound, it was discovered in 1832, basically 00:03:37.338 --> 00:03:39.648 helps assist energy of ourselves. 00:03:39.828 --> 00:03:43.638 So when we're exercising, uh, shoveling the driveway, running, lifting weights. 00:03:43.948 --> 00:03:47.908 This little compound helps sacrifice itself, so to speak, to help 00:03:47.908 --> 00:03:51.628 maintain energy, to allow us maybe to do a little bit more work. 00:03:51.958 --> 00:03:55.258 And then if we do more work in the gym or on the track or wherever it is, over 00:03:55.258 --> 00:03:57.178 time, you start to notice adaptations. 00:03:57.598 --> 00:04:01.678 So it used to be called creatine makes an individual bigger, stronger, faster. 00:04:02.218 --> 00:04:05.403 Now it's taken on a whole nother, uh, pivoting, perspective 00:04:05.613 --> 00:04:07.083 from the health aspects. 00:04:07.413 --> 00:04:11.283 And yes, females are very, very hesitant to take creatine. 00:04:11.523 --> 00:04:15.693 We can take or talk about why that is, why we think it is, and some 00:04:15.693 --> 00:04:19.593 ways that we may be able to sort of get across the stigma and sort 00:04:19.593 --> 00:04:21.243 of get individuals to consider it. 00:04:21.243 --> 00:04:23.103 Lindsay: Okay, so let's talk about that then. 00:04:23.153 --> 00:04:25.103 Why is it that females are so hesitant? 00:04:25.108 --> 00:04:26.993 What have you heard that they struggle with? 00:04:27.413 --> 00:04:29.033 Darren: So it's based on three things. 00:04:29.033 --> 00:04:33.323 So the initial recommendations with creatine came out in the late 1990s 00:04:33.443 --> 00:04:36.323 and they said, Hey, this is kind of designed for athletes wanting 00:04:36.323 --> 00:04:37.883 to get bigger or stronger, faster. 00:04:38.033 --> 00:04:42.233 So let's go ahead and super saturate the body with creatine and see if it works. 00:04:42.323 --> 00:04:44.963 And yes, it's, this is called the creatine loading phase. 00:04:44.963 --> 00:04:47.543 It's on all the supplement labels that you could buy. 00:04:47.953 --> 00:04:52.303 What it means is they want you to take 20 grams a day for up to seven days. 00:04:52.843 --> 00:04:55.963 Now the interesting thing with creatine, it's an osmotic compound. 00:04:55.968 --> 00:04:58.303 That means it likes to shuttle water from an area of high 00:04:58.303 --> 00:05:00.403 concentration to an area of low. 00:05:00.823 --> 00:05:03.043 So where is water found in our body? 00:05:03.043 --> 00:05:03.973 It's the bloodstream. 00:05:04.308 --> 00:05:08.148 And now it likes to take water from the blood into our muscles. 00:05:08.358 --> 00:05:12.708 So a lot of individuals would say, Hey, geez, I've been on creatine for five days. 00:05:12.918 --> 00:05:16.188 I noticed on the scale I went up by a few kilograms. 00:05:16.398 --> 00:05:20.208 My shirt or clothes feels a bit tighter and I just feel a little bit bigger. 00:05:20.568 --> 00:05:23.568 And I say, well, that's kind of the physiology behind creatine because 00:05:23.568 --> 00:05:25.398 you're taking such a high dose. 00:05:25.788 --> 00:05:30.018 Um, now to a young male that might be great to a young female. 00:05:30.883 --> 00:05:33.973 Independent of your menstrual cycle, when you go on the scale and after 00:05:33.973 --> 00:05:35.983 five days, you've gained five pounds. 00:05:36.283 --> 00:05:38.683 Very rare does a female say, I love this. 00:05:38.713 --> 00:05:39.913 More times in our lab. 00:05:39.913 --> 00:05:42.553 They say, I don't like this at all, and we'll talk about 00:05:42.553 --> 00:05:44.413 strategies, how to alleviate that. 00:05:44.863 --> 00:05:48.193 So the first thing to be aware of, it's just a acute water retention. 00:05:48.893 --> 00:05:53.363 It goes away after about two weeks, and primarily in females. 00:05:53.363 --> 00:05:57.543 This is great when you take, an individual, a young female or an older in, 00:05:57.633 --> 00:06:02.283 uh, female, and you measure them before creatine and then after few weeks, even 00:06:02.283 --> 00:06:04.953 months, their weight is almost identical. 00:06:05.313 --> 00:06:08.433 So one thing to be rest assured is weight barely changes. 00:06:09.063 --> 00:06:12.783 But the other interesting thing is leading to the second most popular 00:06:12.783 --> 00:06:16.653 reason why I think females don't take creatine is they think it improves 00:06:16.653 --> 00:06:18.753 fat mass or increases body fat. 00:06:19.083 --> 00:06:22.353 We've now clearly shown with all the evidence, when you combine creatine 00:06:22.358 --> 00:06:24.093 and exercise, you get a decrease. 00:06:24.093 --> 00:06:27.663 It's very small, but you do get a decrease in body fat. 00:06:28.113 --> 00:06:32.103 So at the end of the day, if you put on lean mass, decrease 00:06:32.103 --> 00:06:36.068 fat mass, that's probably why weight will not really fluctuate. 00:06:36.828 --> 00:06:41.028 So I would highly recommend to any female, uh, um, watching that is 00:06:41.028 --> 00:06:42.738 sensitive to weight fluctuations. 00:06:42.738 --> 00:06:45.558 Do not, I repeat, do not do the loading phase. 00:06:45.918 --> 00:06:50.298 I'll give you a strategy that we think is really beneficial, but does not cause 00:06:50.298 --> 00:06:54.878 that excessive amount of bloating or gi tract irritation is the other main 00:06:54.878 --> 00:06:56.678 reason during, uh, the loan phase. 00:06:56.678 --> 00:06:58.898 Lindsay: What causes that with the GI tract? 00:06:58.928 --> 00:07:02.093 'cause that's, that's another one that I get a lot, of questions about. 00:07:02.093 --> 00:07:06.013 It's like, yes, the water weight, the water retention, it drives body fat up. 00:07:06.353 --> 00:07:08.693 And then I had some gut issues with it. 00:07:08.933 --> 00:07:09.203 Darren: Yep. 00:07:09.593 --> 00:07:10.823 Lindsay: What can we do about that? 00:07:11.183 --> 00:07:13.013 Darren: So creatine is a very unique compound. 00:07:13.013 --> 00:07:17.303 So the pH of our stomach is about one to 2.5 to three at best, so very 00:07:17.303 --> 00:07:20.753 acidic hydrochloric acid, and we have a lot of enzymes, but creatine 00:07:20.753 --> 00:07:24.263 only starts to break down when pH is above that, so it remains intact. 00:07:24.538 --> 00:07:28.203 It sort of can get through the, acid of our env, our stomach very easily, 00:07:28.563 --> 00:07:31.323 but when it gets through the small intestine and then eventually wants 00:07:31.323 --> 00:07:33.063 to leave, it takes water with that. 00:07:33.363 --> 00:07:38.133 So it indirectly is taking water from the gastrointestinal track or digestive tract. 00:07:38.403 --> 00:07:40.533 So that's why a lot of individuals may get diarrhea. 00:07:40.743 --> 00:07:44.853 Some bloating or muscle cramping or some GI tract irritation as well. 00:07:45.063 --> 00:07:48.613 And that's why it's highly recommended take an increase in fluid, primarily 00:07:48.613 --> 00:07:50.113 water when you're on creatine. 00:07:50.433 --> 00:07:54.093 And again, if you're taking the loading phase, that's 10 times as much as we're 00:07:54.098 --> 00:07:56.613 probably making it kind of makes sense. 00:07:56.643 --> 00:07:58.353 That's why it would have some adverse effects. 00:07:58.353 --> 00:08:02.043 So make sure we talk about probably an alternate strategy, which I think 00:08:02.043 --> 00:08:05.643 is more viable, that will maintain adherence and probably reduce the 00:08:05.648 --> 00:08:07.323 chance of bloating and water retention. 