I’m a 70 yo woman who’s been taking creatine monohydrate every morning (works great in coffee-no taste) for about a year. I started based on a couple of studies that showed it helps reduce muscle loss from aging. I definitely have bigger muscles and greater strength than I had twenty years ago. Maybe I’m working harder than I was then, but I’m not certain. In any case, I’m glad to hear your science-based opinion.
there may be evidence to suggest caffeine and creatine work best when taken at separate times as the caffeine can counteract the creatine but I got that from another of these videos (Jeremy Ethier who does great science backed fitness education on yt) not directly from a study so probably best to check yourself it’s a concern, otherwise, love to hear it! ❤
Creatine ruined my life. I started taking it daily for that "better performance" but instead it just helped me get jacked and didn't increase the performance I was looking for at all!
I started taking it to help with strength and recovery as I work in a physical job. I have been able to lift more for longer and wake up without sore muscles. 10/10 would recommend.
I have been arguing with my mom, coaches, and Army leadership for the better part of 17 years about The difference between creatine and creatinine. Thank you for making me realize I’ve been right this whole time
Id understand maybe back in '07 google and the internet wasnt as big of a thing in terms of looking for scientific studies, but after like 2010 its absurd
@@BentusiProgenitors Nah, try arguing with family members about how the homeopathics they keep buying because the nice Norwegian fake doctor they really adore told them to take it 30 years ago, doesn't actually do anything. They never listened then and they'll never listen now because it's what they want to believe.
47 year old ex athlete here. I never used Creatine until about one year ago and I can tell you it is the duck's nuts, it hydrates the muscles and helps me train and recover. Great stuff and I shall never be without it going forward.
Ive been taking creatine for 3 months and it has made me less stupid lol it has removed brain fog and along with working out at the gym and completely eliminated my anxiety too
@KeithBurtons No not coincidence. Creatine is documented to have anxiolytic effects and can also provide relief from depressive symptoms. Cant post links on Pootube, but if you care to find out, the information is available.
“The bro at GNC isn’t helping much either!” Can confirm. Last time I went to buy ON monohydrate they told me you can only absorb something like 60% of ON’s monohydrate, but if you buy the $60 whatever-brand gummies you’ll absorb all 100% of it
I just got some for the first time. My guy was pretty cool. He did tell me the monohydrate was the typical standard one, but he did mention the water retention and bloating, but that it leaned more into water in the muscles. But I mentioned I compete in triathlons and he said it might be better to take HCL because it won't have that water retention, which could be beneficial for endurance events. But I went with the monohydrate to look jacked
Dr. Mike! 6 Months ago I found your channel while restarting my fitness journey after the birth of my daughter. I’ve lost 36 pounds since then and have learned so much. Thank you and the RP community for the work that you guys do!
You are by far my new favorite person on RUclips I like the fact that you clearly no what your talking about you help a tone of people and you seem like a genuine good dude..
Fellow Dr. here. Something females or smaller individuals need to know is how taking too high a dose of creatine can affect you. I had vertigo issues for 8 months and took me 3 blood tests, an MRI and a F$%$ tone of research to finally figure out it was creatine. This is why, the inner ear helps with creatine mobilization in the body and too much creatine can generate pressure in that area and or the neck if you have finer or smaller structures (such as in females). This results in a constant low grade vertigo till you let the creatine levels drop, the dizziness disappeared between one and two weeks of not taking creatine. I spoke to hundreds of folks I could find on the internet with similar symptoms, a GP who is also a body builder and tested it myself by deliberately overloading again to see if vertigo appears and it did after a month of taking 5g per day. I have reduced my intake to 1g and no negative side effects. This is something not studied as of yet but probably should be!
Are you sticking with 1g per day for good or have you experimented with intermediate amounts to see how much you can take before it becomes an issue? Just curious on what your journey to 1g was like, whether it was being extra safe or if you worked your way down there, etc.
Fantastic, thank you! I eat quite a lot of animal protein and figured 5g wasn't needed for someone my size and would level up if I gained more muscle mass. Good to know that this supplement can be even cheaper; at 1-2g a day, a tub will last forever
Literally the biggest reason I hear anyone say they wont take it is cause of that one paper that said the rugby participants experienced accelerated rates of hairloss, being androgenic alopecia from higher levels of dht. Wish you would've addressed this because lots of people say it's murky waters on that in particular.
thats not even close. DHT is testosterone, not creatine. If creatine increase your DHT, then its a fking gear. People will take more of them. Testosterone does makes you bald, balding always a men problem
Literally my concern as well. I usually always went to one hairdresser who told me I’d never have problems with hairloss given my hair quality and given the fact that literally noone in my family had hairloss issues from both my mom’s and dad’s side. Coincidentally I started taking creatine and changed the hairdresser for a year or so and recently I came back to my old hairdresser and she was in awe how much my hair has thinned and told me to start taking some stuff for hairgrowth and stop with creatine immidiately. I’m extremely skeptical now given the fact that I was never supposed to have any issues with hairloss and never had before taking creatine… I stopped taking creatine now and will see what happens
Iirc they measured total dht serum levels and not the local dht concentration at the hair follicles that actually causes hair loss at high concentrations. Creatine doesn’t affect the local dht level at the follicles is what they found if my memory serves me right. Jeff Nippard probably has a video about this.
Creatine aggravated my gout. I may have been taking too much, but once metabolized it can lead to production of uric acid, as explained to me by my rheumatologist. I hadn't had any issues with gout for years, was working out again, started trying to work through a plateu, added creatine, and had a pretty severe bout of gout about 3 or 4 weeks after. Stopped taking it and haven't had any issues since. So not shit talking creatine, but if you have issues with gout, this may be a specific instance to monitor closely.
do you take any urate-lowering drugs? this sounds like your baseline sUA is too high and a small exogenous bump triggered a flare that was already due to occur.
Ah sheet... I have gout n I did not know this. Thx for the info. @borisyeltsin6293 do yoiu know if the drugs will help manage the gout when taking creatine? I have some of those meds n wondering if it helps or if I should avoid creatine all together.
@@NikeLikeMike it depends. if your uric acid is dialed in, you're absolutely FINE taking creatine. meaning if you're regularly taking the urate-lowering meds and you know your serum uric acid levels (should be sub-6 for gout sufferers). that said, it sounds like you might not be that person. which is fine, no judgement whatsoever. but in your case creatine may in fact cause you to flare
I do hardscape landscaping. A lot of heavy lifting, all day, monday through friday. I started taking creatine (walmart brand), and I've noticed a considerable change. I'm a lot more bulky, I have better endurance, I recover quicker, fewer issues with dehydration (biggest challenge in my line of work), and the sex life has never been better. Great video! Cheers!
A book that changed my life in ways that I never could imagine is "Secret Testosterone Nexus of Evolution".Drop whatever you're doing right now and go find that book. Trust me after I implemented things from the book my testosterone levels went beast mode
As far as I know, Creatine gets broken down into Creatinine and then filtered out of your blood by your kidneys. So external Creatine intake may raise Creatinine serum levels. But because Creatinine is just a biomarker for kidney health, high creatinine levels may be meaningless for folks taking creatine because the underlying cause for the high levels is not a kidney disfunction but the external intake. Not sure why Dr. Mike says they are completely unrelated because they are clearly not.
Yeah. Mike saying they are a completely different thing is flat out wrong. Creatine even spontaneously breaks down into Creatinine in water over time. The biggest blunder I have caught Dr. Mike with.
Also take a break for a week or so if you know you've got a kidney function check coming up, might lead to false alarms or worse, hiding symptoms of an actual problem
Yeah creatinine is a byproduct. I have Lupus and my rheumatologist freaked out at my elevated creatinine levels. I told him I take creatine and he made me go to nephrology. The nephrologist checked my cystatin c levels to make sure I was all good but said it was from my creatine supplementation.
When I got into rock climbing, I noticed it was actually a serious enhancement for that slow static type stuff. Way more endurance, and short term recovery
there used to be concerns in climbing about increasing weight and vasoconstriction on creatine, but these were never merited out and would easily be overcome by slightly greater PCr stores on the rock and during training. while I do not give my clients dietary advice, there are a variety of supplements pushed onto climbers with smaller and irregular effects from less research, but creatine is one I am always confident with an athlete taking if they're curious. however, I often note you will be unable to notice the effect. there is research to support, but the effect is simply too small over background noise to say, and the advantage is for higher end force production and recovery of this energy pathway. you'll make strong, static moves more easily as a result of additional training capacity and quality.
Discovered you today !!! LOVE YOU !!! Answered all my questions -been taking it about 4 months,tried it years ago-nothing,another bodybuilder said give it a better try,and it works ! Looking good ! Gonna watch more of you !!!
5 месяцев назад+289
Your creatinine blood levels WILL increase when you take creatine, but creatinine itself isn't harmful. It's just an indicator that something might be wrong with your kidneys. But if your levels are high because you're taking creatine your kidneys are probably fine. Your doctor can do additional tests to verify since creatine levels doesn't tell them squat when you're taking creatine. That's what my doctor did.
Creatine can make the test show higher creatinine levels, but it doesn't actually increase the levels, if it does It's so small it's nothing to worry about. It makes the levels look higher in test they do for Kidneys but won't actually increase it.
Same here, vegetarian 5 years, the strength/muscle gains have been insane. That's not to say I was weak/small before, but I've been asked/told "you must train... wow you've put on size, etc" a few times within the month after creatine loading phase.
@@darkmisticoor imagine if you eat meat and eggs + creatine. People tell me I’m looking more jacked every week at work😭legit been taking creatine seriously for around 3 months and seriously lifting the last 4-5 months. Life’s great after transitioning from a lil thin dweeb to a beefed up Chad
@@darkmistico for real! You meat eaters have it easy in that sense! Althouh i may also just respond well, since 5g per day is more than most people get from meat.
Good info here. I am turning 65 in a few weeks. I take 5mg daily and feel great. I work out with dumbbells and am in good shape for my age. Went to Barbados for a holiday and did not take my creatine, no adverse affects, I just started taking it again when I came home. Note, I suffer from IBS but I have never had stomach issues related to taking creatine.
A side effect I noticed was intense swelling of my muscles. Makes me feel like I did when I was growing as a kid. Wife says to not worry about it and perhaps double up on the creatine.
thats not side effect lmao, muscle swelling is part of creatine purpose, the muscle swell of water and if you keep working out enough it will eventually replace the muscle swell of water, with straight muscles.
My anecdotal evidence is that my scalp dried out quite a lot leading to shedding hair and bad dandruff, when I started taking creatine. Fixed itself in 1-2 months after getting off it. I gave it another try and the side effect returned immediately.
Well it causes muscle fluid retention, meaning you have to drink more water to stay hydrated. Are you sure you weren't just chronically dehydrated? Lol
Yeah my beard and hair started getting flaky too. Came off of it twice and I'm sure creatine is what's causing it. Also Dr. Mike didn't touch on the DHT increase for some reason
My doctor had a hard attack and was ready to send me to the hospital because creatons or whatever were 10 times the limit. Also marker that indicate my muscles were cannibalising themselves were too high. He had me stop the gym and creatine for 1 week and redid my blood test to double check my kidney functions etc.. definitely something to be aware of that to the general average doctor your blood works will come up very badly. You have to tell them you are lifting weights and on creatine. Absolutely amazing you touched in the subject.. very comprehensive video ….
