Creatine: Key benefits for health and longevity

Creatine has long been a mainstay in the world of sports, known for enhancing physical performance. However, the latest scientific evidence underscores that its benefits extend far beyond muscle, positively impacting cognitive and mental health, as well as the aging process.

In this guide we explain what creatine is, what it is used for, how to take it and how much creatine to take per day , according to the most current scientific evidence.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a molecule that occurs naturally inside cells, especially in muscle. Its name comes from the Greek word "kreas," which means "flesh."

In our body, creatine is produced from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine , being synthesized mainly in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the kidneys and pancreas.

What is creatine used for?

Its primary function is crucial for cellular energy : storing high-energy phosphate groups in the form of phosphocreatine . This provides a readily available source of cellular energy that can be used during periods of high metabolic demand, such as intense physical exercise, periods of injury, or muscle recovery.

The pro-energy properties of creatine are not limited to skeletal muscle, but affect almost all body systems, including the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), bone, and heart.

When creatine is supplemented, cellular reserves, especially in muscles, optimize their phosphocreatine levels . This means a greater store of readily available energy is available, allowing muscles to fatigue more slowly and sustain intense efforts for longer periods.

What is creatine used for? Main benefits

The benefits of creatine are varied and extend throughout life and across multiple body systems.

Muscle Health and Physical Performance

The role of creatine is especially relevant in tissues with high energy demands:

• It increases strength and muscle power .

• It improves the ability to perform high-intensity exercises by increasing the availability of ATP.

• It accelerates muscle recovery , helping to reduce fatigue after intense workouts.

• Increase muscle mass along with physical exercise.

• It has anti-catabolic effects , as it reduces the muscle oxidation of leucine.

Cognitive and Mental Health

The brain, despite being only 2% of body weight, consumes about 20% of total energy, so creatine plays an important role in supporting brain function .

• Cognitive Function : Supplementation with creatine monohydrate may offer beneficial effects on cognitive function in adults, particularly in areas such as working memory , attention span , and information processing speed .

• Stress and Sleep : It could be helpful in situations of stress or lack of sleep .

• Antidepressant Effects : There is an inverse association between higher dietary creatine intake and a lower risk of depression . In observational studies, higher creatine consumption was associated with a 32% lower risk of depression .

• Mental Mechanisms : Creatine protects against metabolic alterations associated with depression, acts as an antioxidant , improves the brain's energy homeostasis , and modulates key neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate .

• Depression Therapies : Creatine appears to improve the response to cognitive-behavioral therapy and may accelerate the antidepressant response to SSRIs (with visible effects from the second week).

Specific benefits for women

The benefits of creatine are evident throughout the different stages of a woman's life:

In addition, creatine contributes to bone health by supporting the function of osteoblasts (bone-producing cells) , especially when combined with physical exercise.

How to take creatine? How much creatine should I take?

Recommended Daily Dose

The daily requirement for creatine for use in all cells is estimated to be between 2 and 4 grams per day , a figure that depends on muscle mass and levels of physical activity.

It's important to note that the body loses approximately 2 grams of creatine daily. While half of this amount is synthesized by the body, the rest must be obtained through diet (red meats are the richest source, with up to 4 g/kg in beef) and/or nutritional supplements.

The average dietary intake in adults is low (1.1 g for men and 0.6 g for women).

Dosing Strategies

There are several dosing strategies:

1. Loading and maintenance strategy: 20 grams per day for 5-7 days, followed by 3-5 grams per day.
2. Low dose strategy (straight maintenance): 3 grams per day.
3. Relative dosing strategy: 0.1 to 0.14 g/kg/day.

For those seeking to avoid intramuscular water retention or the initial weight gain associated with the "loading" phase, the recommended solution is to avoid the loading phase and take 3 to 5 grams daily .

When should you take creatine? Is there a best time to take creatine?

Current evidence does not support the idea that the timing of consumption is important in relation to physical exercise. Intake before or after exercise appears to be equally effective in obtaining musculoskeletal benefits.

Furthermore, all the other benefits of creatine (cognitive health, mental health, injury recovery, or fatigue) are independent of the time of intake .

The most important variable to consider is the constant intake of creatine monohydrate throughout the supplementation program .

The best creatine: Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate (CrM) is considered the best form of creatine due to four key reasons:

1. Bioavailability : It is the most bioavailable, with approximately 100% being absorbed.
2. Study : This is the most studied form, with hundreds of scientific articles confirming its safety and effectiveness .
3. Cost-effectiveness : It is the most cost-effective.
4. Consistency : No other form (neither Creatine ethyl ester, nor creatine HCL nor creatine nitrate) has consistently demonstrated all the results proven by CrM.

Within the creatine monohydrate category, there are patented options such as Creavitalis® and Creapure® . These products, manufactured by the same German company (Alzchem Trostberg GmbH), meet high quality standards. Creavitalis® creatine stands out due to an ultrafiltration process that significantly reduces particle size . This physical innovation results in better solubility and helps reduce potential gastrointestinal side effects , improving tolerance compared to other creatines on the market.

Clearing up common myths about Creatine

Does it damage the kidneys? 

No, creatine supplementation does not cause kidney damage . While taking creatine may increase blood creatinine levels (a waste product of creatine), this increase is simply the body processing the extra creatine and is not a sign of kidney damage .

Genetic studies using Mendelian randomization have found no evidence that creatine damages the kidneys.

Does it cause fluid retention? 

Creatine can cause water retention , but this water is retained within the muscles (intracellularly). This muscle hydration effect is responsible for the performance benefits and muscle mass gain.

Does it cause hair loss?

Current evidence is limited, as the effect of creatine supplementation on hair loss has not been directly studied . Although one trial reported an increase in DHT levels, these values ​​remained within the normal range. Furthermore, 10 of 12 trials investigating the effect on testosterone found no effect.

Does it feed cancer cells? 

Available research suggests that creatine may have a potential protective role against cancer . A 2023 cross-sectional study found that higher dietary creatine intake was associated with a lower risk of cancer. In fact, creatine is likely beneficial in aiding recovery from body composition and skeletal muscle problems associated with cancer or the effects of chemotherapy.