00:08:07.843 --> 00:08:10.183 Lindsay: So I actually have never done a loading phase. 00:08:10.183 --> 00:08:12.043 I've taken creatine for years and years and years. 00:08:12.073 --> 00:08:16.753 I never did a loading phase, and so I never experienced a lot of these things 00:08:16.753 --> 00:08:18.913 that that women are complaining about. 00:08:19.273 --> 00:08:19.303 I. 00:08:19.303 --> 00:08:23.953 But loading phases in, you know, the hypertrophy world are taught 00:08:23.953 --> 00:08:27.463 that that's the only way, and I usually tell women not to. 00:08:27.703 --> 00:08:29.143 So now I'm even more curious. 00:08:29.183 --> 00:08:31.073 What do you usually tell people to do? 00:08:31.478 --> 00:08:32.858 Darren: So it, that's an important distinction. 00:08:32.858 --> 00:08:34.718 So the loading phase is super effective. 00:08:34.718 --> 00:08:37.478 It's the most rapid way to saturate your, your muscles. 00:08:37.748 --> 00:08:42.038 Uh, at the end of the day, we're probably starting out between 70 to 80% 00:08:42.128 --> 00:08:43.748 of our muscles are full of creatine. 00:08:43.958 --> 00:08:47.108 Supplementation may give you an extra 20 to 40%. 00:08:47.403 --> 00:08:48.423 So it's like your living room. 00:08:48.423 --> 00:08:49.983 It's three quarters full of creatine. 00:08:50.013 --> 00:08:51.933 When you take a supplement, you get a bit more. 00:08:52.413 --> 00:08:55.383 Um, so the loading phase is very effective, but as we just mentioned, 00:08:55.383 --> 00:08:57.213 some of those adverse effects. 00:08:57.303 --> 00:09:01.533 To help recruit or inspire people to take at a more consistent 00:09:01.533 --> 00:09:05.013 level, there's probably two other strategies that have been very well 00:09:05.018 --> 00:09:06.693 documented to be safe and effective. 00:09:07.353 --> 00:09:08.793 Let's start with the easiest. 00:09:09.153 --> 00:09:13.293 You can take as little as three grams a day, and that will full 00:09:13.293 --> 00:09:16.143 fill up the room in about 30 days. 00:09:16.523 --> 00:09:19.403 So we talked about the loading phase after about seven days, but 00:09:19.403 --> 00:09:22.163 actually after two days of the loading phase, your muscles are full. 00:09:22.373 --> 00:09:24.293 But usually studies will do seven days. 00:09:24.533 --> 00:09:29.093 If you take a little as three grams a day for 30 days, that'll have the same effect. 00:09:29.813 --> 00:09:32.423 So now a female or young male listening say, wow, I can do 00:09:32.423 --> 00:09:33.743 the loading phase if I want. 00:09:34.043 --> 00:09:36.893 Or I can take a really small dose, just needed a little, 00:09:36.893 --> 00:09:38.243 be a little bit more patient. 00:09:38.573 --> 00:09:41.993 So for those considering creatine for the lifelong journey and the health 00:09:41.993 --> 00:09:46.193 benefits from a muscle perspective, again, this is not from a bone or brain. 00:09:46.433 --> 00:09:48.383 You can take as little as three grams a day. 00:09:48.713 --> 00:09:52.163 I'm sure even if you reduce it to two, that would've eventually accumulate. 00:09:52.673 --> 00:09:53.788 Now, here's the other cool thing. 00:09:53.903 --> 00:09:58.163 You can take three grams, which is a half a teaspoon at one serving, or you 00:09:58.163 --> 00:10:01.703 could probably break it up into two 1.5 servings in the morning and evening. 00:10:02.513 --> 00:10:04.793 The timing is essentially irrelevant. 00:10:04.793 --> 00:10:08.170 You take it when it's convenient, but also one of the other things I 00:10:08.170 --> 00:10:09.820 recommend is to take it with food. 00:10:10.300 --> 00:10:13.000 So if you're having like yogurt in the morning, just throw it in there. 00:10:13.030 --> 00:10:14.380 There's no taste of creatine. 00:10:14.710 --> 00:10:18.760 Um, you can drink it, but a lot of people in our lab, when we give it or 00:10:18.760 --> 00:10:21.730 recommend it with food, they say, yeah, I didn't even notice I was taking it. 00:10:22.270 --> 00:10:25.450 So again, three grams, you can bump it up to five. 00:10:25.930 --> 00:10:29.230 But from a muscle perspective, five seems to be the maximal amount 00:10:29.230 --> 00:10:30.850 anybody on the planet may need. 00:10:30.882 --> 00:10:34.662 And that's without a loading phase, so that's No, you're just starting day one. 00:10:34.662 --> 00:10:35.682 Three to five grams a day. 00:10:35.682 --> 00:10:36.282 That's plenty. 00:10:36.282 --> 00:10:37.572 It'll just take a little bit more time. 00:10:38.172 --> 00:10:38.592 Lindsay: Okay. 00:10:38.862 --> 00:10:39.912 Is there another one? 00:10:39.912 --> 00:10:42.882 So the loading, what does the loading usually look like? 00:10:43.122 --> 00:10:44.112 Let's explain that one 00:10:44.307 --> 00:10:47.007 Darren: Yeah, it's about 20 grams a day and you break that up into four 00:10:47.007 --> 00:10:49.617 or five gram dosages for seven days. 00:10:50.187 --> 00:10:54.237 Then on starting on day eight, you'd drop it down to about two to five grams 00:10:54.237 --> 00:10:56.037 a day to maintain what's in our muscle. 00:10:56.607 --> 00:10:57.747 We don't do that. 00:10:57.777 --> 00:11:01.887 We can, and we will be looking at the really small dose, like talked about. 00:11:02.217 --> 00:11:05.577 The one that's most popular in our lab is a relative dose. 00:11:05.817 --> 00:11:09.957 So if me and you go on the scale and just say you're 50 kilograms and I'm 70. 00:11:10.272 --> 00:11:11.322 It's probably logical. 00:11:11.322 --> 00:11:12.672 I might have a bit more muscle. 00:11:12.732 --> 00:11:13.602 That's the theory. 00:11:13.962 --> 00:11:16.392 And so the bigger the muscle is, that has more of these 00:11:16.392 --> 00:11:18.252 doorways that allow creatine in. 00:11:18.582 --> 00:11:23.772 So we use 0.1 gram per kilogram all the way up to 0.15 gram 00:11:23.772 --> 00:11:25.422 per kilogram in older adults. 00:11:25.782 --> 00:11:28.362 So if we do the quick math, if you're 50 kilograms, you're 00:11:28.367 --> 00:11:29.862 only getting five grams a day. 00:11:30.282 --> 00:11:33.162 But I'm a little bit bigger and just say if I was only 70 kilograms, 00:11:33.162 --> 00:11:34.512 I would get seven grams a day. 00:11:34.962 --> 00:11:37.452 If you have a professional athlete, a hundred gram or a hundred 00:11:37.452 --> 00:11:38.892 kilograms, they get 10 grams a day. 00:11:39.507 --> 00:11:42.507 So we've understand the premise behind that, and we've shown that 00:11:42.507 --> 00:11:44.127 those to be very safe and effective. 00:11:44.992 --> 00:11:47.212 Lindsay: Well, that brings me to another view. 00:11:47.302 --> 00:11:51.526 Well, I have so many is it even necessary? 00:11:51.526 --> 00:11:55.396 Is it even beneficial if we already create and can get it from proteins? 00:11:55.396 --> 00:12:03.466 Like why, even if somebody just is lifting as a lifestyle, trying to lose a little 00:12:03.466 --> 00:12:07.096 body fat, is it even important for them? 00:12:07.441 --> 00:12:10.561 Darren: It's substantially not required, in the younger years, 00:12:10.771 --> 00:12:14.041 you're naturally producing enough, and the best way to support this is 00:12:14.101 --> 00:12:17.701 how are vegans and vegetarians so healthy without creatine, and it's 00:12:17.701 --> 00:12:19.171 because you're naturally producing it. 00:12:19.176 --> 00:12:22.351 So at the end of the day, is it absolutely required, like protein? 