Extremely well timed video for me. Currently going through tests for Kidney stones. Doctor's are certain it's between creatine and coke zero that is causing them..... Whilst refusing to acknowledge a family history of them. I'm gonna pre-load 50g right now in protest. Edit: Gents thank you for all the advice. It's much appreciated and will be taken onboard.
Insomnia as a side effect? Been using it for 2 weeks now. Definitely noticed strength and size gains BUT I just cant sleep. I get up in the morning and Im tired mentally but my strength/energy remains. So Ive decided to only take it on days I work out to reduce the saturation in my body and hope I get my sleep back.
Dr. Mike, I'm so glad you do what you do and create quality content for RUclips. Educational and your sense of humor is top notch. You totally crack me up man, i love it! Thanks for all you do!
Quality content??? The amount of swearing and the recycled information, known for years before this internet "phd" turned up do not constitute "quality content".
10:11 is so wrong. Creatinine is a byproduct of creatine. Yes it is naturally produced but when supplementing with creatine, you will have higher levels of creatinine. There is nothing wrong with this. You just need to tell your doctor that you supplement with creatine so they know why your creatinine are elevated. If your creatinine levels are elevated than that could indicate that something is wrong. High levels of creatinine aren't inherently bad, they're just a data point that can be used with other data points to gauge kidney function.
Everytime Dr. Mike specifies that he's a "Professor of Sports and Exercise Science," I get this mental image of him wearing a lab coat with the sleeves cut off.
There has only been one study out of thousands on creatine that focused on hair loss. Creatine does increase serum DHT levels which impacts DHT sensitive follicles which causes hair loss in those individuals. Since there is a concerning lack of studies on this topic, one is forced to look into anecdotal evidence, of which there are plenty of stories to show that creatine does cause hair loss. I used to take it in my 20s when I was not prone to hair loss and then stopped for over 10 years. Resumed it about the same time my brother started taking it an I had no idea it was linked to hair loss. Three months in to taking it, we had a conversation about our hair loss coincidentally and then I looked into it and was surprised to find all of this information. We stopped taking it and immediately noticed the loss stop. I came to the conclusion that there is not enough of a gain from creatine to jeopardize my hair but other than that, from experience, it is a great supplement.
Even in the research that found an acceleration of hairloss in individuals, these individuals were already predisposed to such hairloss patterns, it simply accelerated something that was already going to happen. Given this, if you're genetically predisposed to hairloss, your first concern should be if you want to use hairloss products/treatment or if this doesn't bother you, and from there decide if you would also want to take creatine or not. Basically, don't put the cart before the horse.
Big Creatine lobby doesn't want anymore studies done with the link between Creatine and Hair Loss via DHT increase. These supplement companies will do anything to protect their profits
By the way, creatine metabolism DOES increase your serum level of creatinine, they're not 2 completely separate compounds, one is the metabolite of the other.. Creatinine gets anyhow filtered by the kidneys and it's still relatively little increased under creatine use. This said, it's just important to take it into account and maybe (maybe) as a doctor I would not suggest it for people with chronic renal diseases. For the rest, on point as always 👌
@@agustinreyes6111 Having a lower eGFR means you have more creatinin in you blood wich correlates to you higher protein diet and creatinin intake. That means it does increase your creatinin-production. The kidney has a kind of fixed elimination of your pee and with that you creatinin. Having a lower creatinin clearence is either because of your kidney getting unhealthier or you create a lot of creatinin that your kidney doesnt eliminate fast enough. (And yes there are a lot of different factors, but this are the two main things for your situation now) Can i ask what kind of estimated GFR calculation your physician used? Because that is a pretty low gfr for a healthy young man. It should be over 90ml/min for a healthy individual.
Mike, known your wife through the medical community and car community for eva. Just got into strength training and really appreciate your humor injected and scientific approach. Keep doing awesome stuff. this was helpful.
On the hair loss question that wasn't even addressed: DHT is directly what causes hair loss, and there are multiple factors that cause its production (testosterone, Alpha-5 enzyme and Alpha-5 receptors). If your T levels are the limiting factor, then more DHT can be produced by elevating your T levels, but there can be multiple limiting factors, such as not enough receptors or Alpha-5 enzyme. That's why some people lose hair when elevating T levels and others don't.
@@pauliusmatiusovas4102 Yeah, but most guys are susceptible to hair loss and creatine has been demonstrated to stimulate the production of the chemical that speeds that process up. It should be written on the label.
I have tested this on at least two separate occasions, and within 5 weeks of starting it (takes about 4 to reach saturation point at 5mg/day) I get a gout flare. No change in diet or anything else (including water intake). My thought is I need to FORCE myself to drink a lot more water than I do (which is about a half gallon of day of pure water, with some diet soda, 32 oz coffee a day). One side effect of creatine (for me at least) was having greater thirst, so might not be as hard to 'force'. I was taking it with my coffee and have heard maybe this could be having a bad interaction with the caffeine, but that is usually GI upset from what I have heard. I really want to get back on it, and wondering if maybe I go down to half a scoop a day instead, (taking longer to saturate, but maybe reduce the side effect of gout) and force myself to drink about a gallon a day. My thought is once I hit saturation point, it really doesn't matter. I do need to get more recent blood work done for my Uric acid levels though. Note, I get gout without using creatine too, but maybe once every 6-8 months or so.
The caffeine will make you urinate more naturally but it's intensified with creatine. Oh damn, just realized I made a coffee for the evening as I hear the coffee maker going off. Oh well.
As an intermediate/advanced lifter, I started creatine about a year into my lifting and it was the perfect time to do so. I will say, it gave me a little bit of stomach trouble at the beginning, but I've since lowered from 5g to 3g and taken it religiously since, and the problems stopped about a week or two in. I'm not convinced it wasn't something external but I definitely had some digestive issues for a little bit before getting into the groove.
I had that the first time I tried it when I did the BS "loading" thing. I can't remember how much I took there but it was obviously more than 5g. I figure it's probably just because you're digesting (relatively) large quantities of something that you wouldn't normally, so it causes a bit of a temporary upset.
I'm 63, been lifting for years, and have taken creatine at 5 g. for years no problems. I heard a study that for older people 10 g. daily can help even more. For 2 weeks I have been taking 10 g. daily with no problems. I see some increase in strength. I set a pr today with 8 reps on 15% inclines with 46 kilo dumbbells. Maybe it's a myth, but I'm sticking with 10 g. per day for a bit to see if I get some more gains.
I'm 58 ( or 57, I can't remember). 1 week into doubling my dose to 10gr. Could be placebo- but after 1 week I am less tired and feel sharper. I have a physically challenging job and need every possible edge.
Taking creatine can definitely affect creatinine levels in blood serum. But creatinine is only an indirect indicator of a certain part of kidney function (glomerular filtration). The standard values that the doctor uses to estimate kidney function assume that you have a standard creatinine production in your muscles. They don’t take into account the extra saturation of creatine in your muscles, which may result in elevated creatinine output. The creatinine blood test is like looking at the puddle in front of a storm drain. You don’t know whether the puddle is caused by a clogged drain or an unusually high amount of rain.
Dr. Mike, I wish you had addressed the claim that creatine causes hair loss. From what I understand, creatine doesn't necessarily cause hair loss, but it can accelerate hair loss in individuals genetically predisposed to it. What is your understanding on the matter?
Creatine helps build skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle produces small amounts of testosterone in excess of that produced by your testes, and also down regulates hpg mechanisms that would signal for your body to reduce production based on the increase. Any increase in testosterone balance will also increase DHT unless you’re deficient in 5a-reductase generally, have a loss of function mutation (partial or complete) in the gene that codes for it, or taking drugs that inhibit it. If you are predisposed to male pattern baldness, this would likely cause a small effect. However, just training your muscles to get the same extra size and strength with no creatine would have the exact same effect. And it would still be very small because the increase in testosterone production from skeletal muscle is marginal unless they are very huge.
From what I can tell, there’s a mechanism that creatine mayyy increase risk of hair loss in some people, but to such a small and random extent that other factors play a much larger part in hair loss. The fact that you’re training and building muscle, and therefore increasing testosterone, far outweighs any increase in hair loss creatine may cause in just some individuals. You see this logic with tons of foods too. A study says “____ increases risk of cancer”. It ends up in the news and everyone repeats that statement. In reality the study shows a tiny correlation that’s barely statistically relevant, and likely the product of fudging some numbers anyway… Then you do some comparison and find out that being in the sun for 10 minutes increases risk of cancer far more than whatever the study claims for that food.
The Verbraucherzentrale, which is a german institution to protect consumers, mentions 3 Issues with creatine: regular consumption reduces the amount yout body produces itself, it can be problematic for people with kidney issues and the water increases the inracellular pressure which might lead to higher risk of injury.
O dear.... i just bought one n im starting to train to increase muscle mass, as im 61yo now, lossing muscle mass n strength. How should i go with this intake of creatine pls ?? Shld i just take before going to gym, 3 time a week only ? TQ for your sharing..
@@faith5401 5 grams daily is the only thing thats important. Timing and training barely affect anything, as long as you take 5 grams a day consistently, you'll be good to go.
@@faith5401 it might be a good idea to take it along with some food, your body may absorb it better that way, but as he said, it doesn't have much effect, so it's more important to take it at a time of day where you can easily take it regularly. THat could very well be along with breakfast or dinner, especially if you take vitamins or something, just taking it along with them is all good
I started taking creatine, and at first I loved it, but I soon realized that I was addicted to it, and when I tried to quit I got severe muscle cramps and explosive diarrhea, sweating, and chills. It was horrible. The withdrawal side effects were debilitating. Wait, did I say creatine-I meant heroine. It was Heroine the I got addicted to. Sorry, my bad.
8:51 i would say its wrong if you dont drink enough water creatin can make your dehdration worse because your muscels Will need more water in the first lodings
@@pindot787 it accelerates hair loss for those genetically disposed to it. Big difference between losing your hair at 40 vs 30. If your follicles aren’t sensitive to dht (genetic) it will have no effect on
Creatine raised my blood pressure by 18 points. It took about 1.5-2 weeks for it to lower once I stopped. I was having really bad side effects but only taking 5mg a day.
I had a same issue and i am wondering if i have kidney issues. OR... I think its more likely my diet sucks and I dont work out enough... So its more likely i am just a fat lazy fuck that needs to be more active. Also could be the brand too, another big factor i think.
