@@JohnDotBomb Kind of! It's just dried whey, which is the liquid stuff that floats to the top of (non-greek) yogurt. Greek yogurt is just yogurt with the whey drained.
Creatine is like ATP, a source of energy (in the phosphorylated form) and can give you a burst of energy. It is rapidly recycled and should be safe. But excess external consumption can decrease the body's natural synthesis and recycling power. I do not know the exact extent but this is generally true whenever you take supplements on a regular basis. Hence the thing works is true but the long term effects may not be desirable.
Great video Adam, another thing to note is that a small portion of the creatine in your body is converted to a harmless by-product called creatinine. If you take creatine, you will have a higher creatinine. Now, a high creatinine is not dangerous on it's own, but it does happen to be something that we routinely use to measure renal function. Therefore, if you get blood work done while taking creatine, it may (falsely) appear like you have poor kidney function. I would advise mentioning this to your physician if you decide to take creatinine and do get blood work done.
The older you get, the more useful creatine supplementation gets. Even if it's not enhancing strength, it seems to be quite good at helping to make your muscles mend faster after they've been damaged - not really a big problem for kids with their wolverine-style regeneration, but as we age our muscles can't take the beating they used to, and creatine helps with that. Definitely can be a plus, even if you're not looking to bulk up or add strength.
on the other hand, if you consume a lot, they will burn your body faster. as you age, the metabolism slows down and you feel that. But if you take supplements and keep the metabolism going at the same rate, some parts are going to suffer faster.
@@janami-dharmam Seems like a lot of longetivity suggestions involving 'living less' - sleeping more, eating less often... It's like we have a limited number of turns 😀
In the land of insanity that is the internet, Adam’s content is always refreshingly calm, to the point, well researched, and without ego, sarcasm, anger, or condescension. We need more creators like him.
The first thing I thought of in response to creatine no longer having an effect when you stop taking it is caffeine. Not only does it no longer affect you when you stop consuming it, it very likely will cause withdrawal symptoms, and yet most people consume it daily, including as a sports supplement. Creatine already has a leg up by just no longer helping, not actively hurting with its absence
I cant believe that the guy who used to tell me how to cook pasta, make a tasty Lasagna and why it is good to wash rice is now explaining creatine to me. I take it since 10 years now in a period of 5-6 months and i always appreciate the rapid results i get when working out. Adam explained everything quite accurate.
My morning routine consists of mixing about 1 cup (250 grams) of plain yogurt with 30 grams (unflavored) whey (About a scoop), 5g of creatine and 30 grams of granola. If yogurt and granola is something you like, this combination basically makes the whey and creatine disappear in terms of flavor/texture, as well as giving a little bit of carbs to aid in the creatine absorption. I personally find it much more palatable than any protein shake I've ever had, despite having relatively little sugar in it.
@@KvltKommando That is what I mean. Plain yogurt. Unsugared. It has a clear acid taste. He didn't say plain granola, just granola. As far as I know plain granola does not exist. But it is usually both salty and sweet.
@@enriquegarciacota3914granola has almost no taste hence why most preparations of contain honey. Plain yogurt should include honey anyway it's anabolic and good carbs
I commented about creatine a few videos ago, I'm currently on creatine I found that the strength and size gains from creatine to be pretty negligible but it made my muscles recover blisteringly fast and I'm nowhere near as sore afterwards even though I train either to or close to muscular failure on pretty much all sets, I love it (yes I do warmup sets I don't just go to the gym slap on the highest weight I use and do my working sets right away), also creatine works differently for everyone, if you start creatine you'll most likely get different results, I know someone who didn't notice a thing after using creatine for some time so he stopped
@@4ndy123 I don't do full body everyday I do push pull legs and I take proper rest times between sets, I just found that the day after I workout I don't feel like I'm paralyzed or something
that's what it's supposed to to. it's supposed to increase recovery time and delay the onset of muscle fatigue. taking creatine if you aren't active , does nothing (except put your kidneys under pressure ) .
When I was training 20 years ago it really helped with muscle fatigue and soreness. It seemed to me that my recovery time was quicker. Really respect how you make your videos. Don't always agree and when I don't agree usually 5 to 10 minutes later in the video after you geek out and explain I usually agree. I'm not saying that because I think you should change anything or that my opinion matters. just letting you know the effort you put into your videos has changed my opinion on several things.
@@confederatetearsaredelicious Being stupid enough to hold an uninformed opinion that requires someone to 'geek out' before you end up changing your mind is a very bad trait to have.
@@quarkraven as low as 239°F (115°C). The specific amount of creatine that breaks down into creatinine due to heat varies based on the cooking duration and heat above 115°C. Cooking methods like frying may result in more break down of creatine due to the high heat when compared to other cooking methods such as boiling.
Last month i had a class in uni where we talked about creatine so some quick info. Creatine in general helps when the body needs short bursts of energy for quick but powerful contractions(more than 65% of muscle strength although it really kicks off with 80%+). Creatine also pulls water towards your muscles making them bigger and therefore stronger although this strength is but an illusion that will fade away the moment you stop taking creatine. The real good stuff is that your muscles get tired much slower allowing you to do more exercise thus gaining real muscle strength instead of just the muscle being bigger because of water
@@Chicky.Treats I like how magic spoon tastes personally or at the very least don't mind it. However, I really dislike the texture. It just gets caught in my teeth and stuff and never has like that real crisp crunch that cereal I like has. I got one order of 4 boxes from them and while I didn't hate it I wouldn't get it again between cost and texture and stuff.
I used it for years with great results. However. I am a "stone former" (was diagnosed after trying to donate a kidney). After passing a 6mm stone I stopped all supplementation. I haven't had a large stone in 15 years. I was taking a ton of vitamins/minerals throughout the day too. Not sure if the cessastion of large stones can be attributed to the lack of micro-particulates in my urine, or possible by-products of creatine metabolisis. Not willing to "research" the topic again! My two cents, for anyone who may suffer from kidney stones.
I was expecting you to talk about this but didn’t hear it. Some recent studies have been looking at using creatine to help people with degenerative muscle diseases. Because it increases muscle strength, it may allow those people to do muscle therapy when they would normally be to weak. So far the outlook is more that it helps slow the degeneration and not stopping or reversing it, but even that is worth it
Thank you for finally explaining this in a sensible manner. Every gym I've been to in the last few years has people shilling various powders and mixes, but having a simple breakdown with just what is needed and what it does is great. Now I'm equal parts excited to hit the gym again but angry I left gains on the table because everyone wanted to sell me a buncha BS with bad explanations.
Although it's not really amateur any more. He makes a decent living from these videos. He did a podcast episode where he went into some of the details of the economics, without giving out all his numbers.
Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives salvation to everyone who has faith in him. True faith in Jesus will have you bear good fruit and *drastically* change for the better! Those led by the Holy Spirit do not abide in wickedness. *God is ONE manifesting himself as THREE;* the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Bless him! *For these three are one.* As I am led by the Holy Spirit, nothing I state is a lie, but the truth of God. Anyone who tells you differently is misinformed or a liar. They do not know God, nor led by him. Anyone who *claims* to be a Christian and is against what I am doing, and where I am doing it; the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them, they lack understanding. They know not God, read his word, and their religion is in vain. Do not hear them, they will mislead you, the lost cannot guide the lost.