00:12:22.351 --> 00:12:24.331 No, because we naturally can't produce it. 00:12:24.331 --> 00:12:26.671 We can't produce those nine essential amino acids. 00:12:27.211 --> 00:12:31.081 But research has clearly shown that a slightly little bit more, that 00:12:31.081 --> 00:12:35.821 accumulates can unlock the potential, but we don't know if that's the fact, 00:12:35.821 --> 00:12:38.971 when you get into the fourth decade and above, when we're starting to 00:12:38.976 --> 00:12:42.571 have a reduction in muscle mass and natural brain creatine concentrations 00:12:43.051 --> 00:12:45.361 is cre essentially required? 00:12:45.481 --> 00:12:49.531 There's some speculation, it it can be, but at the end of the day, 00:12:49.561 --> 00:12:53.701 if anything is being made in the body, in theory, it's not essential. 00:12:53.761 --> 00:12:56.461 So that's why it, it's not like protein where you need 00:12:56.461 --> 00:12:57.811 those essential amino acids. 00:12:58.396 --> 00:13:01.846 Lindsay: But it is, we have so much research on creatine, I would say. 00:13:02.386 --> 00:13:05.266 Um, I could be wrong on this, but more research on creatine 00:13:05.271 --> 00:13:08.086 than any other supplement that I've, I've ever dealt with, 00:13:08.116 --> 00:13:08.506 Darren: Yeah. 00:13:08.506 --> 00:13:10.066 It's taken over from caffeine. 00:13:10.066 --> 00:13:12.706 Now is the most, uh, research ergogenic aid on the planet. 00:13:12.806 --> 00:13:15.236 Lindsay: So we know the most a about this. 00:13:15.806 --> 00:13:20.696 And what I find very interesting is that many doctors say that it's 00:13:20.696 --> 00:13:23.876 bad for kidneys, so I wanna talk about it being bad for kidneys. 00:13:24.356 --> 00:13:29.786 Another woman wrote to me and said, her doctor said anybody under 18 00:13:30.086 --> 00:13:35.646 shouldn't take it, that it will have adverse effects and anybody over 30, 00:13:36.321 --> 00:13:37.461 shouldn't take it. 00:13:38.001 --> 00:13:42.771 So what you're talking about with age, we can actually see more benefits, 00:13:43.041 --> 00:13:47.031 I feel like with older populations, if you can even call 30 old. 00:13:47.031 --> 00:13:47.481 Come on. 00:13:47.751 --> 00:13:48.141 Right. 00:13:48.441 --> 00:13:51.771 But, um, that was an interesting one from a doctor. 00:13:51.908 --> 00:13:55.418 Darren: So this is, well, the one over 30 is nonsensical from 00:13:55.508 --> 00:13:56.678 an evidence-based perspective. 00:13:56.678 --> 00:13:58.908 But let's start with the, the kidney one. 00:13:58.938 --> 00:14:01.458 'cause that is a very, probably the second most popular myth next to 00:14:01.458 --> 00:14:04.338 baldness, which if you look at me, it's like, oh God, I must go we'll. 00:14:05.828 --> 00:14:09.273 So this is really important for those taking creatine or thinking of it. 00:14:09.273 --> 00:14:13.473 You need to tell your doctor, and I'm assuming your nephrologist or GP is gonna 00:14:13.478 --> 00:14:17.613 have enough education during medical school to understand the basic principle. 00:14:18.033 --> 00:14:22.323 So when you take in creatine and it gets trapped in your muscle or brain, 00:14:22.563 --> 00:14:26.733 it gets broken down when you use it, but it does not get broken down as creatine. 00:14:26.823 --> 00:14:30.243 It gets broken down to something called creatinine, and everybody 00:14:30.243 --> 00:14:33.783 listening is like, oh, I just saw that name on my blood requisition form. 00:14:34.203 --> 00:14:36.723 And you're like, oh, I kind of now understand. 00:14:37.083 --> 00:14:41.163 So please know when you take creatine supplementation, it's highly likely 00:14:41.163 --> 00:14:44.613 you're gonna have an increase in something called blood creatinine. 00:14:44.958 --> 00:14:49.248 And they use this metabolic byproduct to estimate kidney function. 00:14:49.788 --> 00:14:53.358 So it's kind of like a water filter on a Brita or something you're drinking. 00:14:53.748 --> 00:14:57.408 If the, the filter is not working properly, things are gonna accumulate 00:14:57.413 --> 00:15:01.128 in, in the reservoir of the, the water bottle, or in this case, your bloodstream. 00:15:01.698 --> 00:15:05.958 So creatine does often lead to high blood creatinine, which gives 00:15:05.958 --> 00:15:09.498 a false positive or indication that your kidneys are failing. 00:15:10.278 --> 00:15:13.848 When you stop taking creatine, everything goes back to normal, so you could 00:15:13.848 --> 00:15:17.448 conclude it's the supplement just being broken down and metabolized. 00:15:17.838 --> 00:15:20.688 Now, as, again, I'm not a medical practitioner, but from the 00:15:20.688 --> 00:15:22.488 physiology, it does make sense. 00:15:22.638 --> 00:15:25.008 If you take creatine, you're gonna have more of this in the blood, 00:15:25.068 --> 00:15:28.068 and that gives a false positive that your kidneys are not working. 00:15:28.218 --> 00:15:32.148 So make sure you please tell your doctor that so there's no alarm and and stress. 00:15:32.419 --> 00:15:34.189 The second part of your question is in children. 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:38.899 So there hasn't been a lot of biomedical evidence from a blood, uh, perspective 00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:42.499 in children, but there's good researchers in the United States that have clearly 00:15:42.499 --> 00:15:47.029 shown creatine at recommended dosages, maybe three to five grams, uh, has been 00:15:47.029 --> 00:15:49.129 very safe from a subjective standpoint. 00:15:49.134 --> 00:15:54.089 No gi tract irritation, headaches, nausea, excessive weight gain, anything like that. 00:15:54.314 --> 00:15:57.579 And it has been shown to improve sport and exercise performance. 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:01.539 They're currently looking at blood right now and that paper will come out uh, 00:16:01.539 --> 00:16:05.409 shortly, but I would be shocked to be honest if there's any adverse effects. 00:16:05.739 --> 00:16:06.759 'cause we've already talked about it. 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:10.449 Our body recognizes it, our body produces it a little bit more, just 00:16:10.449 --> 00:16:12.099 will be excreted down the toilet. 00:16:12.099 --> 00:16:15.434 For the doctor who said above 30 people shouldn't take creatine. 00:16:15.489 --> 00:16:19.269 That actually goes against all the entire body of research. 00:16:19.564 --> 00:16:23.014 If any population that may want to consider it is as you get older, 00:16:23.284 --> 00:16:26.434 because creatine is primarily found in our large muscle fibers. 00:16:26.734 --> 00:16:30.754 Uh, we actually see a reduction in the amount of creatine in our muscles, and 00:16:30.754 --> 00:16:35.374 we have heightened metabolically stressed with bone loss and, uh, abnormalities 00:16:35.374 --> 00:16:36.844 and brain function with aging. 00:16:37.234 --> 00:16:39.304 And that's where creatine seems to have an effect. 00:16:39.309 --> 00:16:42.934 So maybe the doctor misspoke, but after the age of 30 is when you 00:16:42.934 --> 00:16:44.494 really should be considering it. 00:16:44.824 --> 00:16:46.654 Um, not, not considering it. 00:16:47.469 --> 00:16:48.819 Lindsay: That's really fascinating. 