Yes, this affects a minority of people, but is common enough. Everyone is saying how safe it is but there are A LOT of people, me included, who have side effects involving the heart. I tried taking it multiple times and each and every time I had increased heart palpitations. I was gaslighting myself that it can't be true because every research says it's safe, so I restarted it multiple times, and each time was the same. About 2 weeks in, my heart palpitations start increasing in frequency and severity up to a point where I sometimes was unable to fall asleep just because I felt my heartbeat, something that literally never happens to me otherwise. And few weeks to a month after I stop taking it, things slowly go back to normal If anyone else is like me, I can say that l-theanine works great for me with caffeine that normally makes me too agitated even in small doses. Maybe it's unrelated, but who knows
You probably already had underlying health issues that got exasturbated by it or like mike said you dodnt properly isolate the cause ie the whole tome on creatine you exercised like fucking crazy or were super stressed or ate like a fat fuck. Just like any dietary change its possible that it makes underlying already existing health conditions worse but thats less reflective of creatine and more of youre own health. Its like saying i took ibuprofen for a headache and got a huge rash so it mustnt work when im alergic to ibuprofen
Facts don’t do it I’m vegan fast 48 hour no health issues but all heart issues you can think of crazy hair came back look more rip with out it no bloated going on just tried today got dizzy if it’s man made don’t take it!!!!😢
Correction from a kidney doctor, creatinine is used as a filtration marker for kidney function, creatinine is produced by muscles, and creatine gets converted to creatinine, so if you are supplementing with creatine you will see a rise in creatinine due to increased production which will give the impression of worsening renal function.
I love how your videos are based off an evidence-based approach! And not just some random anecdotal evidence! In that vein, would you mind linking some of the creatine studies you used as sources for the video and general training?
I cant risk the hair loss 😅 Until there are multiple studies that prove it doesnt happen, I’m not taking it….or until I go bald naturally. Most men in my family are bald at a young age, but I hit the lottery and have a full head of hair in my 30’s. It’s thinned out some but still going strong. Not about to mess with that gift by accelerating its loss.
Finasteride my man. Talk to your dermatologist. It's stop testosterone from turning into DHT. DHT makes your hair follicles smaller causing thinning to the point of hair loss.
Same here. I was already taking finasteride, then started taking creatine, and the amount of hair that I started losing after the first month was shocking. I stopped taking creatine.
@@Kool212 my doc said finasteride has risks that doesnt make sense to take just for egoic purposes. i dont say i 110% agree, but at least i got totally okay with the idea of getting bald in the meantime (i am not yet, but i think it would actually be cool in the end if happens, on the other hand i've actually decreased my ego telling me stupid things a little) - but thats me. i dont say ppl have to be like me :)
Another clear no bs video, love your work. Can you comment about the studies showing an increase in serum DHT and its relation to accelerated male pattern hairloss?
I'm taking creatine for a year roughly. The "negative" side effects I noticed is extreme sweating. I'm talking fckn buckets. It's mostly water, but just get your washing machine ready for a ton of tees per day. Love all the positive effects of creatine and I also love this channel and the way the things are presented, well done guys.
Yeah it can lead to premature hair loss. Doc Mike doesn't exactly need to worry about it though lol Personally, that's the reason I won't take it. Never had a problem getting muscle in my life (yet) and I don't want to, possibly AND permanently, sacrifice my magnificent hair for temporary semi-superficial muscle gains. I just drink a coffee/energy drink and push it in the gym or at work until actual physical exhaustion. Never been shredded, but I've never been weak either (I like to enjoy life and eat delicious food, you just gotta earn it, imo). When I hit 50-ish and stop caring, I'll probably take it since I'll want a higher quality of life and will want to slow down my physical and mental decay.
One thing to note regarding the connexion of creatine and creatinine. Creatinine is the metabolic by-product of creatine. When we supplement with creatine, our creatinine levels will rise a little bit. It happened with me. I stopped the supplementation and all of my kidney numbers came back to normal. My doctor and I determined that I was doing alright and it was safe for me to continue using the creatine.
From what I have found there is a link between Creatine and Creatinine "Creatinine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It is a relatively simple compound that is produced in the muscles from the breakdown of creatine."
I think that one of the reasons so many people are afraid of creatine is not for mistaking it for creatinine, but conflating it with the disease/injury marker creatine kinase assay (CK). Elevated CK could point towards muscle disorders and/or acute injury, such as rhabdomyolysis after car wreck. However it doesn't always mean a health problem, since working out REALLY hard, or participating in a breakdown event (like ultra-marathoning) could also cause temporary elevations in CK. Lab values, most of the time, cannot be determined clinically significant on their own. But I am sure there are people that have heard they had elevated CK, heard it was bad, then will give advice not to take creatine because "creatine" is bad.
I had the same issue. One doctor said I was going through renal failure, but took a different test and showed otherwise. They intially tested for Creatinine. Anther doctor told me that creatinine is a byproduct of Creatine
I have also seen my creatinine blood serum levels increase when taking 5g of creatine daily. I stopped taking the creatine and the creatinine levels dropped. My hypothesis is that the creatine breakdown has increased creatinine and artificially indicates some kidney function issues that don't really exist.
I was experiencing significant heart palpitations when on creatine (mono) that stopped completely when I stopped taking it, come to find out after the fact this is a common side effect according to recent studies. Seems like a pretty significant issue to me. Also I was not able to sleep well and often finding my heart rate and body temp increasing right when I was falling asleep on a nightly basis which, again, stopped when I stopped taking it. Maybe that is anecdotal but doesn't seem to be the case when there are multiple studies backing up my own experience.. But other than the alarming cardiovascular side effects the biggest issue is that I felt trapped in having to continue to take that shit for just a little more pump indefinitely (not to mention feeling constantly dehydrated despite the insane amount of water I drank on the daily) and then when I stopped I felt weak af for a month so overall it is not worth it to me. I think it's time to stop telling people creatine has no downsides, to me the downsides greatly outweigh the relatively minor benefit.
I'm not a muscle head just an older guy trying to enter the golden years with some dignity and good health. So it's really nice to hear from a muscle head who is educated and knowledgable about creatine and who has a sense of humor. Oh, and I just started taking creatine a few days ago and just hope it helps to keep me mindfully alert and healthy.
Creatinine is a metabolite of creatine, though, which means that supplementation of creatine can lead to an increase in serum creatinine (not harmful) and thereby an over-diagnosis of CKD. Creatine is not harmful at recommended dosages but is not entirely unrelated to creatinine.
What do you think about creatine for people with androgenetic alopecia? There is a study that links creatine consumption to increased DHT levels in the body, which might increase hair loss in people predisposed to it. Would be interesting to me to hear your opinion about this.
i lost all of my hair on the top of my head (classis male pattern baldness) until my 16th year. Started using creatine at 18. Creatine can, therefore, affect even your past self and has strong quantum properties! (sarcasm)
@@Amar061 Holy fuck, you lost hair on your crown by the age of 16???! That's insane, bro. RIP. But also, I have no idea how what you wrote relates in any way to what that other dude wrote.
@@Riwillion Yes, I have never met irl somebody like me, but I did meet such guys on the net. it is extremely rare, and I dont know what it happened. it is not Alopecia or such. As the relevance to OP, I was joking that creatine is so strong that it can disrupt the past xd
One thing I never see people talking about is since I started creatine I remember so many dreams, pretty much every night I'll wake up and remember my dreams. Before creatine I rarely woke up and remembered them.
Im 61 and can tell anyone that creatine really works. It takes a little while to get into your system but ince you're there, it will make a difference.
I'm 63, and started this year, been 6 months on 5 mg every day. It added another set of reps to each of my exercises. Water weight gain is real. Strength/muscle gains are real too. Feels like an additional 7-10% in strength and ability.
@@jackrogers8633 Ive had several brands or types that didnt feel like I was taking anything at all (particularly the ON micronized or krealkalyne whatever). Felt like normal non- micro mono had the best feelable results
One genuine side effect of Creatine for me was much worsened acne. The only things I can see causing it are the slight increase in testosterone or the dehydration, I think more so the testosterone as I was drinking 2 gallons of water per day.
It's because it spares the methylgroup donor s-adesonyl methionine (SAM), which is the rate limiting component in endogenous production. The amino acids glycine and arginine forms in to guanidinoeacetate and are then methylated by the enzyme guanidinoacetate methyl-O-transferase with SAM as the methylgroup source. This yields creatine. SAM is the universal methylgroup donor, and it's by sparing this that creatine supplementation can give other benefits other than muscle growth/strength increase. But, SAM is also the regulator of methionine synthase (the amino acid SAM gets derived from), by interaction with the enzyme MTHFR (methyltetrahydrofolatereductase), as to maintain methylation homeostasis. So if you get more SAM, MTHFR activity decreases. The problem with that is that MTHFR also recycles folate (vitamin b9) to be used for DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, which can lead to acne and hairloss as those cell lines have low priority. You could try taking a lower dose if you see it help your training.
@@jasonshults368 you’re probably right, I was working outside too so I was probably losing a lot of electrolytes from sweat and not replacing them adequately
@@theStarkArts I’ve found that avoiding sugar and dairy as well as eating a lot of turmeric has pretty much fixed my acne. It doesn’t really bother me too much, at the end of the day I’m a teenager full of hormones, acne is just a part of that
A very thorough breakdown of creatine! Thank you Dr Mike. Im one of the few people who has stomach problems when taking creatine but it was most likely the coffee i take it with
No doubt about it for me. I am thinning, but still have most of my hair. Creatine kicked the loss into full gear. I quit 6 months ago and it has stopped thinning and maybe went back to close to pre creative levels. At 46 vanity is leaving me quickly, but I rather have my hair, than having 10 more lbs on my bench.
I'm a skinny a$$ cyclist riding uphill most of the time, and even I'm taking creatine during my build phase when I'm doing intervals to increase my VO2max rather than trying to be as light as I can. Does it actually help with that? Maybe. Jury's still out. But there's a good chance it does, and there just aren't any negative side effects. I only stop taking it leading into the summer months, when weight actually matters for my performance. Like any smart endurance athlete, I do strength training year round, and it definitely helps with that. It's a cheap supplement, and I really hope there'll be some research into the effects on endurance athletes in the next few years. But until there is, I just don't see a reason not to take it. Worst case, it does squat and I wasted a very small amount of money. I still get that nice ego boost of losing 2-3 kilos when I stop taking it.
wait, you didn't mention the balding myth. I've heard in one study it was linked to elevated levels of dihydro testosterone, which might cause early balding? that's like the only thing that ever made me think twice about it
"One theory put forward to explain the potential link between creatine and hair loss is that creatine may increase levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to male pattern baldness. However, it should be stressed that studies have yet to conclusively confirm this theory. It's important to understand that genetics also play a major role in hair loss, and that creatine may only be a triggering factor in predisposed individuals. "
Me too, as I personally experienced noticeable hair thinning when using it, which went away in the following 6 weeks after I stopped taking creatine. I would've chucked it up to chance but considering the thinning reversed after I stopped, theres no real way I can just say "nah creatine is fine". It might be for you, but for me (and a lot of others) it speeds up, or triggers hair thinning/loss.
@@corexmailyI think that's just person dependant i have been taking 5g in pre workout and 5g after gym and not noticed anything different and have been doing this for around 2months now and i have a head full of hair and no thinning touch wood (touched my empty head)
@@curt-123 it 100% is, thats why theres conflicting info on it. It seems to affect people who are already predisposed to balding/thinning hair, accelerating / kickstarting the process for some
@@corexmaily Same with me, made my hair thin so I came off it and it grew back. Experimented again a few months later with creatine and the same results as last time. Real shame because I looked bigger when on creatine especially when I got a pump from the gym. Never seen myself with such great shoulders but now I am off it I just don't have the look I want anymore. I sum it up to just valuing my hair more.