When you trust in God and cast your cares (worries, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts) upon him, they will be NO MORE! Know that there is power in the name Jesus Christ! His name casts out demons and heals! The world is wicked, evil, and of the devil. I too, was a wicked sinner of the world before I opened my heart to God. I am living proof of God's work and fruitfulness! He is an active God who hears the prayers of his! God's children are set apart (holy) and righteous. The devil is a liar that comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy; that includes your relationship with God.
I think the issue with a lot of supplements like creatine is that it help people that are already strong get stronger rather than people that struggle. There's a reason strong people are hyper responders to everything like that
@@jaffacalling53 Nah there was one study that actually found a correlation with the two but the men taking it took 20g a day (more than 4 times the daily does) and was taking it over a few weeks
I love you Adam theres not many people who have managed to change my mind - you got me into cooking, the skinny omelet and white wine mussels are amazing - ill no longer be ignoring the good news of creatine
This is fantastic. There's so much confusion and utter nonsense in workout supplementation, that a reliable source that has actually gone through the trouble of breaking things down and putting them back together in a logical manner is tremendous. You should do an entire series (or subseries) on exactly that: shooting holes through the bullshit and talking about what works. And if creatine is the only thing that works, maybe that's all it needs to say.
USADA already did when they started testing UFC fighters. Apparently the only supplements that work are the ones illegally tainted with steroids lol. They found a LOT of them. IT doesn't tell you on the label but sometimes it's in there!!! So be wary..........
I started using creatine monohydrate a few months back and I've had absolutely amazing results. Losing fat, building bigger looking muscles, and setting personal records every few weeks. I am very consistent with lifting which is obviously a bigger part of it but there is no doubt for me that it makes an enormous difference
Not gonna lie, my brain assumed that the "white powder that's safe" was gonna be flour. For a moment, I even assumed it was one of those high protein flours you can get. But hey, glad to know I could get my hands on this stuff. And who knows, it might help me in ways I don't expect.
Just know you are in the top 0.01% of creators imo. Every video I watch from you is so well made start to finish and I don't know if you have an editor or not but it is all put together in just the right order. Thanks for the quality content!!!
Thank you Adam, for always providing us with evidence based discussions such as these. Most content creators will just open the first article that pops up on google and mindlessly spout off whatever is listed on there and call it a day, but never you! I really appreciate it man.
I remember in high school back in the stone age our gym teacher and football coach wasn't a fan. Said that all it did was retain water and "fluff up" your muscles. But now added hydration is a nice side affect. Creatine and Carnitine are basically the only "fitness" supplements I buy. Anecdotally they seems to work, I think I've retained more muscle and overall healthy body composition through bouts of missing the gym since adding them during covid. Wish I had been more informed in college
@@GavinLawrence747 I'm vegan, because I want decrease animal suffering and protect the environment. This means I can't get my vitamin B12 from meat, but I get it in my fortified soy milk. I'm totally fine with adding synthetic creatine to my diet, it sounds great!
Thank you for this Adam, i have recently taken up strength training (in part thanks to your first video on it) and after 4 weeks i feel massively stronger. Im loosing fat and holding weight and gained more muscle than i tought i would ever have. I always tought ill of all the supplements advertised, but slowly started with whey protein, then BCAA, then magnesium supps. Didnt know what creatine did til now. Thanks, its in my cart.
Just butting in but (and i encourage you to do your own research on the topic) BCAA's are pretty much a waste of money, unless you are vegetarian or have some weird dietary restrictions. They won't hurt you, but they probably are just empty calories for you.
@@elmaster65 litterally no calories. litterally just amino acids for the body to take up when it needs it most. Little substantial research bave been made on the subject, but nowhere has any research said it does nothing. It is amino acids the body needs. Any extra the body cant take up is excreted. There is no downside, and it cost me $8 for a years supply.
I'd love to see an episode on glycerol, the stuff used to preserve things. I've used it before to help me retain water, since I used to have a really big problem with thirst in the middle of the night and it did help with that and I read a study about using glycerol for fermented foods. It's also used to stabilize egg foam, I believe? Either way, I'd love a video on glycerol. I grew to abhor the taste after using it for several months, but I might take it in more moderate amounts again.
That's interesting, i have a thirst problem as well most of the time, sometimes i have to wake up and take a drink because my mouth is parched. How is glycerin usually ingested?
@@fowad27 Well, the way I used it is basically as a sweetener. I would just add it to my drinks. Make sure that you get food grade glycerol, by the way. If you buy food grade glycerol, you'll often get these tiny bottles that are for stabilizing egg foams, which is really expensive for such a basic ingredient. Instead, I went on the prowl for a chemistry shop and I found one where I live in the Netherlands. I also bought a special tooth paste and mouth wash that is supposed to help; The one I bought I bought at the apothecary. It won't help with your body's first, but it might help keep your mouth from parching up like mine did. I should also note; One day, my parched mouth just kind of stopped. I don't know what I changed and the answer might be anything from walking that little bit more to eating that little bit differently. It used to be that sleeping with any minute amount of draft would make my mornings hell, but I've recently slept in a foreign country buildings built to draft and I had absolutely no symptoms. That's not the glycerol, something just changed. But when I did have it, the glycerol was nice.
It'd make sense for glycerin to help with retaining water. To oversimplify, it has 3 oxygens bound directly to 3 hydrogens, much like the bonds in water, and thanks to that similarity, it binds water. To make it less oversimplified: glycerin has 3 hydroxyl-groups (-OH), which have the capability to create hydrogen bonds; the same bonds that water molecules create amongst themselves. These bonds are very strong - an order of magnitude stronger than even the bonds found in polar substances. (This is why water can stay liquid, despite its molecular weight being lower than a lot of gases.) Glycerin likewise binds to water, and to itself, making it very good at retaining water, and also very viscous, since there are more of these bonds per molecule than in water. Also, fermented foods and higher glycerin make sense for the same reason you might feel it tastes foul. Glycerin is made when fats are broken down. Most fats are some sort of glycerides - fatty acids bound to glycerin. Triglycerides (glycerin + 3 fatty acids) are generally what are in dietary fats. If those fats break down before you eat them, it's probably because of some bacteria getting to it and digesting it before you. That happens in fermentation, but more noticably (and far earlier) in spoiled food, which is why our body has, over time, developed our taste buds to detect free glycerin as something to avoid, and therefore, make it taste foul. t. medical student who got a C on his biochemistry finals. Take everything I said with a handful of salt and please don't make decisions based off a RUclips comment.
@@hamham_6411 That makes sense. It is best to use a very small amount of this stuff. Some athletes apparently try to saturate themselves with glycerol. I tried that for a week and boy; The flavor was easy enough in small volumes, but if you start drinking it in higher concentrations, it does take on a character of punishment that made me avoid it for years afterwards. I am still curious about it, though. So yeah, don't do what I did and try to copy an athlete's plan with glycerol for the lolz. It's not a good time.