00:16:49.029 --> 00:16:53.829 When we talk about sports muscle, a lot of us know, okay, this can 00:16:53.834 --> 00:16:59.979 be beneficial, but, but we've come to find that, um, it exceeds that. 00:17:00.069 --> 00:17:00.459 Right? 00:17:00.579 --> 00:17:04.949 So let's talk about some of the other, uh, benefits that we're finding in creatine. 00:17:05.074 --> 00:17:05.254 Darren: Okay. 00:17:05.254 --> 00:17:05.524 Yeah. 00:17:05.674 --> 00:17:09.114 So in brief summary, in combination with exercise, primarily weightlifting. 00:17:09.264 --> 00:17:11.844 It's definitely been shown, uh, been shown to improve muscle 00:17:11.844 --> 00:17:13.284 mass strength and performance. 00:17:13.494 --> 00:17:17.964 It also has improvements now in a novelty of improving exercise recovery 00:17:17.994 --> 00:17:19.854 even for the aerobic athletes. 00:17:20.124 --> 00:17:24.384 So that's a new area of population for soccer and running and mul ultra marathon. 00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:26.799 It really seems to improve recovery. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:29.049 They allow you to continue to to participate. 00:17:29.679 --> 00:17:34.059 The big area, especially for young females leading into older uh, phases, 00:17:34.089 --> 00:17:37.629 pre menopause and perimenopause and post menopause, is we've now 00:17:37.634 --> 00:17:41.169 clearly showed that creatine in combination with exercise has very 00:17:41.169 --> 00:17:42.909 favorable effects on the skeleton. 00:17:42.969 --> 00:17:46.779 Primarily bone strength and bone mineral density around the hip region. 00:17:47.074 --> 00:17:50.859 And, and that's an area that if you were to fall and, and and get a hip fracture, 00:17:50.919 --> 00:17:53.469 it leads to inactivity and immobilization. 00:17:53.499 --> 00:17:57.129 So there's some promise now in older individuals, we don't see a 00:17:57.129 --> 00:18:00.729 lot in younger probably 'cause the skeleton is already so healthy. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.699 But that's an area for postmenopausal females for sure. 00:18:03.999 --> 00:18:07.539 Um, uh, that creatine in combination with exercise can have some 00:18:07.539 --> 00:18:09.429 small but yet favorable effects. 00:18:09.954 --> 00:18:11.904 And I think the biggest area is the neck up. 00:18:11.934 --> 00:18:17.424 We're now seeing some good promise for co cognition and memory in older adults. 00:18:17.574 --> 00:18:21.024 It's been shown to speed up recovery in concussion in children. 00:18:21.334 --> 00:18:25.204 And now there's hope it can have some improvements in neurological conditions 00:18:25.204 --> 00:18:26.914 such as Alzheimer's, dementia. 00:18:27.274 --> 00:18:31.504 Um, so I think the next 20 years will go not from the neck down, but the neck up. 00:18:31.924 --> 00:18:33.844 And then the other big area is pregnancy. 00:18:34.324 --> 00:18:37.534 Good researcher in Australia is now looking at the benefits not only for the 00:18:37.534 --> 00:18:39.244 female, but during fetal development. 00:18:39.334 --> 00:18:39.544 Yeah. 00:18:39.814 --> 00:18:43.714 So it's become this whole body, all population, health product. 00:18:43.724 --> 00:18:45.284 Lindsay: So I, I am pregnant. 00:18:45.694 --> 00:18:50.014 So I'm really interested in the pregnancy part, but that one is kind of hard 00:18:50.014 --> 00:18:55.814 because from what I see, we really only have published, like looking at 00:18:55.814 --> 00:19:02.324 rats and so nothing I believe has been published as far as pregnancy with humans. 00:19:02.624 --> 00:19:05.504 Darren: So first off, you gotta talk to your medical practitioner 00:19:05.834 --> 00:19:09.404 anytime we're dealing with a special population, a very special re regarding 00:19:09.434 --> 00:19:10.514 pregnancy and fetal development. 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:14.474 Make sure you talk to your doctor multiple times that this is okay for you. 00:19:15.074 --> 00:19:19.364 You're right, the majority of the promise has come from the mice and rodent model. 00:19:19.604 --> 00:19:23.444 Um, there's been a few studies in children or during development. 00:19:23.979 --> 00:19:25.989 It all comes back to a same mechanism. 00:19:26.049 --> 00:19:30.609 It potentially enhances the energy capacity for the mother and fetus, but 00:19:30.609 --> 00:19:32.619 it also seems to decrease inflammation. 00:19:32.829 --> 00:19:37.479 So sometimes during hypoxic environments, stillborn or, or, or, uh, catastrophic 00:19:37.479 --> 00:19:41.319 events there, it seems to have improvements in brain bioenergetics. 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:44.109 Again, you're totally right using the animal model. 00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:46.179 So it's an emerging area. 00:19:46.179 --> 00:19:48.849 Stacey Ery in Australia is the leader in this, and if you just 00:19:48.849 --> 00:19:50.169 Google her name, you can get 00:19:50.259 --> 00:19:51.819 Lindsay: I have Googled her. 00:19:51.879 --> 00:19:52.449 Yeah. 00:19:52.479 --> 00:19:54.579 Darren: has some really except exceptional papers. 00:19:54.579 --> 00:19:56.979 They use a sheet model, they use the mouse model. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.869 Um, there's some promise there. 00:19:59.049 --> 00:20:02.919 But one interesting thing you'll notice in all her studies or, or papers is that 00:20:02.924 --> 00:20:06.069 the current body of research suggests there's no greater adverse effects. 00:20:06.099 --> 00:20:09.219 Again, we're naturally producing it, uh, but again, caution 00:20:09.224 --> 00:20:10.719 is severely, uh, warranted. 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.414 Uh, we don't know if creatine will transition into the breast milk. 00:20:14.774 --> 00:20:17.504 We don't think so, but that's an area that's gonna have to be 00:20:17.504 --> 00:20:19.094 looked at in human clinical trials. 00:20:19.574 --> 00:20:21.374 But it's very difficult to do. 00:20:21.374 --> 00:20:23.534 You need to get ethical approval. 00:20:23.594 --> 00:20:29.054 And again, it's, it's such a, a dangerous area, a potential good promise. 00:20:29.054 --> 00:20:29.504 I think. 00:20:29.504 --> 00:20:32.624 Make sure you get medical approval and screening with that is for sure. 00:20:32.919 --> 00:20:38.964 Lindsay: You know what's hard though is, when a lot of doctors will tell 00:20:38.964 --> 00:20:42.984 women still like, well, don't don't weight lift during, don't, you know, 00:20:42.984 --> 00:20:45.234 don't no resistance training know this. 00:20:45.234 --> 00:20:48.234 So it's sometimes it's hard going to your physician because it's 00:20:48.234 --> 00:20:49.484 like what are you gonna tell me? 00:20:49.484 --> 00:20:53.024 Are you gonna be old school and say, I can't lift anything over 20, so then 00:20:53.024 --> 00:20:54.524 I can't even lift my own children? 00:20:54.914 --> 00:21:00.164 Or are you going to be a little bit more aware and realize that I'm 00:21:00.169 --> 00:21:03.584 not handicapped during pregnancy and I'm still quite capable? 00:21:03.809 --> 00:21:06.089 Darren: And we now know, and that's like, you know, you shouldn't 00:21:06.089 --> 00:21:07.109 exercise when you're a child. 