💵 I bought a cheap Walmart brand of creatine when I first started using it, and I started having acne break outs on my face and shoulders (this was in my 30s so it’s not a puberty thing). I stopped using it, and the pimples went away after a couple weeks. Tried it again and the same thing happened. Then I switched to a different brand that was a little more expensive, and I’ve never had it happen again since. 🤷♂️ So I wonder if there were any weird additives in the Walmart brand even though the ingredients only said creatine monohydrate. 🤔
It's not FDA regulated so cheap Walmart brand could have anything in it. A friend who was taking Saint John's Wort for mild depression got the cheap Walmart brand and had some bad side effects. They got a more expensive brand and it was night and day. Found out through internet research that Walmart brand often contains heavy metals.
@CamberFitness And people change. I had very bad acne when I was a teenager. Now, I actually find my skin has never looked better. Probably from the better overall hydration. Cheers!
You mention buying supplements on amazon, however amazon has a huge counterfeiting problem. Studies have shown some supplements don't contain what they claim to contain, contain extra (and sometime prescription) ingredients, or that they don't contain the amounts they claim. I'd love to see you do a deep dive into this issue on your show and help us come up with alternatives. Right now I'm getting everything from Costco that I can but I don't know where to go for the stuff they don't carry because I only just recently learned about the amazon inventory control problems.
I can't take creatine. I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and every time I take creatine, I get premature ventricular contractions and strange arrhythmias. I've tested many times in the past 20 years and every time the creatine gets loaded up, my heart gets weird, and every time I stop taking it, it goes away. Very anomalous and I fortunate, so I just stick with test and primo.
This is what concerns me. I get PVCs, and atrial fibrillation runs in my family, so I’m hesitant to try creatine after reading online that some people experience heart issues with it.
It is not a general effect that everyone gets. But if you are one of the unlucky like me, you get bad shedding and hair loss from creatine, just stop taking it and it should go back to normal. I have tried several times over the years with the same effect every time.
For some,yes. Its had bad effects on my hair (a woman with hip long hair) and its absolutely not worth it for me. It caused thinning,dandruff (which I absolutely never have). It did make my muscle look insane,literally like I was on steroids. Super weird and cool,but hair is #1
Interested in taking creatine to try it out. Just started my weight lighting journey 3 months ago and haven't supplemented anything yet. Thanks for the video.
I recently started working out in my home gym. Creatine might be a "sugar pill" for me but it really has helped me stay in a weekly rythm of working out consistently 4 days a week. I take it an hour before my workout and I've never looked better! Parents we're a little worried thinking creatine is just literally steroids, but glad I can show them videos like these
I took creatine for a year everyday. After a week I started feeling stronger in the gym, pushing in 3-4 reps extra per set, which was an amazing feeling of "where is this coming from??". On the other side, my hair loss accelerated, where I could easily see my scalp through the hair. This was 2 years ago, and my hair looks the same, I would say a bit better, but still thin. I am predisposed to hair loss genetically, and creatine accelerated the loss. This was kind of OK, because I was looking bigger, and bald and jacked is a pretty sick look. But the reason I stopped taking it was because of the heart palpitations and flutters I got randomly throughout the day. The got to a point where they were very intense and almost every hour. I stopped taking creatine and just a week later I stopped having them. Not even one flutter. None. Never. It's been 2 years. Training has been constant all this time. This was my experience with it. Yours may vary. Thank you for the videos Dr Mike! They are pure gold! You rock!
Interesting. I have been having significant and persistent heart palpitations. I was attributing it to bad air quality (drought and wild fires in my region) and my asthma. Now I am thinking creatine.
I bought Creatine and right on the jar it said "With maltodextrin" threw that shit in the trash....Creatine might not be bad for you but maltodextrin will fuck you up something terrible.
Dr Mike would laugh at this. Maltodextrin is literally just a carb. He even said creatine with carbs is the way to go. Should you buy creatine that already has maltodextrin mixed in? Seems like a personal decision depending on your diet.
@@SpicyTrifongo You might want to do some research on Maltodextrin. It's really bad as it spikes insulin way more than sugar does. It is best to be avoided at all costs, it's not just a carb it's a useless filler that does nothing for you but create insulin resistance.
Congrats on 2M subs when you reach it guys! Creatine loves me twice a day. Keep up the excellent and informative work. Keep grinding to be jacked all you certified kings 💪🥳
Dr. Mike, please make a video breaking down preworkout ingredients such as L-Citrulline, Beta Alanine, Betaine Anhydrous, etc. and the optimal doses. Similar to the videos Derek from MPMD used to post. Thank you in advance RP team! Like if you agree so we can get the video we want!!
Yes, no doubt. Especially if you are already thinning. I didn't notice it in college when I took it 25 years ago, but at 46 it took my thinning to next level. Had to quit and it is slowing coming back.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Creatine, ruined my life. Took it for 6 months and lost $20, I'll never financially recover for this.
An obvious joke, but in this economy... lol...
20 dollars for 6 months worth of creatine? You sure you didn't buy baking soda?
@@malkirion This cracked me up. Thanks for giving me a laugh friend.
ruined my life too, i thought i was supposed to snort it, works with the pre workout
@@malkirionNutricost has 200 servings for $40 on Amazon, so he's not too far off
I took creatine and had a heart attack. The doctors said it was the 8 bacon cheeseburgers a day but I think it was the creatine
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
It was the bun.
👩🏼🦼👩🏼🦼👩🏼🦼
🤦🏾♂️🤣😂🤣😂 that would be my exact conclusion too
😂😅😅
I’m a 70 yo woman who’s been taking creatine monohydrate every morning (works great in coffee-no taste) for about a year. I started based on a couple of studies that showed it helps reduce muscle loss from aging. I definitely have bigger muscles and greater strength than I had twenty years ago. Maybe I’m working harder than I was then, but I’m not certain. In any case, I’m glad to hear your science-based opinion.
there may be evidence to suggest caffeine and creatine work best when taken at separate times as the caffeine can counteract the creatine but I got that from another of these videos (Jeremy Ethier who does great science backed fitness education on yt) not directly from a study so probably best to check yourself it’s a concern, otherwise, love to hear it! ❤
Is it opinion if it’s science based?
This is the best. I'm glad to hear you've found a significant improvement.
@@aislin1057 Thanks. I’ll check it out, for sure.
@@markgarcia6746 That’s an annoyingly good point. 😊
Creatine helps my output so much, that my wife got pregnant without me even sleeping with her! Crazy strong stuff...
xD I'm speechless
I'm guessing you got the blackmarket version and the baby was black because of it
@@Bigguy2112you killed a great comment…
😂😂😂
Yeah because she slept with the neighbor 😂
Creatine ruined my life. I started taking it daily for that "better performance" but instead it just helped me get jacked and didn't increase the performance I was looking for at all!
So in what way did it ruin your life?
Buffoon, unless this was a joke.
Got jacked as a side effect? 🤓
@@michaelhenderson3241 The sarcasm flew over ya head
So getting 'jacked' ruined your life? What were you looking for, fat and out of shape? Lol
I started taking it to help with strength and recovery as I work in a physical job. I have been able to lift more for longer and wake up without sore muscles. 10/10 would recommend.
Creatine ruined me. I've been taking it for 2 months and I don't look like Ronnie. Fake news.
Same here. It did not made me look like Ronnie. It made me look like Phil Heath. It is not what you expect for sure.
Yeah , I'm taking creatine for 5 months but the best part is, it doesn't lengthened my dong but made it more jacked for sure.
The supplement you are looking for is melanin.
what's funny is that he didn't touch on the biggest elephant in the room. Contaminated chinese made creatine is 90% of the market.
Mine did. But current Ronnie
I have been arguing with my mom, coaches, and Army leadership for the better part of 17 years about The difference between creatine and creatinine. Thank you for making me realize I’ve been right this whole time
People who can't even complete a Google search, yikes 💀
Id understand maybe back in '07 google and the internet wasnt as big of a thing in terms of looking for scientific studies, but after like 2010 its absurd
The fact you haven't won the argument in 17 years reflects just as badly on you as it does them
@@BentusiProgenitors Nah, try arguing with family members about how the homeopathics they keep buying because the nice Norwegian fake doctor they really adore told them to take it 30 years ago, doesn't actually do anything. They never listened then and they'll never listen now because it's what they want to believe.
HOW? are they all illiterate? dyslexic? idiotic? there's two extra letters!
47 year old ex athlete here. I never used Creatine until about one year ago and I can tell you it is the duck's nuts, it hydrates the muscles and helps me train and recover. Great stuff and I shall never be without it going forward.
Duck's nuts😂
BRO THE DUCKS NUTS 😂 im stealing this
@@millie35998 Aussie thing. If kids around you say duck's guts.
Why didn’t you take it as an athlete?
I took it as a student athlete and it was incredible
Heh! Ducks nuts
Ive been taking creatine for 3 months and it has made me less stupid lol it has removed brain fog and along with working out at the gym and completely eliminated my anxiety too
Placebo
No@@danplove97
@@danplove97 Not placebo if the effects are a surprise rather than expected or hoped for.
@KeithBurtons No not coincidence. Creatine is documented to have anxiolytic effects and can also provide relief from depressive symptoms.
Cant post links on Pootube, but if you care to find out, the information is available.
But what about your hair ?
“The bro at GNC isn’t helping much either!” Can confirm. Last time I went to buy ON monohydrate they told me you can only absorb something like 60% of ON’s monohydrate, but if you buy the $60 whatever-brand gummies you’ll absorb all 100% of it
I just got some for the first time. My guy was pretty cool. He did tell me the monohydrate was the typical standard one, but he did mention the water retention and bloating, but that it leaned more into water in the muscles. But I mentioned I compete in triathlons and he said it might be better to take HCL because it won't have that water retention, which could be beneficial for endurance events. But I went with the monohydrate to look jacked
Dr. Mike! 6 Months ago I found your channel while restarting my fitness journey after the birth of my daughter. I’ve lost 36 pounds since then and have learned so much. Thank you and the RP community for the work that you guys do!
Hey Good job man, keep it up!
Keep going brother 🤜
You are by far my new favorite person on RUclips I like the fact that you clearly no what your talking about you help a tone of people and you seem like a genuine good dude..
But sadly, as a health prof. he himself does not understand the relationship between creatine and creatinine. He needs to google it..
Fellow Dr. here. Something females or smaller individuals need to know is how taking too high a dose of creatine can affect you. I had vertigo issues for 8 months and took me 3 blood tests, an MRI and a F$%$ tone of research to finally figure out it was creatine. This is why, the inner ear helps with creatine mobilization in the body and too much creatine can generate pressure in that area and or the neck if you have finer or smaller structures (such as in females). This results in a constant low grade vertigo till you let the creatine levels drop, the dizziness disappeared between one and two weeks of not taking creatine. I spoke to hundreds of folks I could find on the internet with similar symptoms, a GP who is also a body builder and tested it myself by deliberately overloading again to see if vertigo appears and it did after a month of taking 5g per day. I have reduced my intake to 1g and no negative side effects. This is something not studied as of yet but probably should be!
