How To Use CREATINE To Build Muscle: Loading, Timing & Hair Loss? (Science Explained)
Summary
TLDRThis video discusses creatine, a well-researched supplement with over 700 human studies backing its safety and effectiveness. It debunks common supplement industry issues like false marketing and overpricing, highlighting creatine's affordability and performance benefits. The video explains creatine's role in ATP production, its effects on strength and muscle growth, and addresses concerns about non-responders, side effects, and potential links to male pattern baldness. It concludes with a sponsorship mention for hims, offering solutions for hair and sexual health.
Takeaways
- 💊 The supplement industry is often criticized for false marketing and overpricing, but creatine stands out as a well-researched and affordable option.
- 🧪 Creatine is backed by over 700 human studies, making it one of the most researched sports supplements for safety and effectiveness.
- 💰 Despite some variants being marketed at high prices, regular creatine monohydrate is cost-effective and offers significant benefits for muscle performance.
- 🥩 To get the same dose from creatine powder as from one teaspoon, one would need to consume a kilogram of raw beef, highlighting the practicality of supplementation.
- ⚡ Creatine works by replenishing ATP quickly, which is crucial for high-intensity, short-duration exercises like sprints and weightlifting.
- 💪 Supplementing with creatine can increase muscle creatine stores by 20-40%, enhancing physical performance and muscle growth.
- 🔋 The fastest way to reach creatine saturation is through a loading phase of 20-25 grams per day for a week, followed by a maintenance dose of 5 grams daily.
- 🏋️♂️ A 2003 review of 300 studies showed that creatine supplementation can increase maximal strength and power by 5-15%.
- 💦 Creatine can cause muscular water retention, but this is not a cause for concern as it aids in muscle fiber diameter increase and potential growth.
- ⚠️ While some individuals may not respond to creatine, the broad research support, affordability, and low risk profile make it a worthwhile supplement for most.
- ☕️ There's no need to cycle off creatine, and combining it with caffeine may even have synergistic effects, contrary to an older study's speculation.
Q & A
What are the two main reasons the supplement industry gets a bad reputation according to the script?
-The two main reasons are false marketing, where products often don't do what they claim to do, and overpricing, where products are often too expensive for what they offer.
Why is creatine considered a supplement that doesn't commit to the common supplement industry shams?
-Creatine is well-researched with over 700 human studies on its safety and efficacy. It is also not expensive, especially when compared to the amount one would need to consume through food to get the same benefits.
What are the variants of creatine that are often falsely marketed and overpriced?
-Creatine HCl and creatine ethyl ester are variants that are often falsely marketed and overpriced, as they do not have the same scientific backing as simple creatine monohydrate.
How does the body produce energy and what role does creatine play?
-The body has three main energy systems that produce ATP: the aerobic system, the anaerobic system, and the phosphagen energy system. Creatine plays a role in the phosphagen energy system by providing a quick source of ATP through creatine phosphate stored in muscles.
What is the significance of ATP in the body's energy systems?
-ATP is the main energy currency used in the body. It is produced by the body's energy systems to fuel various activities, with creatine phosphate providing a rapid source of ATP for high-intensity, short-duration exercises.
How does creatine supplementation affect creatine stores in the body?
-Supplementation can boost creatine stores by 20 to 40 percent, with a normal diet only achieving 60 to 80 percent saturation. The fastest way to reach saturation is through creatine loading followed by a maintenance phase.
What is the recommended maintenance dose of creatine after reaching saturation?
-After reaching saturation, a maintenance dose of 5 grams per day is enough to maintain creatine stores.
What is the difference between creatine loading and starting with a maintenance dose?
-Creatine loading (20-25 grams per day for a week) allows for faster saturation and quicker benefits, while starting with a maintenance dose of 5 grams per day may take up to a month to reach the same saturation levels.
Does the timing of creatine supplementation matter, and what does the research say?
-While some studies suggest post-workout supplementation may be slightly better, other research indicates that creatine can be effectively taken at any time of the day to reach saturation levels.
What are the potential benefits of creatine supplementation on strength and muscle growth?
-Creatine supplementation can lead to a 5 to 15 percent increase in maximal strength and power, and even in experienced trainees, it can result in more reps achieved across sets with moderate weight.
Does creatine cause any side effects, and are there any concerns about its long-term use?
-Creatine can cause muscular water retention, but this is not a cause for concern as it occurs within the muscle fibers. Long-term use of creatine has not been shown to have adverse health effects, and there is no need to cycle off of it.
Is there any scientific evidence linking creatine supplementation to male pattern baldness?
-There is no direct scientific evidence linking creatine to male pattern baldness. However, one study found an increase in DHT levels with creatine supplementation, which could potentially be a concern for men with a genetic predisposition to hair loss.
What is the relationship between creatine and caffeine, and can they be safely combined?
-While an older study speculated an inhibitory effect between creatine and caffeine, more recent studies have shown a synergistic effect when taken together, with no apparent safety concerns.