00:21:07.109 --> 00:21:10.769 So, you know, some, unfortunately medical practitioners, they know a 00:21:10.769 --> 00:21:13.829 little bit about a lot of things and are googling a lot of things as well. 00:21:13.834 --> 00:21:16.799 And, and when you get bad advice, as the doctor's smoking 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.589 outside, you're wondering, you know, what's really going on. 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:22.289 But at the end of the day, they have the highest capability and 00:21:22.294 --> 00:21:23.699 liability to give the advice. 00:21:23.749 --> 00:21:26.659 Um, there's a lot of good evidence-based research articles out 00:21:26.659 --> 00:21:28.159 there that are freely accessible. 00:21:28.399 --> 00:21:30.739 But at the end of the day, they can be very daunting to read. 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:33.269 But for anybody considering supplementation, make 00:21:33.269 --> 00:21:34.289 sure it's right for you. 00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:39.269 Only rely on evidence-based research, that's those journal publications. 00:21:39.584 --> 00:21:42.854 Do not rely on influencers trying to pedal a product that may or 00:21:42.854 --> 00:21:46.694 may not have other ingredients that can cause harmful effects. 00:21:47.114 --> 00:21:49.874 Creatine is naturally produced in our body and that's probably why the 00:21:49.874 --> 00:21:51.914 safety profile is very, very high. 00:21:52.364 --> 00:21:55.124 Um, we have another massive paper coming out. 00:21:55.129 --> 00:21:58.904 There's 17 authors on it, looking at part two of all these myths and 00:21:58.904 --> 00:22:02.529 misconceptions and male infertility and pregnancy is in there. 00:22:02.789 --> 00:22:05.384 And that should be published by the end of the year. 00:22:05.389 --> 00:22:07.089 It'll be a very, uh, popular paper. 00:22:07.089 --> 00:22:08.409 Lindsay: I'm really excited for that. 00:22:08.414 --> 00:22:09.399 That will be so helpful. 00:22:09.399 --> 00:22:09.559 Darren: Yeah. 00:22:09.959 --> 00:22:10.109 Yeah. 00:22:10.439 --> 00:22:12.269 Lindsay: Now what about, there are different types of 00:22:12.269 --> 00:22:13.799 creatine that are being sold. 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:15.629 So are there any benefits? 00:22:15.629 --> 00:22:18.149 Is it just regular creatine monohydrate? 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:22.139 Like is that kind of the good go-to, or what are your thoughts on that? 00:22:22.374 --> 00:22:22.554 Darren: yeah. 00:22:22.554 --> 00:22:26.394 No matter how cool the label looks, how much marketing, what someone 00:22:26.394 --> 00:22:30.279 tells you, uh, nothing as it currently stands, comes close to Monohydrate. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:30.919 I. 00:22:31.284 --> 00:22:34.704 And the reason being is monohydrate, meaning one water molecule 00:22:34.704 --> 00:22:36.444 linked to this creatine molecule. 00:22:36.714 --> 00:22:40.734 It comes in through our stomach and it's easily digested because the, 00:22:40.734 --> 00:22:43.914 uh, water molecule is dissolved and it goes to your bloodstream. 00:22:44.124 --> 00:22:46.764 That creatine molecule is gonna be identical to what we're naturally 00:22:46.769 --> 00:22:49.974 synthesizing, and that's why it's safe and very effective. 00:22:50.469 --> 00:22:53.589 But all these marketing forms of creatine, I often question 00:22:53.589 --> 00:22:56.829 because creatine bioavailability is almost a hundred percent. 00:22:57.159 --> 00:22:59.829 How can you get better than a hundred percent and shown to be 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:03.099 safe and effective and, and no other product that's come close to it. 00:23:03.104 --> 00:23:06.669 So if you're out there and you go to a a store and they say, oh, this 00:23:06.674 --> 00:23:10.179 is the best, you need a special creatine for women, you just say, 00:23:10.179 --> 00:23:12.669 no, I need the same for everybody. 00:23:12.669 --> 00:23:13.629 There's no magic. 00:23:13.959 --> 00:23:18.489 I don't need creatine hydrochloride or anything with a high buffering, no. 00:23:19.029 --> 00:23:22.659 Just take monohydrate and rest assured that's where all the 00:23:22.659 --> 00:23:23.709 evidence is supporting it. 00:23:24.504 --> 00:23:28.554 Lindsay: I was reading through, um, marketing strategy and they were 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:34.524 saying that if you put four women on the label, you can increase the price 00:23:34.524 --> 00:23:37.164 by up to 40% and women will buy it. 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:38.079 Darren: Yeah. 00:23:38.139 --> 00:23:39.339 It's unfortunate. 00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:43.449 And it's, uh, the stuff I hear on Instagram, especially daily, I, I shake 00:23:43.449 --> 00:23:48.076 my head at I will be honest, the IOC only lists about five products that have really 00:23:48.076 --> 00:23:50.116 have good evidence for improvements. 00:23:50.116 --> 00:23:53.986 One is beet root juice and sodium bicarbonate, uh, beta alanine, 00:23:53.986 --> 00:23:55.666 caffeine, and, and creatine. 00:23:55.976 --> 00:24:00.596 Protein as a macronutrient and anything else, it's suspect, right, 00:24:00.596 --> 00:24:02.306 until more evidence has been done. 00:24:02.606 --> 00:24:05.096 So if you look at those five, you're like, geez, I can get most of those 00:24:05.096 --> 00:24:06.686 products in red meat or seafood. 00:24:07.206 --> 00:24:10.176 I can get tho a lot of those compounds from eating a nice salad. 00:24:10.536 --> 00:24:11.766 So food first. 00:24:12.051 --> 00:24:16.581 Sleep adequate nutrition and supplements will give a a little bit better effect. 00:24:16.581 --> 00:24:20.751 And I always use this analogy, if the cake is exercise, the 00:24:20.751 --> 00:24:22.401 nice chocolate icing is protein. 00:24:22.581 --> 00:24:25.701 Nothing's gonna be working without adequate protein, and then creatine 00:24:25.701 --> 00:24:28.881 or the sprinkles on it to allow the child to be enticed to eat it. 00:24:29.181 --> 00:24:33.921 And at the end of the day, exercise first, all supplements in that 00:24:33.921 --> 00:24:35.901 may give a small better effect. 00:24:36.211 --> 00:24:39.571 But sometimes that can have clinical applications moving forward. 00:24:40.231 --> 00:24:40.531 Lindsay: Yeah. 00:24:40.771 --> 00:24:44.581 I always like to remind people that if you don't know how to work hard in the 00:24:44.581 --> 00:24:50.551 gym, then creatine is not, not gonna help you work harder if you already 00:24:50.671 --> 00:24:56.611 can't work hard like it is for those who that are, like you said, have 00:24:56.611 --> 00:25:02.761 those box checked off, can really get in there, work hard, and then you can 00:25:02.761 --> 00:25:05.491 see some, some very slight benefits 00:25:05.956 --> 00:25:08.566 Darren: And, and uh, to that point, there's been a handful of 00:25:08.566 --> 00:25:12.021 studies in younger individuals and older individuals, when they don't 00:25:12.021 --> 00:25:15.381 have a, a resistance training or exercise component in the study. 00:25:15.681 --> 00:25:19.041 Uh, so creatine on its own, uh, creatine is one of those interesting 00:25:19.041 --> 00:25:22.041 ones that has been shown to improve muscle performance without exercise. 00:25:22.611 --> 00:25:22.831 Lindsay: Oh. 00:25:23.061 --> 00:25:27.201 Darren: But it unlocks the great potential when it is combined with exercise. 