Are you sticking with 1g per day for good or have you experimented with intermediate amounts to see how much you can take before it becomes an issue? Just curious on what your journey to 1g was like, whether it was being extra safe or if you worked your way down there, etc.
@@herpyderpy4366 not yet. 😁
Fantastic, thank you! I eat quite a lot of animal protein and figured 5g wasn't needed for someone my size and would level up if I gained more muscle mass. Good to know that this supplement can be even cheaper; at 1-2g a day, a tub will last forever
Thank you! This is great information to keep in mind in case I ever come across a patient or friend with those symptoms.
The inner ear helps with creatine mobilization? Explain please.
Literally the biggest reason I hear anyone say they wont take it is cause of that one paper that said the rugby participants experienced accelerated rates of hairloss, being androgenic alopecia from higher levels of dht. Wish you would've addressed this because lots of people say it's murky waters on that in particular.
thats not even close. DHT is testosterone, not creatine. If creatine increase your DHT, then its a fking gear. People will take more of them.
Testosterone does makes you bald, balding always a men problem
Bro doesn't have hair so it slipped his mind 😂
Literally my concern as well. I usually always went to one hairdresser who told me I’d never have problems with hairloss given my hair quality and given the fact that literally noone in my family had hairloss issues from both my mom’s and dad’s side. Coincidentally I started taking creatine and changed the hairdresser for a year or so and recently I came back to my old hairdresser and she was in awe how much my hair has thinned and told me to start taking some stuff for hairgrowth and stop with creatine immidiately. I’m extremely skeptical now given the fact that I was never supposed to have any issues with hairloss and never had before taking creatine… I stopped taking creatine now and will see what happens
Iirc they measured total dht serum levels and not the local dht concentration at the hair follicles that actually causes hair loss at high concentrations. Creatine doesn’t affect the local dht level at the follicles is what they found if my memory serves me right. Jeff Nippard probably has a video about this.
@stephen7715 it slipped his shiny head
Creatine aggravated my gout. I may have been taking too much, but once metabolized it can lead to production of uric acid, as explained to me by my rheumatologist. I hadn't had any issues with gout for years, was working out again, started trying to work through a plateu, added creatine, and had a pretty severe bout of gout about 3 or 4 weeks after. Stopped taking it and haven't had any issues since. So not shit talking creatine, but if you have issues with gout, this may be a specific instance to monitor closely.
do you take any urate-lowering drugs? this sounds like your baseline sUA is too high and a small exogenous bump triggered a flare that was already due to occur.
@borisyeltsin6293 I did, they lowered, no issues for a couple years, started on the creatine, had a flare up.
Frankly, it pisses me off that hardly anyone mentions this. It is a HUGE gout trigger, as is arginine and L-arginine.
Ah sheet... I have gout n I did not know this. Thx for the info.
@borisyeltsin6293 do yoiu know if the drugs will help manage the gout when taking creatine? I have some of those meds n wondering if it helps or if I should avoid creatine all together.
@@NikeLikeMike it depends. if your uric acid is dialed in, you're absolutely FINE taking creatine. meaning if you're regularly taking the urate-lowering meds and you know your serum uric acid levels (should be sub-6 for gout sufferers).
that said, it sounds like you might not be that person. which is fine, no judgement whatsoever. but in your case creatine may in fact cause you to flare
I do hardscape landscaping. A lot of heavy lifting, all day, monday through friday. I started taking creatine (walmart brand), and I've noticed a considerable change. I'm a lot more bulky, I have better endurance, I recover quicker, fewer issues with dehydration (biggest challenge in my line of work), and the sex life has never been better.
Great video! Cheers!
The automatically created english subtitles for this said "...competitive bodybuilder and Brazilian juicer Grappler..." at the beginning
Dunno why you felt the need to simply point out that the translation was accurate like that 🤔
Sounds abt right 🤣
@@Amar061hahah right!? I was like am I missing something here…
RUclips is exposing Dr Mike haha
I mean, only one of those words is wrong …. 🤷🏾♂️
A book that changed my life in ways that I never could imagine is "Secret Testosterone Nexus of Evolution".Drop whatever you're doing right now and go find that book. Trust me after I implemented things from the book my testosterone levels went beast mode
Bot comment
You wrote the book
As far as I know, Creatine gets broken down into Creatinine and then filtered out of your blood by your kidneys. So external Creatine intake may raise Creatinine serum levels. But because Creatinine is just a biomarker for kidney health, high creatinine levels may be meaningless for folks taking creatine because the underlying cause for the high levels is not a kidney disfunction but the external intake. Not sure why Dr. Mike says they are completely unrelated because they are clearly not.
Yeah. Mike saying they are a completely different thing is flat out wrong. Creatine even spontaneously breaks down into Creatinine in water over time. The biggest blunder I have caught Dr. Mike with.
Also take a break for a week or so if you know you've got a kidney function check coming up, might lead to false alarms or worse, hiding symptoms of an actual problem
Yeah creatinine is a byproduct. I have Lupus and my rheumatologist freaked out at my elevated creatinine levels. I told him I take creatine and he made me go to nephrology. The nephrologist checked my cystatin c levels to make sure I was all good but said it was from my creatine supplementation.
@@Terron35 Physionic addressed exactly what youre describing. Pretty interesting video: ruclips.net/video/Hp9ywPPbNtk/видео.htmlsi=257HhBqkS-N62WBz
I was thinking the same
When I got into rock climbing, I noticed it was actually a serious enhancement for that slow static type stuff. Way more endurance, and short term recovery
I also rock climb along with high intensity workouts and with only 5g about 4 days a week I also notice a difference. Recovery is abnormal.
there used to be concerns in climbing about increasing weight and vasoconstriction on creatine, but these were never merited out and would easily be overcome by slightly greater PCr stores on the rock and during training. while I do not give my clients dietary advice, there are a variety of supplements pushed onto climbers with smaller and irregular effects from less research, but creatine is one I am always confident with an athlete taking if they're curious.
however, I often note you will be unable to notice the effect. there is research to support, but the effect is simply too small over background noise to say, and the advantage is for higher end force production and recovery of this energy pathway. you'll make strong, static moves more easily as a result of additional training capacity and quality.
😂😂 I am also starting creatine to see if it will help with my climbing ability
@@taefithendothis is likely placebo. you shouldn't really notice the effects, certainly not after 4 days
Discovered you today !!! LOVE YOU !!! Answered all my questions -been taking it about 4 months,tried it years ago-nothing,another bodybuilder said give it a better try,and it works ! Looking good ! Gonna watch more of you !!!
Your creatinine blood levels WILL increase when you take creatine, but creatinine itself isn't harmful. It's just an indicator that something might be wrong with your kidneys. But if your levels are high because you're taking creatine your kidneys are probably fine. Your doctor can do additional tests to verify since creatine levels doesn't tell them squat when you're taking creatine. That's what my doctor did.
You are right, and Dr. Mike was wrong to say they are completely different.
Creatine can make the test show higher creatinine levels, but it doesn't actually increase the levels, if it does It's so small it's nothing to worry about. It makes the levels look higher in test they do for Kidneys but won't actually increase it.
@@tristanwegner…or people take what was said out of context then freakout
Don't trust doctors... just get advice from a retired nurse.
Exactly, and mike just said creatine has no effect on creatinine and they are not related, which is completely wrong.
As a vegetarian, taking creating was insane. Ive never felt and been so strong. My muscles got huge. Really unbelievably effective for me.
Same here, vegetarian 5 years, the strength/muscle gains have been insane. That's not to say I was weak/small before, but I've been asked/told "you must train... wow you've put on size, etc" a few times within the month after creatine loading phase.
Imagine if you just ate meat
@@darkmisticoor imagine if you eat meat and eggs + creatine. People tell me I’m looking more jacked every week at work😭legit been taking creatine seriously for around 3 months and seriously lifting the last 4-5 months. Life’s great after transitioning from a lil thin dweeb to a beefed up Chad
@@julianparra1350 Nooby gains involved here.
@@darkmistico for real! You meat eaters have it easy in that sense! Althouh i may also just respond well, since 5g per day is more than most people get from meat.
Good info here. I am turning 65 in a few weeks. I take 5mg daily and feel great. I work out with dumbbells and am in good shape for my age. Went to Barbados for a holiday and did not take my creatine, no adverse affects, I just started taking it again when I came home. Note, I suffer from IBS but I have never had stomach issues related to taking creatine.
A side effect I noticed was intense swelling of my muscles. Makes me feel like I did when I was growing as a kid. Wife says to not worry about it and perhaps double up on the creatine.
What exactly was swelling that your wife liked .😮😮😮
Your wife thinks you’re too small
@@Sneak222 after 31 years, she could have traded up if size matters. I would argue form and proper technique is key.
thats not side effect lmao, muscle swelling is part of creatine purpose, the muscle swell of water and if you keep working out enough it will eventually replace the muscle swell of water, with straight muscles.
My anecdotal evidence is that my scalp dried out quite a lot leading to shedding hair and bad dandruff, when I started taking creatine. Fixed itself in 1-2 months after getting off it. I gave it another try and the side effect returned immediately.
Same here!
Well it causes muscle fluid retention, meaning you have to drink more water to stay hydrated. Are you sure you weren't just chronically dehydrated? Lol
Yeah my beard and hair started getting flaky too. Came off of it twice and I'm sure creatine is what's causing it. Also Dr. Mike didn't touch on the DHT increase for some reason
@@GlorifiedGremlin I already drink a lot of water on a daily basis. Piss was also running clear.
Yep came to say the same thing, led to increased hair loss for me, it'll probably be fine for you just keep an eye out and monitor
My doctor had a hard attack and was ready to send me to the hospital because creatons or whatever were 10 times the limit. Also marker that indicate my muscles were cannibalising themselves were too high. He had me stop the gym and creatine for 1 week and redid my blood test to double check my kidney functions etc.. definitely something to be aware of that to the general average doctor your blood works will come up very badly. You have to tell them you are lifting weights and on creatine. Absolutely amazing you touched in the subject.. very comprehensive video ….
Extremely well timed video for me. Currently going through tests for Kidney stones. Doctor's are certain it's between creatine and coke zero that is causing them..... Whilst refusing to acknowledge a family history of them.
I'm gonna pre-load 50g right now in protest.
Edit: Gents thank you for all the advice. It's much appreciated and will be taken onboard.
still need to drink a lot of water when taking creatine
@@BenSnyder0701 I do brother. It's just the last couple years they have started (in 30's now) had 5+ years on creatine no problems.
@@mambofeverIt’s inevitable to get some kidney stones within your lifetime
@@mambofever Study up on foods high in oxalates & see how many are in your regular diet. Definitely stay away from Spinach.....but Kale is ok
When I told my doctor i take creatine he looked at me like I told him his mama wears army boots.
Insomnia as a side effect? Been using it for 2 weeks now. Definitely noticed strength and size gains BUT I just cant sleep. I get up in the morning and Im tired mentally but my strength/energy remains. So Ive decided to only take it on days I work out to reduce the saturation in my body and hope I get my sleep back.
First video ever of this youtuber. That "please love me," at the end, won me over. Subscribed.