Outlines
💊 Understanding Creatine's Value and Usage
The first paragraph discusses the supplement industry's common issues of false marketing and overpricing. Creatine, however, stands out as a well-researched supplement with over 700 human studies supporting its safety and effectiveness. Despite some variants being marketed with less scientific backing and higher prices, regular creatine monohydrate is affordable. The body produces creatine naturally and it's found in uncooked meats, but dietary intake is often insufficient for performance enhancement. Creatine works by supporting the phosphagen energy system, which rapidly produces ATP for high-intensity, short-duration activities. Supplementing with creatine can increase muscle creatine stores by 20-40%, with saturation achieved through loading (20-25g per day for a week) or a slower maintenance dose (5g per day). Research suggests post-workout creatine intake may enhance fat-free mass and strength, though other studies indicate benefits regardless of timing. Creatine is linked to increased muscle water retention, which is not a concern as it aids muscle growth. Non-responders to creatine exist, but its broad positive effects, affordability, and low risk profile make it a worthwhile supplement. There's no need to cycle off creatine, and combining it with caffeine may have synergistic effects.
🏋️♂️ Creatine and Its Impact on Health and Hair
The second paragraph addresses the potential link between creatine supplementation and male pattern baldness, noting a lack of direct scientific investigation. A 2009 study showed a temporary increase in DHT levels with creatine use, but this may only be relevant for those predisposed to hair loss. The speaker suggests caution and possibly combining creatine with finasteride for such individuals. The paragraph transitions into a sponsorship message for 'hims', a company offering hair and sexual health products, including finasteride. The speaker emphasizes 'hims' as a science-based company providing virtual medical consultations and treatments, and offers a discount for viewers. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to try 'hims' products and a reminder to like and subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Supplement Industry
💡Creatine
💡Creatine Monohydrate
💡False Marketing
💡Overpricing
💡ATP
💡Phosphagen Energy System
💡Creatine Loading
💡Saturation
💡Non-Responders
💡Intramuscular Water Retention
Highlights
The supplement industry is often criticized for false marketing and overpricing.
Creatine is a well-researched supplement with over 700 human studies supporting its safety and efficacy.
False marketing of creatine often involves variants like creatine HCl or creatine ethyl ester, which lack strong scientific backing.
Creatine monohydrate is affordable and provides a practical alternative to obtaining the same dose from food, such as beef.
Creatine is a small tripeptide composed of three amino acids and is naturally produced by the body and found in uncooked meats.
Even with a high-meat diet, one may not get enough creatine for its performance-enhancing effects due to low natural content and cooking denaturation.
ATP is the body's main energy currency, and creatine plays a crucial role in the phosphagen energy system for quick ATP production.
Supplementation with creatine can increase muscle creatine stores by 20 to 40 percent, enhancing energy availability for high-intensity exercise.
The fastest way to reach creatine saturation is through a loading phase of 20-25 grams per day for a week, followed by a maintenance dose.
A maintenance dose of 5 grams per day is sufficient to maintain creatine saturation after the loading phase.
Creatine supplementation has been shown to increase maximal strength and power by 5 to 15 percent.
Even experienced trainees can benefit from creatine, with one study showing a 30 percent increase in reps achieved with creatine supplementation.
Creatine supplementation can lead to increased intramuscular water, which may contribute to muscle growth through cellular swelling.
A significant portion of the population may not respond to creatine supplementation, particularly those with high meat consumption or older trainees.
There is no need to cycle off creatine, as the body does not develop a tolerance, and long-term use has not shown adverse health effects.
Combining creatine and caffeine may have a synergistic effect, contrary to a small 1996 study that speculated an inhibitory effect.
The link between creatine supplementation and male pattern baldness is not directly established, but it may be a concern for those with a genetic predisposition.
The benefits of creatine supplementation, such as improved performance and muscle growth, are considered to outweigh the costs and potential risks.
Hims is a company offering science-based hair and sexual health products for men, including treatments for hair loss.
Hims provides a virtual visit with a licensed doctor and a month trial of their hair kit for viewers of the channel at a special price.