00:25:27.651 --> 00:25:31.221 So you start to think, could creatine have application for long-term bedrest? 00:25:31.251 --> 00:25:33.081 Im mobilization during surgery. 00:25:33.441 --> 00:25:36.231 Um, there's been some studies that have shown it preserve 00:25:36.231 --> 00:25:37.791 strength and muscle mass. 00:25:37.911 --> 00:25:42.921 Um, but we think now some populations that may not be able to exercise creatine 00:25:42.921 --> 00:25:47.271 has been shown not nearly as much as in combination with exercise, but has 00:25:47.271 --> 00:25:49.041 been shown to have some muscle benefits. 00:25:49.341 --> 00:25:54.451 And we also, have now show some beneficial effects from cognition without exercise. 00:25:54.691 --> 00:25:58.591 So it seems to be an energy status molecule, but let's rest assured 00:25:58.621 --> 00:26:03.481 90 to 95% of all the, the totality of benefits come with exercise. 00:26:03.481 --> 00:26:05.731 But there are some evidence that suggests you can still 00:26:05.736 --> 00:26:07.091 get creatine without exercise. 00:26:07.921 --> 00:26:08.711 Lindsay: That's amazing. 00:26:08.746 --> 00:26:12.466 I do wanna talk a little bit more of the cognitive benefits. 00:26:12.976 --> 00:26:14.386 What have we exactly seen? 00:26:14.386 --> 00:26:15.316 Because that's newer. 00:26:15.316 --> 00:26:18.106 I feel like that hasn't been talked about very much. 00:26:18.106 --> 00:26:20.806 It's usually just endurance, muscle. 00:26:21.016 --> 00:26:23.236 So talk on that point a little bit more. 00:26:23.296 --> 00:26:23.476 Darren: Okay. 00:26:23.806 --> 00:26:27.646 So if you're taking creatine and you're well rested, you're young, you 00:26:27.646 --> 00:26:31.006 have no metabolic stressors in your life, adequate sleep, nutrition, I. 00:26:31.456 --> 00:26:34.036 Creatine is not gonna give you any greater benefit from a 00:26:34.036 --> 00:26:35.716 cognitive or memory perspective. 00:26:36.256 --> 00:26:41.056 However, in populations that are sleep deprived, jet lag, aging, uh, metabolic 00:26:41.056 --> 00:26:45.326 stress, which is almost anybody on the planet when you talk to, creatine, 00:26:45.331 --> 00:26:50.096 has been shown to improve cognition, decreased symptoms of sleep deprivation, 00:26:50.156 --> 00:26:54.161 and that jet lag would fall into that category and improve, indices of 00:26:54.161 --> 00:26:56.381 memory and cognition in the elderly. 00:26:56.756 --> 00:27:00.386 So it has shown promise when the brain is metabolically stressed, 00:27:00.686 --> 00:27:04.286 when you look at the mechanisms, the brain uses creatine just like muscle. 00:27:04.706 --> 00:27:07.076 But this is something some of the viewers may not know. 00:27:07.466 --> 00:27:09.446 Creatine is not made in our muscle. 00:27:09.506 --> 00:27:13.826 It's made in the liver or and or kidney, but the brain actually 00:27:13.826 --> 00:27:15.386 does make its own creatine. 00:27:16.046 --> 00:27:19.076 So that's why we think if the brain is not stressed, the brain says, 00:27:19.076 --> 00:27:20.276 Hey, I'm already making enough. 00:27:20.276 --> 00:27:21.956 I don't need supplementation. 00:27:22.406 --> 00:27:26.366 But during depression, anxiety, and neurophysiological disease, concussion, 00:27:26.636 --> 00:27:27.926 there's a common denominator. 00:27:27.926 --> 00:27:29.936 The amount of creatine in the brain is reduced. 00:27:30.326 --> 00:27:33.446 So maybe the brain becomes more sensitive to take up creatine 00:27:33.446 --> 00:27:36.476 from the bloodstream and sort of compensate for what's happening. 00:27:36.776 --> 00:27:39.686 So that's why we see the best lines of evidence, although the, 00:27:39.691 --> 00:27:42.956 the body of research is emerging, uh, when the brain is stressed. 00:27:43.746 --> 00:27:46.026 Lindsay: Have you heard of creatine headaches? 00:27:46.086 --> 00:27:46.741 Is that common? 00:27:47.286 --> 00:27:50.701 Darren: Y we've heard of that, but actually when you look at the data, 00:27:50.761 --> 00:27:55.351 if the person is hydrated, creatine decreases the incidence of headaches. 00:27:55.711 --> 00:27:59.071 And there's a couple papers on long covid where creatine had beneficial 00:27:59.076 --> 00:28:03.181 effects on decreasing brain fog and and headache incident in those individuals. 00:28:03.601 --> 00:28:08.311 The same theory, the brain was compromised during covid, the brain is more sensitive 00:28:08.316 --> 00:28:10.321 to repair or rehabilitate itself. 00:28:10.996 --> 00:28:11.476 Lindsay: Oh wow. 00:28:11.536 --> 00:28:14.086 That, that's incredible. 00:28:14.716 --> 00:28:14.956 Okay. 00:28:14.956 --> 00:28:18.316 I am, is there anything else before I, I'm gonna look over and see 00:28:18.316 --> 00:28:20.446 if there's any other questions. 00:28:20.446 --> 00:28:23.896 I feel like you covered so many of the questions and concerns 00:28:23.911 --> 00:28:27.031 Darren: The, the other big one is, doesn't matter when I take it, and, and I'll 00:28:27.031 --> 00:28:31.441 preface this, that you can take it in the morning before your workout, during your 00:28:31.441 --> 00:28:34.981 workout, which I do, I put five grams in a water bottle and I just drink it. 00:28:35.366 --> 00:28:37.946 Um, you can take it right after, before going to bed. 00:28:38.276 --> 00:28:40.616 Um, so the timing is kind of irrelevant. 00:28:41.066 --> 00:28:45.266 There is the potential that caffeine at a high dose will interfere 00:28:45.266 --> 00:28:46.916 with the kinetics of creatine. 00:28:46.976 --> 00:28:50.156 So I need to be careful how I preface this because people have heard this and 00:28:50.156 --> 00:28:52.136 sort of immediately think caffeine coffee. 00:28:52.621 --> 00:28:54.571 The dose is about 200 milligrams. 00:28:54.571 --> 00:28:56.971 That's gonna be a large coffee depending on where you're at in 00:28:56.971 --> 00:28:59.371 the world on a consistent basis. 00:28:59.701 --> 00:29:03.361 There's been cellular research and a subjective research to suggest 00:29:03.361 --> 00:29:06.631 that maybe caffeine and creatine oppose each other at the cell level. 00:29:06.991 --> 00:29:10.771 So it may be advisable to have your coffee or tea or high dose 00:29:10.771 --> 00:29:12.271 caffeine before you work out. 00:29:12.751 --> 00:29:15.271 And the cool thing is creatine can be taken after or at 00:29:15.271 --> 00:29:16.471 any other time of the day. 00:29:16.471 --> 00:29:18.991 So that's usually my personal recommendation. 00:29:19.616 --> 00:29:20.276 Lindsay: Okay. 00:29:20.336 --> 00:29:22.826 Well that was another one of the questions that I got was how 00:29:22.826 --> 00:29:24.746 does, uh, caffeine interfere? 00:29:24.926 --> 00:29:26.306 Can you have it in your coffee? 00:29:26.336 --> 00:29:27.626 'cause a lot of people just do that. 00:29:27.796 --> 00:29:31.816 Darren: So you can, because the dose of caffeine is gonna be low, but if you're, 00:29:31.876 --> 00:29:35.836 uh, dumping it in a large Starbucks or whichever with 400 milligrams of caffeine 00:29:35.866 --> 00:29:39.796 every day, and then you're sipping on it, there's a good chance the acidic 00:29:39.796 --> 00:29:43.336 environment from the caffeine or the heat will degrade some of the creatine, 00:29:43.486 --> 00:29:45.986 which may not, cause a greater efficacy. 00:29:46.346 --> 00:29:49.736 Um, we now know that creatine and caffeine don't oppose each other from 00:29:49.796 --> 00:29:53.486 uptake, but they seem to, there's something there at the cell level. 