The RUclips channel, Institute of Human Anatomy, had an extremely informative video about Creatine not too long ago. It's role in the production of ATP is crucial. Thank you for your video as well Adam!
Love your stuff man. While getting my undergrad at University of Missouri-KC, I used the campus gym five days a week and would take a 5g daily dose of creatine HCL from Raw Labs. Never in my life had I found myself wanting to document how crazy of a pump I would get following the completion of my workouts. It's been a few years since then and I've significantly....deflated. However, I just started lifting again yesterday and now I see this!! The universe works in mysterious ways.
I was really skeptical of taking creatine at first but after seeing the overwhelming number of studies in support of it I gave in and bought some. The thing is, if youre not loading (which I recommend, taking 20g a day is a bit too much) the strength effects come slowly, though I can testify about the thirst. However the effects are noticable despite the fact that they come slowly. I managed to break a plateau and the length of my workouts and the reps done every set increased in general. After 2 years, a couple months ago actually, I stopped taking it because I went abroad and forgot my bag at home. And in the same way, the effects slowly disappeared over a week. I felt a little sluggish, maybe tired all the time. Not enough to ruin my vacation, but just enough to make me slightly uncomfortable and annoyed. I found that it really doesnt matter what brand you choose. Wether you buy something really expensive or really cheap, it has the same effect, so long as you look on the back and take an appropriate dose. 5g of creatine max a day is enough for anyone under 100kg with a decent bf. also my doctor said it was okay :3
Thank you! I've avoided creatine because it seemed too good to be true in a lot of ways, but this breakdown helped. I'm so glad you're covering a bit of fitness stuff now.
I've never noticed the increase in strength you describe, as in being able to lift more weight or things feeling lighter than before. I have however noticed the extra rep or two I can squeeze in at the end of a set, and the ability to squeeze in an extra set without feeling as fatigued as previously. I also notice one hell of a pump and faster recovery/ less soreness.
Thing is, creatine is essentially a fuel source. Taking creatine just means having more of that fuel available. In fact, outside of this video, I've always seen it described as a way to increase your stamina rather than strength. That said, someone's creatine level could be low enough to hinder their strength, and the supplement would be overcoming that deficit.
I've been lifting weights since I was 12 and am now pushing 50. I've tried creatine many times and never really felt a huge difference in performance to justify constantly use it. Most of my lifting has been centered around powerlifting which means low reps and long rest periods. I tried it once during an endurance period where I was doing supersets for several months. I did one month without and then one month with. When I used it then I felt like I recovered slightly faster between sets but it wasn't mind blowing like it was hyped up to be.
I took Creatine back in college Track and field. Did nothing for me either, and I was a Decathlete. I did every fast twitch movement under the sun. I transferred into Powerlifting after college but never bothered with creatine. Great to hear you're still lifting.
I'm not sure it's quite as high as 10% I've never seen studies claiming that but creatine does work it requires regular usage, just using it occasionally has minimal benefit.
Hey Adam I'm glad you mentioned the potential danger to kidneys by taking too much. About 15 years ago I was on a hard labor job and I was working out after work and I started taking creatine. I absolutely noticed the difference my arms got bigger and my short burst energy at work was improved. Problem was that made me stupidly take more than I probably should have and I did end up in the hospital with kidney stones Sydney stones. The surgeon explained that it was most likely the creative. It wasn't conclusive. That being said I stopped taking creatine at that point but you've got me reconsidering it But perhaps we could look at the correlation of Is creatine and kidney stones?
Creatine and kidney stones are more of a correlation rather than a causation. Regular Creatine supplementation means you need to drink a LOT more water. Without more water, it will increase the risk of kidney stones. So creatine =/= kidney stones, but Creatine without enough water = kidney stones. Especially if you took too much, it can definitely dehydrate you. You should really just be taking around 5g per day, maybe up to 10g for a single week to load if you want the effects quicker. TLDR: Like most things, drinking water will help.
I never really noticed a huge strength gain with creatine, but as others have said, my recovery is much quicker, meaning I can get more reps and more sets in, and am less likely to skip the gym over soreness.
This video came along at the right time for me. I’ve been working out at home since the start of the pandemic and I’ve seen some good results. I’ve been using the same brand of protein powder you showed in the video. I have a friend who only recently started working out but using creatine. I must say his results seem to be outpacing mine. I know there are many many variables that need to be accounted for but I’m going to talk to my doctor about creatine. Thanks for the great video as always!
I don't think it's just creatine , it does help but genetic factors pay a big role. Some people lose muscles when they start working out, some gain them at an insane right. Not only that, you're born with a genetic limit on how much bigger you can get, no matter the PEDs . Start creatine but don't expect crazy results, for one it needs to be saturated in the muscles over time, you can also try creatine loading
I just turned 42, 145lb, and started creating regularly for the first time a couple months ago. I’ve been lifting with regularity since I was 18 or so and never had my 1 rep bench max above 240 or so. I just built a simple home gym and decided to lift until failure with all the weights I have, which is 205. I was astonished when I pumped out 12 reps. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was capable of that, especially at this stage of life. I credit this to creatine. I can’t wait to find more weight and find out my official max!
I was a skinny dork my whole life and really unable to put on much mass, but when I started taking creatine, I instantly put on 15-20 pounds. Love that shit.
Another fitness food video idea that I'd love to see you cover: Greek yogurt, what's the water on top that isn't there when you first open the package, but is every subsequent time. Should you pour it out or mix it back in?
@@TheHookUp the water will reabsorb with time. The reason it isn't there is simply because of the time it takes for the yogurt to reach your house from production. Source: Thixotropy is a property of yogurt. Sorta like some types of honey.
9:20 It is believed that people who don't respond to Creatine supplementation already have a naturally high level of creatine in their bodies. Their bodies naturally produce enough Creative to maintain levels at or near saturation.
Creatine has been shown in studies to benefit endurance athletes to a higher degree than "short bursts" as was described in the video. It's been shown to benefit the heart as well, it's naturally found in foods like steak. But a very very important factor to remember is to drink plenty of water throughout the day while supplementing with creatine. This is in part due to the process by which it works - muscle is made mostly of what by volume? All of this info is open source and available to easily look up, and as the guy said in this rando feed video, its been around for decades and studied
I tried a pre-made creatine drink, to help my endurance during kung-fu classes. The first thing I noticed was a near immediate drop in blood sugar. I've been hypoglycemic for a long time. It may be that the creatine was pulling a bunch of water into my muscles, but the feeling was the same as sudden low blood-sugar. A quick candy bar pulled me up from being so wobbly. I think creatine is great and it doesn't sound like people have health problems from it. I wish I could be sure it doesn't affect my blood sugar. Does any of the literature measure blood sugar?
I watched this while having my creatine laced protein shake. I started working out regularly at home in January and I found that creatine helped me to lift more and recover faster. I did research it before hand as there is a lot of snake oil out there, but it does the trick and it's a nice sweet treat after exercise (I am also not an athlete). I'm glad your research matched up with mine. Also hi-five for working out in a disused bit of the house that no one wants, we are the true heroes.