Dr. Mike, I'm so glad you do what you do and create quality content for RUclips. Educational and your sense of humor is top notch. You totally crack me up man, i love it! Thanks for all you do!
Quality content??? The amount of swearing and the recycled information, known for years before this internet "phd" turned up do not constitute "quality content".
10:11 is so wrong. Creatinine is a byproduct of creatine. Yes it is naturally produced but when supplementing with creatine, you will have higher levels of creatinine. There is nothing wrong with this. You just need to tell your doctor that you supplement with creatine so they know why your creatinine are elevated. If your creatinine levels are elevated than that could indicate that something is wrong. High levels of creatinine aren't inherently bad, they're just a data point that can be used with other data points to gauge kidney function.
Yeah. Dr. Mike was factually wrong there.
Dr Mike proving once again that Exercise Science is not a medical degree for a reason. It's the liberal arts degree of the medical world.
@@tristanwegner he is wrong in a number of his videos.
We need to remember, he doesn't have any sort of recognized medical qualifications. He essentially has a PhD in broscience.
@@jamesdavis8731 So maybe he is *not* a doctor. Maybe is like Dr. Dree?
That part about creatinin and creatine is something I needed to know.
Since I was told by almost everyone around me.
Instructions unclear, ate diamonds.
@@ShaunRF 🤣
I'm a plumber, where are you located?! HAhahaha!!!
Good news - you'll get them back within 48hrs
Bad news - you'll have to retrieve them within 48hrs
☠️🍻
@@DjDolHaus86 Worse news: diamonds will grind you from inside....
Everytime Dr. Mike specifies that he's a "Professor of Sports and Exercise Science," I get this mental image of him wearing a lab coat with the sleeves cut off.
Also wearing a squat belt around the outside of the jacket.
Cut? They would very obviously be torn off. Ya goof.
It's like being a professor in liberal arts. Has about the same value as toilet paper
@@IronMic-ee4ktdamn that’s a great line
I would go to that class
I would've loved Dr. Mike to comment on the study that connects creatine to hair loss.
There has only been one study out of thousands on creatine that focused on hair loss. Creatine does increase serum DHT levels which impacts DHT sensitive follicles which causes hair loss in those individuals. Since there is a concerning lack of studies on this topic, one is forced to look into anecdotal evidence, of which there are plenty of stories to show that creatine does cause hair loss. I used to take it in my 20s when I was not prone to hair loss and then stopped for over 10 years. Resumed it about the same time my brother started taking it an I had no idea it was linked to hair loss. Three months in to taking it, we had a conversation about our hair loss coincidentally and then I looked into it and was surprised to find all of this information. We stopped taking it and immediately noticed the loss stop. I came to the conclusion that there is not enough of a gain from creatine to jeopardize my hair but other than that, from experience, it is a great supplement.
Up
Even in the research that found an acceleration of hairloss in individuals, these individuals were already predisposed to such hairloss patterns, it simply accelerated something that was already going to happen. Given this, if you're genetically predisposed to hairloss, your first concern should be if you want to use hairloss products/treatment or if this doesn't bother you, and from there decide if you would also want to take creatine or not. Basically, don't put the cart before the horse.
this is my concern as well
Big Creatine lobby doesn't want anymore studies done with the link between Creatine and Hair Loss via DHT increase. These supplement companies will do anything to protect their profits
Just immigrated from Australia. Love your input and the no nonsense sense of humour keep up the awesome work.
Almost 2 million subs! Happy early 2 Mills Dr. Mike!! and Mr. Scott!!
By the way, creatine metabolism DOES increase your serum level of creatinine, they're not 2 completely separate compounds, one is the metabolite of the other.. Creatinine gets anyhow filtered by the kidneys and it's still relatively little increased under creatine use. This said, it's just important to take it into account and maybe (maybe) as a doctor I would not suggest it for people with chronic renal diseases. For the rest, on point as always 👌
My egfr drops to 61 (normally at 78)with creatine and high protein diet. My Cystatin C egfr is always on the 90’s.
@@agustinreyes6111 Having a lower eGFR means you have more creatinin in you blood wich correlates to you higher protein diet and creatinin intake. That means it does increase your creatinin-production. The kidney has a kind of fixed elimination of your pee and with that you creatinin. Having a lower creatinin clearence is either because of your kidney getting unhealthier or you create a lot of creatinin that your kidney doesnt eliminate fast enough. (And yes there are a lot of different factors, but this are the two main things for your situation now)
Can i ask what kind of estimated GFR calculation your physician used? Because that is a pretty low gfr for a healthy young man. It should be over 90ml/min for a healthy individual.
@@agustinreyes6111 that’s why it’s considered more reliable than creatinine eGFR :) it’s an interesting find nonetheless
@@Yoalli_1337 I don’t know which they used but I was concerned about it too until my Cystatin C showed better numbers. I should add I’m on TRT.
Cool story bro
Sir, I really appreciate your clarity and directness & combined with well-researched facts. This is so invaluable these days.
Mike, known your wife through the medical community and car community for eva. Just got into strength training and really appreciate your humor injected and scientific approach. Keep doing awesome stuff. this was helpful.
He has a wife??!!?!!
Impossible
On the hair loss question that wasn't even addressed: DHT is directly what causes hair loss, and there are multiple factors that cause its production (testosterone, Alpha-5 enzyme and Alpha-5 receptors). If your T levels are the limiting factor, then more DHT can be produced by elevating your T levels, but there can be multiple limiting factors, such as not enough receptors or Alpha-5 enzyme. That's why some people lose hair when elevating T levels and others don't.
This is f*rt science.
20 years no visible hair loss. Its case by case.
Some people take 0 creatine and lose 100% hair
@@pauliusmatiusovas4102
Yeah, but most guys are susceptible to hair loss and creatine has been demonstrated to stimulate the production of the chemical that speeds that process up. It should be written on the label.
@@pauliusmatiusovas4102 trust me homie before you turn 25 you'll be bald
@@lightskinshinobi1533 I meant using creatine for now 20 years, from 22 to 42, my hair is about the same :)
I have tested this on at least two separate occasions, and within 5 weeks of starting it (takes about 4 to reach saturation point at 5mg/day) I get a gout flare. No change in diet or anything else (including water intake). My thought is I need to FORCE myself to drink a lot more water than I do (which is about a half gallon of day of pure water, with some diet soda, 32 oz coffee a day). One side effect of creatine (for me at least) was having greater thirst, so might not be as hard to 'force'. I was taking it with my coffee and have heard maybe this could be having a bad interaction with the caffeine, but that is usually GI upset from what I have heard. I really want to get back on it, and wondering if maybe I go down to half a scoop a day instead, (taking longer to saturate, but maybe reduce the side effect of gout) and force myself to drink about a gallon a day. My thought is once I hit saturation point, it really doesn't matter. I do need to get more recent blood work done for my Uric acid levels though. Note, I get gout without using creatine too, but maybe once every 6-8 months or so.
The caffeine will make you urinate more naturally but it's intensified with creatine. Oh damn, just realized I made a coffee for the evening as I hear the coffee maker going off. Oh well.
As an intermediate/advanced lifter, I started creatine about a year into my lifting and it was the perfect time to do so. I will say, it gave me a little bit of stomach trouble at the beginning, but I've since lowered from 5g to 3g and taken it religiously since, and the problems stopped about a week or two in. I'm not convinced it wasn't something external but I definitely had some digestive issues for a little bit before getting into the groove.
Same here, being on the smaller side (150lbs) after my muscles were loaded I had to drop to 3gs a day to stop from having stomach issues.
@just9911 I didn't even think to do that! I'll give that a shot
5g at a time bloats the shit outta me. 3g is no issue. I agree
I had that the first time I tried it when I did the BS "loading" thing. I can't remember how much I took there but it was obviously more than 5g. I figure it's probably just because you're digesting (relatively) large quantities of something that you wouldn't normally, so it causes a bit of a temporary upset.
I'm 63, been lifting for years, and have taken creatine at 5 g. for years no problems. I heard a study that for older people 10 g. daily can help even more. For 2 weeks I have been taking 10 g. daily with no problems. I see some increase in strength. I set a pr today with 8 reps on 15% inclines with 46 kilo dumbbells. Maybe it's a myth, but I'm sticking with 10 g. per day for a bit to see if I get some more gains.
Awesome
I'm 58 ( or 57, I can't remember). 1 week into doubling my dose to 10gr. Could be placebo- but after 1 week I am less tired and feel sharper. I have a physically challenging job and need every possible edge.
Taking creatine can definitely affect creatinine levels in blood serum. But creatinine is only an indirect indicator of a certain part of kidney function (glomerular filtration). The standard values that the doctor uses to estimate kidney function assume that you have a standard creatinine production in your muscles. They don’t take into account the extra saturation of creatine in your muscles, which may result in elevated creatinine output.
The creatinine blood test is like looking at the puddle in front of a storm drain. You don’t know whether the puddle is caused by a clogged drain or an unusually high amount of rain.
Dr. Mike, I wish you had addressed the claim that creatine causes hair loss. From what I understand, creatine doesn't necessarily cause hair loss, but it can accelerate hair loss in individuals genetically predisposed to it. What is your understanding on the matter?
Creatine helps build skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle produces small amounts of testosterone in excess of that produced by your testes, and also down regulates hpg mechanisms that would signal for your body to reduce production based on the increase. Any increase in testosterone balance will also increase DHT unless you’re deficient in 5a-reductase generally, have a loss of function mutation (partial or complete) in the gene that codes for it, or taking drugs that inhibit it. If you are predisposed to male pattern baldness, this would likely cause a small effect. However, just training your muscles to get the same extra size and strength with no creatine would have the exact same effect. And it would still be very small because the increase in testosterone production from skeletal muscle is marginal unless they are very huge.
@@dROUDebateMeCowards thank you!
From what I can tell, there’s a mechanism that creatine mayyy increase risk of hair loss in some people, but to such a small and random extent that other factors play a much larger part in hair loss. The fact that you’re training and building muscle, and therefore increasing testosterone, far outweighs any increase in hair loss creatine may cause in just some individuals.
You see this logic with tons of foods too. A study says “____ increases risk of cancer”. It ends up in the news and everyone repeats that statement. In reality the study shows a tiny correlation that’s barely statistically relevant, and likely the product of fudging some numbers anyway… Then you do some comparison and find out that being in the sun for 10 minutes increases risk of cancer far more than whatever the study claims for that food.
I've taken creatine for most of 28 years now. Still have a 100% full head of hair. Only side effect I've ever had is muscle cramping,
@@dROUDebateMeCowards Appreciate the informative write-up.
The Verbraucherzentrale, which is a german institution to protect consumers, mentions 3 Issues with creatine: regular consumption reduces the amount yout body produces itself, it can be problematic for people with kidney issues and the water increases the inracellular pressure which might lead to higher risk of injury.
O dear.... i just bought one n im starting to train to increase muscle mass, as im 61yo now, lossing muscle mass n strength. How should i go with this intake of creatine pls ?? Shld i just take before going to gym, 3 time a week only ? TQ for your sharing..
@@faith5401 talk to a professional, not some guy on the internet
Germany being Germany want weak submissive masses.creatine is in food wth about producing it in body
@@faith5401 5 grams daily is the only thing thats important.