00:29:53.486 --> 00:29:57.296 It has to do with calcium, that there's, there's some probability that 00:29:57.296 --> 00:29:59.066 they could interfere with each other. 00:29:59.186 --> 00:30:03.326 We don't really know for sure, but when we have evidence to suggest they 00:30:03.326 --> 00:30:05.246 could, why not just spread it out? 00:30:05.306 --> 00:30:09.056 But if putting your creatine in your coffee is the only way you're 00:30:09.056 --> 00:30:10.526 gonna adhere to it, go ahead. 00:30:10.556 --> 00:30:12.236 I'm sure you're gonna get the same effects. 00:30:12.236 --> 00:30:12.956 Lindsay: Mm-Hmm. 00:30:13.196 --> 00:30:13.856 I love that. 00:30:14.246 --> 00:30:18.866 Um, is there anything that you just wish more people understood about creatine? 00:30:19.112 --> 00:30:21.962 Darren: I think now knowing that it's not a steroid. 00:30:22.412 --> 00:30:26.252 If you do it correctly, it should not cause successive weight gain. 00:30:26.572 --> 00:30:28.972 And the other big thing, it's not a holy grail. 00:30:28.972 --> 00:30:31.852 Uh, I'm starting to get these questions like, oh, I can just take creatine 00:30:31.852 --> 00:30:33.322 and I'm gonna cure everything. 00:30:33.802 --> 00:30:36.442 Um, I'm gonna steal this from another, uh, individual. 00:30:36.447 --> 00:30:39.082 It sort of acts as the Swiss Army knife of supplements. 00:30:39.082 --> 00:30:41.362 It kind of has a little bit of everything going on. 00:30:41.782 --> 00:30:44.482 Um, but you've already touched on you have to exercise. 00:30:44.872 --> 00:30:47.272 You're not gonna get a lot of big benefits without it. 00:30:47.782 --> 00:30:51.202 So exercise first, protein second, of course, sleep. 00:30:51.412 --> 00:30:52.882 All that comes into play. 00:30:53.302 --> 00:30:55.642 But creatine will just give a small better effect. 00:30:55.942 --> 00:30:59.422 Now, if you're clinically compromised, some individuals are born with some 00:30:59.427 --> 00:31:03.232 deficiencies in creatine or the aging population, that's where creatine 00:31:03.232 --> 00:31:05.002 will probably have more application. 00:31:05.372 --> 00:31:09.572 But yes, if you're a young female, can you take creatine a hundred percent. 00:31:09.662 --> 00:31:12.662 I, I really struggle with anybody on the planet that 00:31:12.977 --> 00:31:15.887 would be not recommended to at least consider it. 00:31:16.307 --> 00:31:17.657 Can you get it through your diet? 00:31:17.687 --> 00:31:18.167 Yes. 00:31:18.167 --> 00:31:21.197 But you have to be on a red meat or seafood intake, daily. 00:31:21.527 --> 00:31:25.517 Vegans respond exceptionally well because their muscles are only half full. 00:31:25.967 --> 00:31:28.007 Um, so there's a lot of questions that remain. 00:31:28.007 --> 00:31:32.267 But I know it's really difficult to get young females, and that's 18 00:31:32.267 --> 00:31:36.257 and above to participate in research studies because of the, the outdated 00:31:36.257 --> 00:31:38.057 stigma on, on this supplement. 00:31:38.087 --> 00:31:39.377 It's not a steroid. 00:31:39.597 --> 00:31:41.547 It's kind of something we produce. 00:31:41.667 --> 00:31:45.177 But it almost seemed too good to be true, but because it has all these applications. 00:31:45.177 --> 00:31:49.617 Lindsay: So as far as dosing for vegans, vegetarians, do 00:31:49.617 --> 00:31:50.907 you change the dosage at all? 00:31:50.907 --> 00:31:51.987 Do you encourage something else? 00:31:52.107 --> 00:31:52.137 I. 00:31:52.377 --> 00:31:53.757 Darren: No, I would stay with the same. 00:31:53.757 --> 00:31:56.817 It's gonna respond and be trapped in the muscle a little bit quicker. 00:31:57.027 --> 00:31:59.217 Um, and they respond exceptionally well. 00:31:59.222 --> 00:32:02.337 So if any vegan, vegetarian, or emphasizing a plant-based diet, 00:32:02.337 --> 00:32:05.637 or even those that are not eating a lot of red meat anymore, you 00:32:05.642 --> 00:32:07.887 probably will become a responder. 00:32:08.037 --> 00:32:10.317 And that means your muscles will accumulate and trap 00:32:10.317 --> 00:32:11.487 it in, including the brain. 00:32:11.817 --> 00:32:13.797 Those on a carnivore diet who are eating, you know. 00:32:14.137 --> 00:32:17.077 Steaks and, and seafood all day, you're probably gonna be 00:32:17.077 --> 00:32:18.757 considered a non-responder. 00:32:18.757 --> 00:32:22.657 That means you're already eating so much that you might not need supplementation. 00:32:23.487 --> 00:32:24.027 Lindsay: I love that. 00:32:24.257 --> 00:32:25.367 What about cycling? 00:32:25.367 --> 00:32:28.337 A lot of, um, supplements you should cycle on and off. 00:32:28.337 --> 00:32:29.132 What about creatine? 00:32:29.487 --> 00:32:33.357 Darren: So at high dose intake, there's a theory that it would be advisable to 00:32:33.362 --> 00:32:38.247 cycle it because the higher the amount you take in, um, your muscle doorways 00:32:38.247 --> 00:32:40.497 sort of become closed or desensitized. 00:32:41.027 --> 00:32:43.427 I understand that, but I say, well wait. 00:32:43.517 --> 00:32:46.067 If a trickling amount can go to your bone and brain, the 00:32:46.067 --> 00:32:47.717 higher dose may be advisable. 00:32:47.927 --> 00:32:51.407 There's never actually been a study comparing daily dose versus cycling, 00:32:51.767 --> 00:32:55.907 and in our longest trial, we gave creatine 11 grams a day for two straight 00:32:55.912 --> 00:32:57.587 years in postmenopausal females. 00:32:57.947 --> 00:33:00.317 And it was effective and there was no adverse effects. 00:33:00.557 --> 00:33:03.197 So at the end of the day, I think it's really what's up to the 00:33:03.197 --> 00:33:07.247 individual if you wanna cycle it and then go on vacation for a month. 00:33:07.607 --> 00:33:11.087 The cool thing is, once your muscles are full, uh, the elevator creatine 00:33:11.087 --> 00:33:14.537 stays for four, uh, uh, weeks in your muscle, and it probably stays 00:33:14.542 --> 00:33:16.337 for about five weeks in the brain. 00:33:16.697 --> 00:33:17.867 So let's do an analogy. 00:33:17.867 --> 00:33:20.807 Hey, I, I've worked as a student all term, now I'm gonna go to 00:33:20.807 --> 00:33:22.697 Mexico for three or four weeks. 00:33:22.697 --> 00:33:24.977 I don't wanna bring the white powder across the border. 00:33:25.367 --> 00:33:26.357 Rest assured. 00:33:26.657 --> 00:33:29.597 That that elevated amount of creatine will stay elevated. 00:33:29.987 --> 00:33:32.777 And then I'll give you two strategies you can do on vacation. 00:33:33.257 --> 00:33:36.917 Everybody should still be active when they're, they're resting, so to speak. 00:33:37.187 --> 00:33:40.277 The more active you are, that'll help maintain creatine in the muscle. 00:33:40.607 --> 00:33:43.877 And then if you do eat red meat seafood, emphasize that in your 00:33:43.877 --> 00:33:46.757 diet when you're on vacation, that'll put more creatine back in. 00:33:47.177 --> 00:33:50.717 So you can cycle it if you like financially, whatever your preference. 00:33:50.722 --> 00:33:52.487 Uh uh, there's no real need to. 00:33:52.797 --> 00:33:56.142 But there's no evidence to suggest there's one that's favorable over the other. 