Creatine does in fact bust down sexual style. I actually started taking it for its osmolytic properties I had a surgery that left me with a bunch of loose muscle. So filling that muscle with water(and energy) helped me recover faster than I would have otherwise. I'm sure he addresses this but it will elevate your creatinine. I just had a blood panel and the only thing outside of the reference range was creatinine and only by a small margin. (0.66-1.25mg/dl reference range I'm 1.3mg/dl) Beyond that, the amino acid thing has always fucked with me, cuz it's literally three amino acids and a phosphate group. So I've literally heard it described as an amino acid, a protein, a peptide, and just as a phosphate donor. I am certain it is far more clear than this but boy howdy does the fitness industry not make it so.
I'm unfortunately part of that small % that does not respond to Creatine. The real strange part is that after like a month or two, the powder was making me sick. I thought (and still do) that it was psychosomatic, that is to say all in my head. I would mix the powder with my water, down the drink, and immediately feel nauseous. I switched to pill form and the nausea went away. Same brand, same kind of Creatine monohydrate. After a few periods of being on and off I stopped after figuring out it wasn't doing anything for me.
I’ve heard that those who don’t respond may either produce enough or are resistant to low doses, but I’m not completely sure. It’s not that big of a deal though the effects are certainly over hyped.
I needed a moment to remember that this was a fitness video and that Adam’s use of Cr in powder was not a reference to the chemical element chromium, for which Cr is the symbol. It’s a good reminder as to Adam’s podcast commentary regarding research and wording for his video scripts.
Personal anecdote: Used to do creatine monohydrate (creapure), didn't notice a difference because I basically just took it as I started lifting. And it was hard to distinguish between newbie gains and the effects of creatine. It was my basic supplement every time I got back into it but I did stop taking any supplement at one point because I felt like it. Fast forward to early 2022. I was fully detrained. I got back into lifting by just doing the "big three" and I grew back lost muscle just from how your muscle's myonuclei survive atrophy. No creatine or anything. That really motivated me to bump up my training volume and eventually, get back into using creatine monohydrate after all. I know you don't need to load it but I did it anyway. Anyway, the results were like night and day after 5 days of loading. I added 15-20 kgs to my squat in 2 weeks. Shot back up to 107,5 kg in a 5x5 routine (at a bodyweight of 68 kg). Part of it was me knowing what I'm doing, having squatted way more than that in the past, and my body just remembering. But the rate of progress post creatine was bizarly fast, much moreso than before. It has tempered since, of course, but the results speak for themselves. The liftts felt way more effortless.
Thanks for tuning me into myonuclei retention; I used to workout pretty heavily a few years ago, until the love bug bit me and I came down with a hard case of love & marriage. Haha, I just started working out about a month ago and already I've noticed I'm lifting about 90% of the weights I used to, with a healthy layer of chub on top. Was actually pretty shocked, and this in some part may explain it.
@@malcolm_in_the_middle I only did just the big 3 when I got back into it for the first month. I couldn't be bothered diving head first into a full routine. I figured doing some movements is better than none and I just did what I enjoyed. As I got results, I was motivated to do more, which turned into a proper routine. I've been doing a full, 4 day, push/pull split routine. Including weighted pull-ups on the pull days. One day high volume (4x12, to failure on last set. One day high intensity (3x4-6).
Always been curious about the truth, effect and efficacy of Creatine, such an insightful video, also LOVE how inclusive you are of different diets and lifestyle choices!!
Mix creative in warm/hot water, it dissolves better. I used to mix it with milkshake out of refrigerator and had severe bloating especially in my face. After I started mixing in warm water it went away.
I love that you subtly support the strength/fitness lifestyle, as opposed to to just the "food network" lifestyle. Creatine is the real deal, and your lifting "hinting" in past videos suggests that you are dedicated to actually helping people be the healthiest, strongest version of themselves. Much love Adam!
Creatine doesn’t help with the “anaerobic” energy system per se. The ATP-CP system, while technically anaerobic, is it’s own system and you are correct that it provides energy for short bursts, such as max lifts or sprints. The anaerobic system relies on glycolysis, which is the rapid breakdown of glucose molecules into pyruvate and then lactate, good for about 90-120 seconds of high intensity, but sub-maximal work.
I remember looking ´´puffy´´ when i was on creatine. My muscles just kinda inflated as an effect of water retention, i almost instantly got bigger, more ´´swole´´ as an effect. I also remember every guy at my gym looking the same, probably all for the same reason. But i didn´t really notice any strenght gain, so i stopped taking it after two months and immediately shrunk back down.
I stopped taking creatine in an effort to increase my weight loss. I was taking it to both maintain muscle and increase DHT (I don't know how effective it really is for that, but there's some evidence it might), Yes, I know losing muscle weight isn't the best way to drop pounds, but while trying to get below maximum bmi for surgery, what I lose is less important.
Creatine works extremely well for me doing deadlifts and sprints. My sprint times noticeably improve with creatine use. It's not as effective in doing high volume low weight stuff, at least in my insignificant anecdotal experience, yet I could instantly see strength gains in my heavier, more intense lifts (i do statistical analysis of my training, because why not, and it's cool to plot charts and stuff showing your performance improvements over time). Regardless: skip the loading phase, use 5g a day (normally a scoop) and don't "cycle" it. Finally, it doesn't really matter whether you use it before or after Training, except in the case where you haven't reached peak saturation yet. Then it's better after (or before? Can't remember) i beleive, but I'm about 51% sure after. I just drink it plain with water at night. Some poeple use cranberry juice, some in shakes etc. Doesn't really matter. Use sugar if you want with it, the data isn't conclusive on what to take with it. And i believe the timing and what to take with it does little to nothing. Stressing about it probably does more harm than good. (Just an engineer/nerd optimising things as per usual)
anecdotal: started a diet at the same time I started creatine and I actually was able to maintain my lifts/slightly increase even while losing weight. normally I'd get weaker. gained a couple pounds of water weight though. and I was counting calories- Ive done this before.
Adam, you're one of the most logical, just-the-facts creators on RUclips. I enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from you. If you'd allow me as an English major to offer one small pet peeve of mine for your consideration: The word 'processes' is not pronounced 'prä-ˌ -sə- , -ˌsēz'. Lots of folks (mainly educated folks) goof this because the word 'process' sounds like some -sis words from Greek which would get an '-ease' sound on the plural, like 'thesis', 'axis', or 'crisis'. The word 'process' isn't like those, as you probably know, and its plural is pronounced 'prä-ˌse-səz'.
I take creatine for the purported muscle recovery benefits even though I don't lift much in the way of weights. I cycle, like a lot, primarily because I truly enjoy it and find it a great way to ingest many an audiobook/podcast. After long rides, I noticed, pre-creatine, my quads especially would take about 2-3 days to get back to normal levels of strength. This is purely anecdotal, but post-creatine, it takes about a day. Doesn't really seem to impact the DOMS I very occasionally suffer from. I also noticed that I can push much harder when doing squats and lunges in the evening, after doing a ride early in the morning.
Creatine doesn't really do anything for DOMS because DOMS is a necessary part of building muscle. You're better off just taking Tylenol for DOMS. It's good for power, not endurance.