Timing and training barely affect anything, as long as you take 5 grams a day consistently, you'll be good to go.
@@faith5401 it might be a good idea to take it along with some food, your body may absorb it better that way, but as he said, it doesn't have much effect, so it's more important to take it at a time of day where you can easily take it regularly. THat could very well be along with breakfast or dinner, especially if you take vitamins or something, just taking it along with them is all good
Usually dont comment but this actually helps me understand creatine , this guy makes it fun to learn
I started taking creatine, and at first I loved it, but I soon realized that I was addicted to it, and when I tried to quit I got severe muscle cramps and explosive diarrhea, sweating, and chills. It was horrible. The withdrawal side effects were debilitating. Wait, did I say creatine-I meant heroine. It was
Heroine the I got addicted to. Sorry, my bad.
8:51 i would say its wrong if you dont drink enough water creatin can make your dehdration worse because your muscels Will need more water in the first lodings
Dude answered the question in the first 30 seconds. Immediate upvote, hell ya dude.
Dr. Mike's has some secret villain motivation for not disclosing the possibility of hairloss..."if everyone is bald, nobody will be!"
Surprised there was no mention on the effects creatine has on dht and thereby hairloss
hairloss is mostly genetics anyway, I took creatine for yearss for every single day, didnt experience any hairloss.
I'm already bald, if creatine can get rid of the rest so I can stop shaving my head every 3 days, I'm in.
@@pindot787 it accelerates hair loss for those genetically disposed to it. Big difference between losing your hair at 40 vs 30. If your follicles aren’t sensitive to dht (genetic) it will have no effect on
I was looking for that the whole video! That`s the only reason I don`t take creatine
Creatine raised my blood pressure by 18 points. It took about 1.5-2 weeks for it to lower once I stopped. I was having really bad side effects but only taking 5mg a day.
same thing here
I had a same issue and i am wondering if i have kidney issues. OR... I think its more likely my diet sucks and I dont work out enough... So its more likely i am just a fat lazy fuck that needs to be more active. Also could be the brand too, another big factor i think.
Yes, this affects a minority of people, but is common enough. Everyone is saying how safe it is but there are A LOT of people, me included, who have side effects involving the heart.
I tried taking it multiple times and each and every time I had increased heart palpitations. I was gaslighting myself that it can't be true because every research says it's safe, so I restarted it multiple times, and each time was the same. About 2 weeks in, my heart palpitations start increasing in frequency and severity up to a point where I sometimes was unable to fall asleep just because I felt my heartbeat, something that literally never happens to me otherwise.
And few weeks to a month after I stop taking it, things slowly go back to normal
If anyone else is like me, I can say that l-theanine works great for me with caffeine that normally makes me too agitated even in small doses. Maybe it's unrelated, but who knows
You probably already had underlying health issues that got exasturbated by it or like mike said you dodnt properly isolate the cause ie the whole tome on creatine you exercised like fucking crazy or were super stressed or ate like a fat fuck. Just like any dietary change its possible that it makes underlying already existing health conditions worse but thats less reflective of creatine and more of youre own health. Its like saying i took ibuprofen for a headache and got a huge rash so it mustnt work when im alergic to ibuprofen
Facts don’t do it I’m vegan fast 48 hour no health issues but all heart issues you can think of crazy hair came back look more rip with out it no bloated going on just tried today got dizzy if it’s man made don’t take it!!!!😢
You make complex topics look easily digestible AND you're also funny as hell😂 thanks for this video man
Correction from a kidney doctor, creatinine is used as a filtration marker for kidney function, creatinine is produced by muscles, and creatine gets converted to creatinine, so if you are supplementing with creatine you will see a rise in creatinine due to increased production which will give the impression of worsening renal function.
But is that just a false positive or does the increased creatinine lead to issues?
Dr. Mike, could you consider a video on TRT being pushed from treatment into enhancement range for guys in 40s-50s?
I love how your videos are based off an evidence-based approach! And not just some random anecdotal evidence!
In that vein, would you mind linking some of the creatine studies you used as sources for the video and general training?
I cant risk the hair loss 😅 Until there are multiple studies that prove it doesnt happen, I’m not taking it….or until I go bald naturally.
Most men in my family are bald at a young age, but I hit the lottery and have a full head of hair in my 30’s. It’s thinned out some but still going strong. Not about to mess with that gift by accelerating its loss.
The same. The same.
Absolutely the same situation.
Finasteride my man. Talk to your dermatologist. It's stop testosterone from turning into DHT. DHT makes your hair follicles smaller causing thinning to the point of hair loss.
Same here. I was already taking finasteride, then started taking creatine, and the amount of hair that I started losing after the first month was shocking. I stopped taking creatine.
@@Kool212 my doc said finasteride has risks that doesnt make sense to take just for egoic purposes. i dont say i 110% agree, but at least i got totally okay with the idea of getting bald in the meantime (i am not yet, but i think it would actually be cool in the end if happens, on the other hand i've actually decreased my ego telling me stupid things a little) - but thats me. i dont say ppl have to be like me :)
Another clear no bs video, love your work.
Can you comment about the studies showing an increase in serum DHT and its relation to accelerated male pattern hairloss?
He wants us to be bald like him.
/s
I'm taking creatine for a year roughly. The "negative" side effects I noticed is extreme sweating. I'm talking fckn buckets. It's mostly water, but just get your washing machine ready for a ton of tees per day. Love all the positive effects of creatine and I also love this channel and the way the things are presented, well done guys.
Serious question. What about hair loss on creatine? That a thing or just a myth?
Up up up
Seriously how did he not address this? This is the only reason I don’t take it
Yeah it can lead to premature hair loss. Doc Mike doesn't exactly need to worry about it though lol
Personally, that's the reason I won't take it. Never had a problem getting muscle in my life (yet) and I don't want to, possibly AND permanently, sacrifice my magnificent hair for temporary semi-superficial muscle gains. I just drink a coffee/energy drink and push it in the gym or at work until actual physical exhaustion. Never been shredded, but I've never been weak either (I like to enjoy life and eat delicious food, you just gotta earn it, imo).
When I hit 50-ish and stop caring, I'll probably take it since I'll want a higher quality of life and will want to slow down my physical and mental decay.
Oil up
@@ystconnection oil up lil bro, I'll be there in 5
These are your best videos:
1) precise
2) short
3) actionable
And with a modicum of psycho Mike.
One thing to note regarding the connexion of creatine and creatinine. Creatinine is the metabolic by-product of creatine. When we supplement with creatine, our creatinine levels will rise a little bit. It happened with me. I stopped the supplementation and all of my kidney numbers came back to normal. My doctor and I determined that I was doing alright and it was safe for me to continue using the creatine.
From what I have found there is a link between Creatine and Creatinine
"Creatinine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It is a relatively simple compound that is produced in the muscles from the breakdown of creatine."
I think that one of the reasons so many people are afraid of creatine is not for mistaking it for creatinine, but conflating it with the disease/injury marker creatine kinase assay (CK). Elevated CK could point towards muscle disorders and/or acute injury, such as rhabdomyolysis after car wreck. However it doesn't always mean a health problem, since working out REALLY hard, or participating in a breakdown event (like ultra-marathoning) could also cause temporary elevations in CK. Lab values, most of the time, cannot be determined clinically significant on their own. But I am sure there are people that have heard they had elevated CK, heard it was bad, then will give advice not to take creatine because "creatine" is bad.
I had the same issue. One doctor said I was going through renal failure, but took a different test and showed otherwise. They intially tested for Creatinine. Anther doctor told me that creatinine is a byproduct of Creatine
I have also seen my creatinine blood serum levels increase when taking 5g of creatine daily. I stopped taking the creatine and the creatinine levels dropped. My hypothesis is that the creatine breakdown has increased creatinine and artificially indicates some kidney function issues that don't really exist.
I was experiencing significant heart palpitations when on creatine (mono) that stopped completely when I stopped taking it, come to find out after the fact this is a common side effect according to recent studies. Seems like a pretty significant issue to me. Also I was not able to sleep well and often finding my heart rate and body temp increasing right when I was falling asleep on a nightly basis which, again, stopped when I stopped taking it.
Maybe that is anecdotal but doesn't seem to be the case when there are multiple studies backing up my own experience.. But other than the alarming cardiovascular side effects the biggest issue is that I felt trapped in having to continue to take that shit for just a little more pump indefinitely (not to mention feeling constantly dehydrated despite the insane amount of water I drank on the daily) and then when I stopped I felt weak af for a month so overall it is not worth it to me.
I think it's time to stop telling people creatine has no downsides, to me the downsides greatly outweigh the relatively minor benefit.
I'm not a muscle head just an older guy trying to enter the golden years with some dignity and good health. So it's really nice to hear from a muscle head who is educated and knowledgable about creatine and who has a sense of humor. Oh, and I just started taking creatine a few days ago and just hope it helps to keep me mindfully alert and healthy.
Creatinine is a metabolite of creatine, though, which means that supplementation of creatine can lead to an increase in serum creatinine (not harmful) and thereby an over-diagnosis of CKD. Creatine is not harmful at recommended dosages but is not entirely unrelated to creatinine.
true
@@tristanwegner I held hands with your grandma consensually
What do you think about creatine for people with androgenetic alopecia? There is a study that links creatine consumption to increased DHT levels in the body, which might increase hair loss in people predisposed to it. Would be interesting to me to hear your opinion about this.
i lost all of my hair on the top of my head (classis male pattern baldness) until my 16th year. Started using creatine at 18. Creatine can, therefore, affect even your past self and has strong quantum properties! (sarcasm)
@@Amar061 Holy fuck, you lost hair on your crown by the age of 16???! That's insane, bro. RIP.
But also, I have no idea how what you wrote relates in any way to what that other dude wrote.
@@Riwillion Yes, I have never met irl somebody like me, but I did meet such guys on the net. it is extremely rare, and I dont know what it happened. it is not Alopecia or such.
As the relevance to OP, I was joking that creatine is so strong that it can disrupt the past xd
@@Amar061 Oh ok, I gathered that, but I got the impression you were trying to clown the OP instead of just making a joke. Nevermind then, cheers, bro.
One thing I never see people talking about is since I started creatine I remember so many dreams, pretty much every night I'll wake up and remember my dreams. Before creatine I rarely woke up and remembered them.
Dr. Mike's channel is on creatine. Look at all those gains!
Im 61 and can tell anyone that creatine really works. It takes a little while to get into your system but ince you're there, it will make a difference.
I'm 63, and started this year, been 6 months on 5 mg every day. It added another set of reps to each of my exercises. Water weight gain is real. Strength/muscle gains are real too. Feels like an additional 7-10% in strength and ability.
@@fps079 yes, that's what you can expect from it, plus up to 10%
i didnt see a difference at all
@@jackrogers8633 Ive had several brands or types that didnt feel like I was taking anything at all (particularly the ON micronized or krealkalyne whatever). Felt like normal non- micro mono had the best feelable results
@@jackrogers8633roughly 30% of people are non responders. You sure you used it for a month everyday at the appropriate dose ?