00:33:57.192 --> 00:34:00.072 Lindsay: So when your muscles are already loaded, is it okay just to, 00:34:00.072 --> 00:34:03.972 let's say I, I train four times a week to just take creatine those four 00:34:04.002 --> 00:34:06.342 days or is it still better daily? 00:34:06.777 --> 00:34:08.487 Darren: And that's an excellent, we don't know that. 00:34:08.487 --> 00:34:12.147 But the theory is, I used to just say just, you know, we have 00:34:12.147 --> 00:34:14.577 evidence to suggest just take it on the days you work out. 00:34:14.787 --> 00:34:18.477 But if you're only doing it from a muscle perspective, I'm okay with that. 00:34:18.537 --> 00:34:21.747 But remember those off days is when creatine maybe going to the 00:34:21.747 --> 00:34:24.567 bone, maybe going to your immune system, maybe going to the brain. 00:34:24.807 --> 00:34:26.937 So now we recommend it on a daily basis. 00:34:27.522 --> 00:34:29.832 Lindsay: So now there's a, there we know more and there's 00:34:29.832 --> 00:34:31.332 more reason to take it too. 00:34:31.587 --> 00:34:32.217 Darren: Yes, there is. 00:34:32.937 --> 00:34:33.777 Lindsay: I, I love that. 00:34:34.017 --> 00:34:40.347 You mentioned hair loss for men, and then another one somebody sent me, I don't 00:34:40.352 --> 00:34:45.477 know if you've heard this one before, but it, it can give men man boobs. 00:34:46.062 --> 00:34:46.422 Darren: Okay. 00:34:46.422 --> 00:34:46.722 Yep. 00:34:47.052 --> 00:34:49.482 So the first one, we'll start with baldness, and it's the most 00:34:49.487 --> 00:34:52.542 popular, it's even more popular question than the kidney, uh, issue. 00:34:52.902 --> 00:34:55.422 Uh, it was all based on a young athlete study where they took 00:34:55.422 --> 00:34:56.937 20 grams of creatine a day. 00:34:57.497 --> 00:35:01.127 And it increased the hormone DHTA derivative of testosterone. 00:35:01.487 --> 00:35:05.357 And when you go into biology, uh, textbooks, DHT is highly linked to 00:35:05.357 --> 00:35:07.637 hair follicle loss and baldness. 00:35:08.147 --> 00:35:11.777 Um, but in that study, they only measured serum DHT, which is not 00:35:11.807 --> 00:35:15.347 associated with hair follicle loss or baldness at the cell level. 00:35:15.577 --> 00:35:19.017 And in that study, they never measured, , baldness or hair thinning. 00:35:19.317 --> 00:35:22.617 All they simply measured was an increase in the hormone, but it 00:35:22.617 --> 00:35:24.237 fell within the normal range. 00:35:24.242 --> 00:35:26.427 Like when you go to your doctor and your cholesterol and blood 00:35:26.427 --> 00:35:27.657 glucose, there's a range. 00:35:28.167 --> 00:35:29.877 DHT fell within that too. 00:35:30.087 --> 00:35:32.757 So a lot of people say, oh, well the hormone went up. 00:35:32.757 --> 00:35:34.617 That means why I'm going baldness. 00:35:34.617 --> 00:35:37.467 I'm like, no, you can base that primarily on your mother's 00:35:37.467 --> 00:35:39.027 chromosome and genetic material. 00:35:39.267 --> 00:35:42.657 You were probably going bald or the etiology of it was occurring beforehand. 00:35:43.187 --> 00:35:44.237 I will flip it though. 00:35:44.237 --> 00:35:48.167 There's never been a study to, to say creatine doesn't cause baldness, 00:35:48.617 --> 00:35:50.687 so we need to actually study that. 00:35:50.747 --> 00:35:53.657 But you need to get a dermatologist to look at the number of cross-sectional 00:35:53.657 --> 00:35:57.197 areas of the hair in a certain area that measure just like muscle mass. 00:35:57.437 --> 00:36:01.787 But as it currently stands, there's no evidence to suggest that it does directly. 00:36:01.997 --> 00:36:06.137 And I've assessed well over a thousand people at higher dosages and not 00:36:06.137 --> 00:36:08.987 a single per person's ever come to me and say, my hair is thinning. 00:36:09.291 --> 00:36:13.911 The second one is gonna like regarding abnormal accumulation of 00:36:13.911 --> 00:36:15.801 water in certain areas of the body. 00:36:16.491 --> 00:36:20.541 Now that can occur when they're doing excessive heavy weight with 00:36:20.541 --> 00:36:23.691 not enough protein, with a lot of carbohydrates in their diet. 00:36:24.081 --> 00:36:26.451 That's usually what is being implicated. 00:36:26.451 --> 00:36:29.961 Where creatine traps water, and for every gram of carbohydrate you eat, 00:36:29.961 --> 00:36:32.026 you, you also trap three grams of water. 00:36:32.446 --> 00:36:36.171 So my guess is it is the accumulating accumulation of water retention. 00:36:36.936 --> 00:36:37.686 Lindsay: Okay. 00:36:38.016 --> 00:36:39.456 That makes a lot of sense. 00:36:39.876 --> 00:36:43.206 Now you've done a lot of podcasts, I feel like, I feel like I see you 00:36:43.206 --> 00:36:45.891 on a lot of, fitness Health podcast. 00:36:45.891 --> 00:36:46.401 I love it. 00:36:46.821 --> 00:36:49.971 Um, is there ever a question that you just wish people would 00:36:49.971 --> 00:36:53.906 discuss more, that you wish that the general population knew about? 00:36:54.861 --> 00:36:57.051 Darren: Ah, that's an excellent question. 00:36:57.051 --> 00:36:58.341 I've never gotten this one yet. 00:36:58.346 --> 00:37:04.251 I, I think the beneficial effects for older adults or let's say non-athletes, 00:37:04.256 --> 00:37:08.061 I, I think a lot of people think it's just for athletes and primarily 00:37:08.061 --> 00:37:10.101 it's not just for biological males. 00:37:10.176 --> 00:37:13.461 I, I wish females would, would become at least more open to it. 00:37:14.136 --> 00:37:16.671 And I think we're getting the information out there, and that's one of the main 00:37:16.671 --> 00:37:20.871 reasons I'll do all these podcasts is to talk about evidence-based research. 00:37:21.106 --> 00:37:24.946 I just think by looking at the beneficial effects for potentially 00:37:24.946 --> 00:37:29.416 bone health cognition, um, agility balance as we get older. 00:37:29.596 --> 00:37:31.936 I think it's something to consider for everybody. 00:37:32.176 --> 00:37:34.246 Um, the safety profile is excellent. 00:37:34.306 --> 00:37:35.656 Do we always need more data? 00:37:35.661 --> 00:37:36.226 Of course. 00:37:36.226 --> 00:37:37.996 And we need to do randomized control trials. 00:37:38.266 --> 00:37:41.596 That's the areas I think we have to get more awareness out there for people. 00:37:41.777 --> 00:37:42.407 Lindsay: Awesome. 00:37:42.647 --> 00:37:45.047 Well, thank you so much Darren, for coming on. 00:37:45.047 --> 00:37:46.727 This has been so helpful. 00:37:46.727 --> 00:37:50.957 You've pretty much, you've answered every single, every single time 00:37:50.957 --> 00:37:52.187 somebody sends me a question. 00:37:52.192 --> 00:37:53.777 I'm just gonna send 'em this podcast now 00:37:54.377 --> 00:37:57.077 because you pretty much nailed it. 00:37:57.257 --> 00:38:03.017 I feel like I have to repeat myself so much on this subject, so 00:38:03.057 --> 00:38:04.157 Darren: No, thanks for having me. 00:38:04.157 --> 00:38:06.677 And maybe near the end of the year we'll do the miss and misconceptions 00:38:06.677 --> 00:38:09.737 part two and answer all the other, uh, questions that come in. 00:38:09.737 --> 00:38:11.477 But, uh, thanks so much for the opportunity. 00:38:11.477 --> 00:38:12.077 I had a great time. 00:38:12.512 --> 00:38:14.732 Lindsay: Of course, you have a wonderful day. 00:38:14.897 --> 00:38:15.167 Darren: Great. 00:38:15.172 --> 00:38:15.707 Thanks so much. 00:38:15.707 --> 00:38:16.022 Take care. 00:38:16.412 --> 00:38:16.902 Okay, bye.