Anecdotally I did experience some hair thinning on creatine. When I stopped taking it my hair did grow back fuller. I realize this isn't scientific or anything, just my (and many others') experience. I wish there was more published research on it outside of that one dated Rugby study.
There are far too many factors in life, mainly stress, that thin hair. If using creatine correlates with greater stress in your life, you'll have hair thinning no matter what If your hair truly improved relative to before using it, then it's probably entirely a coincidence
@@phosphate66 I did say it was anecdotal. There's plenty of people on both sides. The current consensus is: More research is needed. If you are pre-disposed genetically to lose hair, then it is _possible_ creatine will expedite that process. More research is needed. If not, then you are totally fine in this regard, which might explain why there are so many differing experiences. More research is needed.
I started making baked oats with unflavored protein powder it’s been a revelation. Cake for breakfast. Recipe below if anyone’s interested: 15 grams protein powder 40 grams oat flour I use 1 scoop of fiber powder 1 tsp vanilla Pinch salt 1 banana mashed in Bit of almond milk just to bring it together Spices, cocoa powder, etc. for flavors 35 grams pbfit drizzled on top 85 grams nonfat yogurt on top 600 calories, 48 protein, 93 carbs, 9 grams fat
There is one downside to creatine. It looks like it can raise men's DHT levels a little bit, but the research on this is limited right now. Now high DHT levels are good for men's overall health (except maybe prostate issues), but it is also the main mechanism of male pattern hair loss. For most people, this isn't a problem, as a little rise in DHT won't do much. But if you're an edge case where you're just barely below the threshold of losing your hair, creatine might bump you up to faster hair loss. I'm apparently one of those edge cases. Just a month or two after taking it I noticed I seemed to be losing hair. I've stopped the creatine, but I'm not getting the little bit of hair I lost on my temples back. The hair loss has slowed the months since, so anecdotally it appears the creatine was a factor. I'll probably start taking it again once my hair loss is far enough I don't care about losing more hair, because it's not that the creatine is causing my hair loss so much as accelerating what's already going to happen. If you're not prone to hair loss already, you don't need to worry. It doesn't "cause" hair loss like steroids do, it only furthers hair loss that was going to happen.
I had major issues with hair loss when I was taking it. I stopped. I'm now taking Saw Palmetto and occasionally using the crude oil scalp treatments recommended by Edgar Cayce. The hair is slowly starting to come back.
reminds me of a comment I read on picturefits video about creatine: I wanted to try creatine again as it was the only supplement which actually made my muscles fuller and even increased my lifts. So, found out that ketoconazole shampoo blocks the DHTS effect on hair. Been using creatine & ketoconazole shampoo for 1.5 years and my hair remains the same.
Note: for normal healthy people. The metabolism of creatine is creatinine, which then take kidney to dispose. If someone have kidney problem, it is not wise to use it. As Adam repeatedly said in the video, you shall ask your doctor before start taking it. Kidney problem usually doesn't occur immediately, it only occur when the person is in terminal phase, but doctor can test your blood to determine whether your kidney is still up to it.
Oh shit. I responded extremely well to creatine, as a woman. My strength grew immensely. I went from using 5-7.5 lb dumbbells to benching 90lbs and squatting 145. I can leg press 315. If you're a woman and you're interested in getting fit and strong, I would recommend at least trying to cycle creatine once or twice. The comments below talk about not cycling, but you may consider it if you're like me and find your clothes fitting tighter when you're using creatine than when you're not.
There’s no need to cycle it ffs... Just take it regularly. The reason creatine works is because it titrates up inside the body over time. Which is why loading is also pointless.
@@Icenflamesrush you could get across a lot more effectively if you'd just be chill about the info you're putting out... Meanwhile, you don't consider that I cycle because I don't like looking bloated/fluffy from the water retention all of the time, but w/e man.
@@yuordreams you’re projecting hardcore... Also, creatine doesn’t cause subcutaneous water retention. Creatine would pull water into your muscles, making you look leaner if anything. If you’re experiencing bloating it’s likely caused by something else.
@@Icenflamesrush Regardless of whether the liquid is pulled into the muscles or subcutaneously, my clothes. Fit. Differently. You don't see how you come off as aggressive/arrogant when you end a sentence with "ffs"? 🙄 Bro, consider that you're mad at me for mentioning that creatine affects how my clothes fit.
really good video, thanks! Couple of things I've found interesting about creatine that you didn't touch on: - There are genetic differences in baseline levels of creatine kinase which may explain some difference in athletic performance among genetic groups. Those differences in levels also indicate (which I think is generally backed up anecdotally) a reduced response or straight up no need/benefit to supplementing creatine. This could even explain the 'non-responder' phenomenon you alluded to. I first heard about this genetic/racial difference on youTube, of course (South Indian creator I think), but he cited studies and the data/measurements are there. -creatine is used in all cells, including the brain. which makes the supplement even more super-powered. This also means some more-excitatory mental illness sufferers need to be careful and aware when supplementing creatine. bipolar and schizophrenia come to mind. creatine can in some cases induce mania. That said, it can also be beneficial in depression, ADHD, and bipolar still. All about proper cellular energy. here as well, the elderly can benefit greatly from creatine supplementation. Cheers!
...Making a note particularly of that second half, as someone who does have ADHD. I was already contemplating trying out creatine after this video, since I *do* work a somewhat physically intensive job, but now I'm *really* considering it.
@@Hexagonaldonut I would encourage anyone to try it out for six months or so. More cellular energy is always a good thing. Energy makes the old feel young, the sick feel well, and the tired... You get the idea.
There's some evidence that creatine also enhances mental performance, especially in high-pressure scenarios that require accurate calculations or logical decision-making, such as a timed math test. There hasn't been a ton of research on this topic, but the studies that have been done seem compelling enough.
This study was done on vegetarians. Your gained benefits won't have the same improvement as them. We don't know if there will be any improvement at all since they didn't study the mental effects on meat eaters.
Kinda off topic, but this reminded me of a funny story from my third Iraq deployment from 2009-2010. That specific deployment wasn't as bad as my previous two deployments, so we actually had time to lift and eat somewhat decent. Well, one of our medics, this country ass dude from TN had been trying to lose weight and bulk up with muscle, and he had been taking a LOT of creatine (as well as lots of protein powder). So this one morning we're all making our way to the latrine area to conduct morning hygiene, and this guy is YELLOW. like BADLY YELLOW! and he doesn't know it! Lol me and two buddies ran into him in the hall and we're like DUDE. YOU'RE YELLOW AS F!! and the guy is confused, looks in the mirror, and says Well I be damned... I'm yeller'er than Homer Simpson!!! Come to find out from the chief medic, the guy hadn't been drinking enough water on top of the massive amount of creatine, protein, and he went totally jaundiced bc his liver and kidneys were compromised. Anyway, he got sent away to I think Germany it was... he was gone maybe a month or two, not that long, but when he came back he had lost an absurd amount of weight in a very short amount of time and he didn't really look healthy, despite him not being yellow anymore, but apparently the army felt he was still in good enough shape to continue serving and definitely to finish this deployment lol we started calling him homer after this, and we all had a good laugh.