Transcripts
I think the supplement industry gets a
bad rap for two main reasons the first
is false marketing the products often
don't actually do what their claim to do
and the second is over pricing products
are often way too expensive for what
they actually offer
luckily creatine is a supplement that
doesn't commit either of these shams
it's the most well researched sports
supplement with over 700 human studies
investigating its safety and efficacy
and while it can be subject to false
marketing that's usually through the
promotion of its variants like creatine
HCl or creatine ethyl ester which don't
have nearly the same scientific backing
as simple creatine monohydrate often
jack the price up unnecessarily
and plain old creatine is actually not
expensive at all in fact in order to get
the same dose from one teaspoon of
creatine powder you have to eat a
kilogram of raw beef so the price
difference practical difference makes
supplementation a no brainer
so creatine is a small tripeptide
meaning it's made up of three amino
acids linked together our bodies can
produce it naturally and it's found
naturally in foods almost exclusively
and uncooked meats but even if you're
eating a ton of meat you're still not
getting enough creatine to see its
performance and physique enhancing
effects because it's found in pretty low
amounts and cooking denatures the
creatine anyway but before we can
understand why creatine works it's
important to understand how it works so
first a quick primer on ATP the body has
three main energy systems which work
together to produce ATP the main energy
currency used in the body the aerobic
system produces ATP slowly using blood
glucose and fat as fuel for long
duration workouts like distance running
the anaerobic system produces ATP more
quickly using blood glucose for intense
bouts lasting 30 seconds to two minutes
like say 50 meter freestyle swimming and
the phosphagen energy system produces
ATP extremely quickly by using creatine
phosphate stored in muscle so when you
need energy very quickly such as when
doing a fast followed Sprint or a heavy
set of bench press your body relies on
creatine phosphate as the quick source
of ATP it needs and according to an
International Society of sports
nutrition positions
a normal diet containing 1 to 2 grams of
creatine per day will have creatine
stores only 60 to 80% saturated while
supplementation of creatine boosts
creatine stores by 20 to 40 percent
meaning saturation is best achieved
through supplementation the fastest way
to reach saturation is through creatine
loading followed by a maintenance phase
so if you take 20 to 25 grams per day
for a week then you'll reach saturation
levels within a week and start seeing
the benefits right away then after the
loading period just 5 grams per day will
be enough to maintain saturation from
then on on the other hand you could just
start with the 5 grams maintenance dose
without any loading however it may take
up to a month to reach saturation and to
see the same results so if taking
creatine for the first time or after a
long break loading up makes most sense
to me 1 2013 paper suggests that taking
creatine post-workout increases fat free
mass and benchpress strength better than
taking a pre-workout but granted the
differences were pretty small the study
hasn't been replicated and a plethora of
other studies have indicated that one
can reach saturation levels just fine by
taking creatine any time of day 1 2003
review looking at 300 studies say it's a
five to fifteen percent increase in
maximal strength and power with creatine
supplementation and a landmark paper
from Volek and colleagues found that
even in subjects with six years of
training experience creatine
supplementation resulted in 30 percent
more reps achieved across five sets with
a moderate weight taken to failure and
considering the strong link between
training volume and hypertrophy being
able to perform more work should
translate to more muscle over time
creatine does cause and try muscular
water retention but it isn't anything to
be worried about since water is being
held inside the muscle where you want it
not under the skin or anywhere else and
after all intramuscular water does
increase muscle fiber diameter which
could further increase muscle growth
through cellular swelling mechanisms
it's worth mentioning that some folks
don't appear to respond to creatine
supplementation at all with best
estimates ranging from about twenty to
thirty percent of people falling into
this camp folks with high meat
consumption and older trainees are more
likely to be non-responders but give
the massive breadth of research showing
a positive effect its affordability and
vanishingly low risk of side effects
it's probably in your best interest to
supplement anyway there's no need to
cycle off creatine because unlike
caffeine your body won't develop a
tolerance to its effects and a 2003
study found that 21 consecutive months
of supplementation led to no ill health
effects I also don't think we need to
worry about combining creatine and
caffeine together although one 1996
paper did speculate the existence of
some sort of inhibitory effect the study
only had nine subjects meaning it was
statistically underpowered and since
then three other studies have shown the
exact opposite result a synergistic
effect of taking creatine and caffeine
together whether or not creatine can
contribute to male pattern baldness his
question that hasn't been directly
investigated in the scientific
literature one 2009 study on rugby
players found that taking 5 grams of
creatine per day for two weeks increased
DHT levels by 40%
however weight training alone has been
shown to increase DHT and while DHT does
seem to be a player in hair loss this
may only apply to men with a genetic
predisposition or a family history of
hair loss so if you do happen to be in
that camp be more cautious with creatine
or consider stacking it with finasteride
which has been shown to reduce T to DHT
conversion in the end I think the
benefits far outweigh the costs when it
comes to creatine supplementation and I
hope that in a supplement industry rich
with over promises under deliveries
creatine is one that lives up to the
hype for you and your gains okay what is
going on everyone so first I just want
to say thank you for watching the video
I hope you guys really liked it and
before we go I want to give a huge shout
out to hims for sponsoring this video
this is a sponsorship that I'm really
excited about because I think hims is
one of those few truly science-based
companies out there and they're offering
both prescription and non-prescription
hair and sexual health products for men
including finasteride which is the hair
loss treatment that I mentioned in the
video and in case you guys aren't aware
hair loss affects 66% of men by age 35
and over 25% of nuit de casas are
reported by men under the age of 40 so
hims is a place where you can get a four
quality medical recommendations and
treatment from licensed medical doctors
that the inconvenience or sometimes
discomfort of having to go into an
actual medical clinic for some of these
issues so hims is offering a virtual
visit with a licensed doctor and a month
trial of their comprehensive hair kit
for viewers of this channel for just
five bucks so if you go to four hems com
forward slash Nippert or click the first
link in the description box you can get
started with their complete hair kit
today and him's takes your privacy very
seriously so all interactions will be
kept confidential and they do offer
medical grade solutions to these issues
so their treatments are very well
established within the medical community
and all backed by quality scientific
evidence so thanks to hims for
sponsoring the video thank you guys once
again for watching if you are interested
make sure you check out that first link
in the description box below leave me a
like if you enjoyed the video please
subscribe if you happen to be new and
I'll see you guys all here in the next
video
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