My personal supplement trifecta is Creatine, Magnesium and Taurine. There are more beyond like collagen, B12, D3 but if limited to just three...
One genuine side effect of Creatine for me was much worsened acne. The only things I can see causing it are the slight increase in testosterone or the dehydration, I think more so the testosterone as I was drinking 2 gallons of water per day.
Drinking a loy of water can CAUSE dehydration. Proper hydration is consuming a combination of minerals/electrolytes and fluids.
It's because it spares the methylgroup donor s-adesonyl methionine (SAM), which is the rate limiting component in endogenous production. The amino acids glycine and arginine forms in to guanidinoeacetate and are then methylated by the enzyme guanidinoacetate methyl-O-transferase with SAM as the methylgroup source. This yields creatine. SAM is the universal methylgroup donor, and it's by sparing this that creatine supplementation can give other benefits other than muscle growth/strength increase. But, SAM is also the regulator of methionine synthase (the amino acid SAM gets derived from), by interaction with the enzyme MTHFR (methyltetrahydrofolatereductase), as to maintain methylation homeostasis. So if you get more SAM, MTHFR activity decreases. The problem with that is that MTHFR also recycles folate (vitamin b9) to be used for DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, which can lead to acne and hairloss as those cell lines have low priority. You could try taking a lower dose if you see it help your training.
@@jasonshults368 you’re probably right, I was working outside too so I was probably losing a lot of electrolytes from sweat and not replacing them adequately
This sounds obvious but swing by and see a dermatologist. They helped me get that shit under control way faster than Dr Google or reddit
@@theStarkArts I’ve found that avoiding sugar and dairy as well as eating a lot of turmeric has pretty much fixed my acne. It doesn’t really bother me too much, at the end of the day I’m a teenager full of hormones, acne is just a part of that
The only thing more sticky than versa gripps is a gym bro’s sock drawer.
Good one😂
A very thorough breakdown of creatine! Thank you Dr Mike. Im one of the few people who has stomach problems when taking creatine but it was most likely the coffee i take it with
Hair loss? Thoughts? Increase DHT?
I’ve been on 5 grams for 7 years now still nothing knock on wood
There is a study on it, taking creating will make your hairs fly away from you haha.
Certain individuals can experience hair loss due to creatine, if you want to risk it by all means go for it
No doubt about it for me. I am thinning, but still have most of my hair. Creatine kicked the loss into full gear. I quit 6 months ago and it has stopped thinning and maybe went back to close to pre creative levels. At 46 vanity is leaving me quickly, but I rather have my hair, than having 10 more lbs on my bench.
Funny he didn't mention the myth about creatine and hair loss 😂
For obvious reasons 😂
I'm a skinny a$$ cyclist riding uphill most of the time, and even I'm taking creatine during my build phase when I'm doing intervals to increase my VO2max rather than trying to be as light as I can. Does it actually help with that? Maybe. Jury's still out. But there's a good chance it does, and there just aren't any negative side effects. I only stop taking it leading into the summer months, when weight actually matters for my performance. Like any smart endurance athlete, I do strength training year round, and it definitely helps with that. It's a cheap supplement, and I really hope there'll be some research into the effects on endurance athletes in the next few years. But until there is, I just don't see a reason not to take it. Worst case, it does squat and I wasted a very small amount of money. I still get that nice ego boost of losing 2-3 kilos when I stop taking it.
Creatine stole my dog
wait, you didn't mention the balding myth. I've heard in one study it was linked to elevated levels of dihydro testosterone, which might cause early balding? that's like the only thing that ever made me think twice about it
I had awful hairloss 2-3 months into taking creatine. I stopped taking it and a year later my hair has recovered. I am scared to take it again. :/
It does not cause baldness, but accelerates the process for those genetically predisposed to baldness.
"One theory put forward to explain the potential link between creatine and hair loss is that creatine may increase levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to male pattern baldness. However, it should be stressed that studies have yet to conclusively confirm this theory.
It's important to understand that genetics also play a major role in hair loss, and that creatine may only be a triggering factor in predisposed individuals. "
@@rainyleefa1984 Cap 🧢
@@AD-sg9tr that's the same thing since literally all of us are predisposed to lose hair eventually.
this has to be one of the best comment section in yt ive ever seen
I’m surprised the link between creatine and hair loss wasn’t addressed
I'm surprised he didn't oil up and did glute spread
Me too, as I personally experienced noticeable hair thinning when using it, which went away in the following 6 weeks after I stopped taking creatine. I would've chucked it up to chance but considering the thinning reversed after I stopped, theres no real way I can just say "nah creatine is fine". It might be for you, but for me (and a lot of others) it speeds up, or triggers hair thinning/loss.
@@corexmailyI think that's just person dependant i have been taking 5g in pre workout and 5g after gym and not noticed anything different and have been doing this for around 2months now and i have a head full of hair and no thinning touch wood (touched my empty head)
@@curt-123 it 100% is, thats why theres conflicting info on it. It seems to affect people who are already predisposed to balding/thinning hair, accelerating / kickstarting the process for some
@@corexmaily Same with me, made my hair thin so I came off it and it grew back. Experimented again a few months later with creatine and the same results as last time. Real shame because I looked bigger when on creatine especially when I got a pump from the gym. Never seen myself with such great shoulders but now I am off it I just don't have the look I want anymore. I sum it up to just valuing my hair more.
💵 I bought a cheap Walmart brand of creatine when I first started using it, and I started having acne break outs on my face and shoulders (this was in my 30s so it’s not a puberty thing). I stopped using it, and the pimples went away after a couple weeks. Tried it again and the same thing happened.
Then I switched to a different brand that was a little more expensive, and I’ve never had it happen again since. 🤷♂️ So I wonder if there were any weird additives in the Walmart brand even though the ingredients only said creatine monohydrate. 🤔
It's not FDA regulated so cheap Walmart brand could have anything in it. A friend who was taking Saint John's Wort for mild depression got the cheap Walmart brand and had some bad side effects. They got a more expensive brand and it was night and day. Found out through internet research that Walmart brand often contains heavy metals.
@@davidshmavid5 yea, just want folks to be aware to not just get the cheapest thing.
I use the "walmart brand" with no issues.
@@kevinheise7 that’s good. I guess some people are just more sensitive.
@CamberFitness And people change. I had very bad acne when I was a teenager. Now, I actually find my skin has never looked better. Probably from the better overall hydration.
Cheers!
You mention buying supplements on amazon, however amazon has a huge counterfeiting problem. Studies have shown some supplements don't contain what they claim to contain, contain extra (and sometime prescription) ingredients, or that they don't contain the amounts they claim. I'd love to see you do a deep dive into this issue on your show and help us come up with alternatives. Right now I'm getting everything from Costco that I can but I don't know where to go for the stuff they don't carry because I only just recently learned about the amazon inventory control problems.
I can't take creatine. I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and every time I take creatine, I get premature ventricular contractions and strange arrhythmias. I've tested many times in the past 20 years and every time the creatine gets loaded up, my heart gets weird, and every time I stop taking it, it goes away. Very anomalous and I fortunate, so I just stick with test and primo.
This is what concerns me. I get PVCs, and atrial fibrillation runs in my family, so I’m hesitant to try creatine after reading online that some people experience heart issues with it.
Does creatine cause hair loss or is that a myth too? Thanks for the video 🙏🏼
There's zero evidence of a link between creatine and hair loss.
It is not a general effect that everyone gets. But if you are one of the unlucky like me, you get bad shedding and hair loss from creatine, just stop taking it and it should go back to normal.
I have tried several times over the years with the same effect every time.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence@@privatebandana
It causes hairloss in some people.. No doubt about it
For some,yes. Its had bad effects on my hair (a woman with hip long hair) and its absolutely not worth it for me. It caused thinning,dandruff (which I absolutely never have). It did make my muscle look insane,literally like I was on steroids. Super weird and cool,but hair is #1
Interested in taking creatine to try it out. Just started my weight lighting journey 3 months ago and haven't supplemented anything yet. Thanks for the video.
Why is it always a bald guy saying creatine doesn't make you bald
Because intelligent types who are highly capable of reading and interpreting studies are more likely to go bald 😉
They are bald cause their brain so big no room left for hair follicles @@Denidrakes69
Hahahahahhahahahahahaha
Because many of them also do Testosterone - which makes you bald faster
@@TheFluffyTRex bingo
3:46 I accidently paused the video in a very... interesting moment
😂
I recently started working out in my home gym. Creatine might be a "sugar pill" for me but it really has helped me stay in a weekly rythm of working out consistently 4 days a week. I take it an hour before my workout and I've never looked better! Parents we're a little worried thinking creatine is just literally steroids, but glad I can show them videos like these
I took creatine for a year everyday. After a week I started feeling stronger in the gym, pushing in 3-4 reps extra per set, which was an amazing feeling of "where is this coming from??".
On the other side, my hair loss accelerated, where I could easily see my scalp through the hair. This was 2 years ago, and my hair looks the same, I would say a bit better, but still thin. I am predisposed to hair loss genetically, and creatine accelerated the loss. This was kind of OK, because I was looking bigger, and bald and jacked is a pretty sick look.
But the reason I stopped taking it was because of the heart palpitations and flutters I got randomly throughout the day. The got to a point where they were very intense and almost every hour. I stopped taking creatine and just a week later I stopped having them. Not even one flutter. None. Never. It's been 2 years. Training has been constant all this time.
This was my experience with it. Yours may vary.
Thank you for the videos Dr Mike! They are pure gold! You rock!
Same here with the heart palpitations!!
Did your hair grow back normally when you got off creatine?
Interesting. I have been having significant and persistent heart palpitations. I was attributing it to bad air quality (drought and wild fires in my region) and my asthma. Now I am thinking creatine.
I bought Creatine and right on the jar it said "With maltodextrin" threw that shit in the trash....Creatine might not be bad for you but maltodextrin will fuck you up something terrible.
Dr Mike would laugh at this. Maltodextrin is literally just a carb. He even said creatine with carbs is the way to go.
Should you buy creatine that already has maltodextrin mixed in? Seems like a personal decision depending on your diet.
@@SpicyTrifongo You might want to do some research on Maltodextrin. It's really bad as it spikes insulin way more than sugar does. It is best to be avoided at all costs, it's not just a carb it's a useless filler that does nothing for you but create insulin resistance.
A warm and belated happy new year to you, Dr. Mike!
Congrats on 2M subs when you reach it guys! Creatine loves me twice a day. Keep up the excellent and informative work. Keep grinding to be jacked all you certified kings 💪🥳
I took creatine every day for a month then spent too much time outside and got sun burnt. Thanks creatine.
Hello Rp, could you talk about collagen ? (and supplements). Also more stuff about tendons, cheers
Dr. Mike, please make a video breaking down preworkout ingredients such as L-Citrulline, Beta Alanine, Betaine Anhydrous, etc. and the optimal doses. Similar to the videos Derek from MPMD used to post. Thank you in advance RP team!
Like if you agree so we can get the video we want!!
is hair loss a real concern Dr Mike?
Yes
Yes, no doubt. Especially if you are already thinning. I didn't notice it in college when I took it 25 years ago, but at 46 it took my thinning to next level. Had to quit and it is slowing coming back.
Yes.