I lifted for about a year and my bench max was stuck at 165. My goal was to hit 185. After about 2 weeks of taking creatine I hit 185. Then the next week I hit 205. A lot of progress in a short period of time just by taking this one supplement.
I just ordered creatine a few days ago and now I’m watching this video! Looks like I made a good decision. I have some severe health problems so I use a lot of different supplements to help support my energy and blood (under guidance of my rheumatologist, some of my supplements are prescription), my body doesn’t extract nutrients from food very well so I take supplements to “fix” that. I have been having a difficult time with my muscles and my creatine is on the low end so I’m hoping I notice a difference! So glad you made this video!
@@RebelRhiannon sorry to hear that, look into aspirin as well. It's not profitable to the industry but it's cheap and many more benefits than the well known one's even for serious conditions like yours
So anyway... I was intrigued by this. I ordered some creatine monohydrate. I'm 2 days through the initial ramp up. I just did my normal Bowflex workout, but added 10% extra weight just to see... That was the easiest workout in months. I need to add more weight to get to muscle failure. I'm kind of blown away by the effectiveness. I do feel a little weird. Not bad, but a little off. That may be adding in the Whey protein though. I'm not lactose intolerant to my knowledge but I also don't eat a lot of dairy so it may be that.
A couple of things to note that weren't mentioned. The loading phase can cause stomach discomfort as well as issues going #2. A good way to reduce stomach trouble is to FULLY dissolve the creatine before drinking, this takes forever in cold water but is fast in warm or hot water. I've taken to putting it in coffee for faster dissolving. I've heard that caffeine can blunt the benefits of creatine but am unsure if this is backed up by enough evidence.
Only if you drop weights or a not used to being barefoot. Otherwise it will strengthen your feet and give you a more stable lift. Just don’t drop the weights.
There is one side effect some people need to consider: It makes you retain more water which leads to a higher weight on the scale. So any athletes that have to compete in a weight class need to make a trade off between weighing more and being stronger.
Ooh, this sparked some part of my brain that once learned about boxers dehydrating themselves to stupid degrees in order to fit into lower weight classes
It makes you retain more water while "saturated", but I'd think you can still dehydrate yourself down to the same weight? (that's a question, I honestly don't know) anyways I've never seen any real noticeably weight gain from creatine, but I'm probably on the limit of overhydrating a lot of the time even off creatine.
You are already 70% water. At around 200lbs I contain about 18 gallons of water. Another 1/4 gallon retention (two pounds) is pretty neglible for 10% increase in strength. But yes, it IS a factor in some cases and Adam did mention the extra pounds on a scale (but not that it matters in particular to some sports)
@@tann_man As I said it's a trade off that needs to be considered. Individual results in strength and weight gained will varry and each sport has different demands.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Do you have anything that will reduce the size of my muscles? I'm a little too chiseled, and it's affecting my whisking.
Plenty of papers on creatine, but has anyone looked into the muscle building effects of cayenne?
Sound jacked
Chef John… I’ve been watching you since I was 13. What a legend you are
A liiiiittle bit of cayenne and some cold milk (no lumps) put it in your vessel of choice. Put the top on and give the OoOooOoOoooOoL Shakea-Shakea
I have a love for you deeper than you’ll ever know chef John. God bless
Speaking of fitness. A deep dive, Adam style, on protein powder would be amazing
Amen, cant wait
Yeah, I always wonder how whey protein is sourced- is it a cheese byproduct
@@JohnDotBomb yes it is
@@JohnDotBomb Kind of! It's just dried whey, which is the liquid stuff that floats to the top of (non-greek) yogurt. Greek yogurt is just yogurt with the whey drained.
YES PLEASE!
"This thing works"+"not an ad" is now my favorite combination of sentences.
I think you would greatly appreciate Hank green’s “miracle supplement” video about fiber. Very similar style
@@whitneyschmitney I hadn't seen that video but I did know about it. But yeah, these are the types of videos that just make life easier.
Creatine is like ATP, a source of energy (in the phosphorylated form) and can give you a burst of energy. It is rapidly recycled and should be safe. But excess external consumption can decrease the body's natural synthesis and recycling power. I do not know the exact extent but this is generally true whenever you take supplements on a regular basis. Hence the thing works is true but the long term effects may not be desirable.
This is basic info in the fitness community so yeah, it works + no need for an ad
@@whitneyschmitney What flour looks like cocaine, though? 😂
The disappointmentment when I discovered this wasn't a cocaine recipe is inmeasurable
And your day was ruined?
Great video Adam, another thing to note is that a small portion of the creatine in your body is converted to a harmless by-product called creatinine. If you take creatine, you will have a higher creatinine. Now, a high creatinine is not dangerous on it's own, but it does happen to be something that we routinely use to measure renal function. Therefore, if you get blood work done while taking creatine, it may (falsely) appear like you have poor kidney function. I would advise mentioning this to your physician if you decide to take creatinine and do get blood work done.
Thanks for pointing this out, that is a good thing to note
Bravo, friend.
thank you
Same happens if you do intense strength training one or two days before testing btw.
That is not true. Probide source
Adam leaning more and more into fitness / lifting is a beautiful thing
Slowly but surely
That form ain't tho
Avoid this product if ever had a gout attack.
MAYBE .. REMEMBER ... 'GRAVITY IS A BITCH' ... BLEW OUT 2 DISCS 30YRS AGO ... BUT HEY, GO AHEAD HERCULES
If he does that, i will unsubscribe. sick and tired of fitness nuts on RUclips
The older you get, the more useful creatine supplementation gets. Even if it's not enhancing strength, it seems to be quite good at helping to make your muscles mend faster after they've been damaged - not really a big problem for kids with their wolverine-style regeneration, but as we age our muscles can't take the beating they used to, and creatine helps with that. Definitely can be a plus, even if you're not looking to bulk up or add strength.
on the other hand, if you consume a lot, they will burn your body faster. as you age, the metabolism slows down and you feel that. But if you take supplements and keep the metabolism going at the same rate, some parts are going to suffer faster.
@@janami-dharmam yeah. it's a balancing act. getting old sucks.
thats why you eat alot of yummy beef
The replies are very wholesome to this comment
@@janami-dharmam Seems like a lot of longetivity suggestions involving 'living less' - sleeping more, eating less often... It's like we have a limited number of turns 😀
In the land of insanity that is the internet, Adam’s content is always refreshingly calm, to the point, well researched, and without ego, sarcasm, anger, or condescension. We need more creators like him.
He's come a long way from screaming into the mic and shaking the cam lmfao Adam is going places
To me he sounds constantly annoyed. A guy in tune with us commenters
Couldn’t agree more.
Check out Hybrid Calisthenics and Movement by David for truly ‘wholesome’ fitness content.
As long as you don't ask him to cook chili the CORRECT WAY( with meat ), his stuff is good.
The first thing I thought of in response to creatine no longer having an effect when you stop taking it is caffeine. Not only does it no longer affect you when you stop consuming it, it very likely will cause withdrawal symptoms, and yet most people consume it daily, including as a sports supplement. Creatine already has a leg up by just no longer helping, not actively hurting with its absence
I cant believe that the guy who used to tell me how to cook pasta, make a tasty Lasagna and why it is good to wash rice is now explaining creatine to me.
I take it since 10 years now in a period of 5-6 months and i always appreciate the rapid results i get when working out. Adam explained everything quite accurate.
My morning routine consists of mixing about 1 cup (250 grams) of plain yogurt with 30 grams (unflavored) whey (About a scoop), 5g of creatine and 30 grams of granola. If yogurt and granola is something you like, this combination basically makes the whey and creatine disappear in terms of flavor/texture, as well as giving a little bit of carbs to aid in the creatine absorption. I personally find it much more palatable than any protein shake I've ever had, despite having relatively little sugar in it.
Sounds incredibly bland. Where does the flavor come in
@@KvltKommando un sugared yogurt can be flavorful. But he also mentioned granola, which is quite flavorful
@@enriquegarciacota3914 he said plain yogurt. About as bland as it gets, plain granola also really bland and not really that good for you either
@@KvltKommando That is what I mean. Plain yogurt. Unsugared. It has a clear acid taste. He didn't say plain granola, just granola. As far as I know plain granola does not exist. But it is usually both salty and sweet.
@@enriquegarciacota3914granola has almost no taste hence why most preparations of contain honey. Plain yogurt should include honey anyway it's anabolic and good carbs
I commented about creatine a few videos ago, I'm currently on creatine I found that the strength and size gains from creatine to be pretty negligible but it made my muscles recover blisteringly fast and I'm nowhere near as sore afterwards even though I train either to or close to muscular failure on pretty much all sets, I love it (yes I do warmup sets I don't just go to the gym slap on the highest weight I use and do my working sets right away), also creatine works differently for everyone, if you start creatine you'll most likely get different results, I know someone who didn't notice a thing after using creatine for some time so he stopped
Blistering fast 🤣🤣🤣
@@4ndy123 I don't do full body everyday I do push pull legs and I take proper rest times between sets, I just found that the day after I workout I don't feel like I'm paralyzed or something
that's what it's supposed to to.
it's supposed to increase recovery time and delay the onset of muscle fatigue.
taking creatine if you aren't active , does nothing (except put your kidneys under pressure ) .
Oh yeah I don’t know that I had heard about the 10% strain increase, The reason that I have taken creatine was for faster recovery aswell
I briefly tried creatine and the boost was real but my skin broke out so bad all over my torso the entire time I took it. Wasn't worth it imo.
When I was training 20 years ago it really helped with muscle fatigue and soreness. It seemed to me that my recovery time was quicker. Really respect how you make your videos. Don't always agree and when I don't agree usually 5 to 10 minutes later in the video after you geek out and explain I usually agree. I'm not saying that because I think you should change anything or that my opinion matters. just letting you know the effort you put into your videos has changed my opinion on several things.
Being able to accept when you're wrong, and adjust your opinion based on new information, is a very good trait to have.
This is one of my favorite RUclips comment's
@@confederatetearsaredelicious Being stupid enough to hold an uninformed opinion that requires someone to 'geek out' before you end up changing your mind is a very bad trait to have.
@@blahbleh5671 I've held plenty of uninformed opinions. No one can know absolutely everything. It's about how you respond to new information.
@@blahbleh5671 Being humble in your self and your knowledge is a trait you should probably learn to cultivate more of.
One thing to note is that although creatine is present in meat, it is denatured during cooking.
at what temperature?
@@quarkraven as low as 239°F (115°C). The specific amount of creatine that breaks down into creatinine due to heat varies based on the cooking duration and heat above 115°C. Cooking methods like frying may result in more break down of creatine due to the high heat when compared to other cooking methods such as boiling.
@@erikb4407 a medium steak is about 135 degrees. no break down except on the surface.
Last month i had a class in uni where we talked about creatine so some quick info. Creatine in general helps when the body needs short bursts of energy for quick but powerful contractions(more than 65% of muscle strength although it really kicks off with 80%+). Creatine also pulls water towards your muscles making them bigger and therefore stronger although this strength is but an illusion that will fade away the moment you stop taking creatine. The real good stuff is that your muscles get tired much slower allowing you to do more exercise thus gaining real muscle strength instead of just the muscle being bigger because of water
I now know Adam is becoming a total gym bro channel. Not because he made a video about creatine, but because he is being sponsored by Magic Spoon.
IDK man, the other channel I see pushing magic spoon does Dungeons and Dragons skits. :)
Magic spoon tastes like a$$. I’m sorry, Adam. I’m really trying to protect people from purchasing a product that is expensive and tastes so bad.
@@Chicky.Treats and why MILK protein
@@Chicky.Treats To each their own. I've tried a few of the flavors and they seem fine to me.
@@Chicky.Treats I like how magic spoon tastes personally or at the very least don't mind it. However, I really dislike the texture. It just gets caught in my teeth and stuff and never has like that real crisp crunch that cereal I like has. I got one order of 4 boxes from them and while I didn't hate it I wouldn't get it again between cost and texture and stuff.
I used it for years with great results. However. I am a "stone former" (was diagnosed after trying to donate a kidney). After passing a 6mm stone I stopped all supplementation. I haven't had a large stone in 15 years. I was taking a ton of vitamins/minerals throughout the day too. Not sure if the cessastion of large stones can be attributed to the lack of micro-particulates in my urine, or possible by-products of creatine metabolisis. Not willing to "research" the topic again! My two cents, for anyone who may suffer from kidney stones.
I know people prone to nephrosis and can’t have creatine
I drink 5 liters of water every gym session, how much water have you drank per session?
@@dramir5953 that's an insane amount of water, how long are your sessions?
@@dramir5953 5 liters?!
@@Demoniodg Do your gym sessions last all day there?
I was expecting you to talk about this but didn’t hear it. Some recent studies have been looking at using creatine to help people with degenerative muscle diseases. Because it increases muscle strength, it may allow those people to do muscle therapy when they would normally be to weak. So far the outlook is more that it helps slow the degeneration and not stopping or reversing it, but even that is worth it
Thanks for sharing this!
MY GYM TEACHER USED TO SNORT HIS CREATINE IN HIS OFFICE...I SAW HIM ONCE AND HE GOT ANGRY AND TOLD ME TO LEAVE
Why are you writing in all caps it aint that funny
And how did that make you feel?
Thank you for finally explaining this in a sensible manner. Every gym I've been to in the last few years has people shilling various powders and mixes, but having a simple breakdown with just what is needed and what it does is great. Now I'm equal parts excited to hit the gym again but angry I left gains on the table because everyone wanted to sell me a buncha BS with bad explanations.
I love the fresh perspective Adam gives to fitness content thanks to his primary focus as a food expert and amateur historian.
True, Ragussy makes some good videos.
Ironically, his history is in journalism and music. He never intended to become a food youtuber but here we are.
Although it's not really amateur any more. He makes a decent living from these videos. He did a podcast episode where he went into some of the details of the economics, without giving out all his numbers.
Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives salvation to everyone who has faith in him. True faith in Jesus will have you bear good fruit and *drastically* change for the better! Those led by the Holy Spirit do not abide in wickedness.
*God is ONE manifesting himself as THREE;* the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Bless him! *For these three are one.*
As I am led by the Holy Spirit, nothing I state is a lie, but the truth of God. Anyone who tells you differently is misinformed or a liar. They do not know God, nor led by him.
Anyone who *claims* to be a Christian and is against what I am doing, and where I am doing it; the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them, they lack understanding. They know not God, read his word, and their religion is in vain. Do not hear them, they will mislead you, the lost cannot guide the lost.
When you trust in God and cast your cares (worries, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts) upon him, they will be NO MORE!
Know that there is power in the name Jesus Christ! His name casts out demons and heals!
The world is wicked, evil, and of the devil.
I too, was a wicked sinner of the world before I opened my heart to God. I am living proof of God's work and fruitfulness! He is an active God who hears the prayers of his! God's children are set apart (holy) and righteous. The devil is a liar that comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy; that includes your relationship with God.
Creatine is the real deal. It was a game changer for me, especially because I don't consume much red meat and fish
I think the issue with a lot of supplements like creatine is that it help people that are already strong get stronger rather than people that struggle. There's a reason strong people are hyper responders to everything like that
Doesn't creatine accelerate balding?
@@jaffacalling53 most likely not
@@jaffacalling53 Nah there was one study that actually found a correlation with the two but the men taking it took 20g a day (more than 4 times the daily does) and was taking it over a few weeks
@@jaffacalling53 That's steroids.
I love you Adam theres not many people who have managed to change my mind - you got me into cooking, the skinny omelet and white wine mussels are amazing - ill no longer be ignoring the good news of creatine
This is fantastic. There's so much confusion and utter nonsense in workout supplementation, that a reliable source that has actually gone through the trouble of breaking things down and putting them back together in a logical manner is tremendous. You should do an entire series (or subseries) on exactly that: shooting holes through the bullshit and talking about what works. And if creatine is the only thing that works, maybe that's all it needs to say.
USADA already did when they started testing UFC fighters. Apparently the only supplements that work are the ones illegally tainted with steroids lol. They found a LOT of them. IT doesn't tell you on the label but sometimes it's in there!!! So be wary..........
I started using creatine monohydrate a few months back and I've had absolutely amazing results. Losing fat, building bigger looking muscles, and setting personal records every few weeks. I am very consistent with lifting which is obviously a bigger part of it but there is no doubt for me that it makes an enormous difference
That opening bit is INSANE
Honestly lmao
Great video!!! You could make a video showing a ways to cook clean food in bulk and what can be done to keep that food tasty!
Not gonna lie, my brain assumed that the "white powder that's safe" was gonna be flour. For a moment, I even assumed it was one of those high protein flours you can get. But hey, glad to know I could get my hands on this stuff. And who knows, it might help me in ways I don't expect.
I was totally expecting Adam to fake us out and say it was flour, too.
I thought salt 😂
I thought sugar!
I saw "Cr" and thought it was gonna be chromium (the element), lol.
I expected powdered milk.
Just know you are in the top 0.01% of creators imo. Every video I watch from you is so well made start to finish and I don't know if you have an editor or not but it is all put together in just the right order. Thanks for the quality content!!!
Thank you Adam, for always providing us with evidence based discussions such as these. Most content creators will just open the first article that pops up on google and mindlessly spout off whatever is listed on there and call it a day, but never you! I really appreciate it man.
I remember in high school back in the stone age our gym teacher and football coach wasn't a fan. Said that all it did was retain water and "fluff up" your muscles. But now added hydration is a nice side affect. Creatine and Carnitine are basically the only "fitness" supplements I buy. Anecdotally they seems to work, I think I've retained more muscle and overall healthy body composition through bouts of missing the gym since adding them during covid. Wish I had been more informed in college
It def does retain water, its nice but your better just getting the amount you need from red meat and fish.
@@GavinLawrence747 Unfortunately some of us have medical conditions that mean we need to limit our intake of red meat and fish.
@@GavinLawrence747 you would have to eat 2 pounds of beef a day for the recommended dose of creatine, which for some people isn't even enough
@@GavinLawrence747 That works for a professional who can afford to eat all day long.
@@GavinLawrence747 I'm vegan, because I want decrease animal suffering and protect the environment. This means I can't get my vitamin B12 from meat, but I get it in my fortified soy milk. I'm totally fine with adding synthetic creatine to my diet, it sounds great!
Love the Renaissance Periodization shirt, Such a great source of fitness information.
Thank you for this Adam, i have recently taken up strength training (in part thanks to your first video on it) and after 4 weeks i feel massively stronger. Im loosing fat and holding weight and gained more muscle than i tought i would ever have. I always tought ill of all the supplements advertised, but slowly started with whey protein, then BCAA, then magnesium supps. Didnt know what creatine did til now. Thanks, its in my cart.
Just butting in but (and i encourage you to do your own research on the topic) BCAA's are pretty much a waste of money, unless you are vegetarian or have some weird dietary restrictions. They won't hurt you, but they probably are just empty calories for you.
losing
@@elmaster65 litterally no calories. litterally just amino acids for the body to take up when it needs it most. Little substantial research bave been made on the subject, but nowhere has any research said it does nothing. It is amino acids the body needs. Any extra the body cant take up is excreted. There is no downside, and it cost me $8 for a years supply.
@@Shoob__ come again?
@@jrep year supply of bcaa's for 8 bucks? Do what? I can't even get a years supply of salt for 8 bucks
I know that "undisclosed" whey powder at 3:54 is used by so many people but it's cool to see Adam using the exact same powder as I do.
One of the few adds on RUclips that is actually worth promoting. Great content as usual.
I'd love to see an episode on glycerol, the stuff used to preserve things. I've used it before to help me retain water, since I used to have a really big problem with thirst in the middle of the night and it did help with that and I read a study about using glycerol for fermented foods. It's also used to stabilize egg foam, I believe?
Either way, I'd love a video on glycerol. I grew to abhor the taste after using it for several months, but I might take it in more moderate amounts again.
That's interesting, i have a thirst problem as well most of the time, sometimes i have to wake up and take a drink because my mouth is parched. How is glycerin usually ingested?
@@fowad27 Well, the way I used it is basically as a sweetener. I would just add it to my drinks. Make sure that you get food grade glycerol, by the way. If you buy food grade glycerol, you'll often get these tiny bottles that are for stabilizing egg foams, which is really expensive for such a basic ingredient. Instead, I went on the prowl for a chemistry shop and I found one where I live in the Netherlands.
I also bought a special tooth paste and mouth wash that is supposed to help; The one I bought I bought at the apothecary. It won't help with your body's first, but it might help keep your mouth from parching up like mine did.
I should also note; One day, my parched mouth just kind of stopped. I don't know what I changed and the answer might be anything from walking that little bit more to eating that little bit differently. It used to be that sleeping with any minute amount of draft would make my mornings hell, but I've recently slept in a foreign country buildings built to draft and I had absolutely no symptoms. That's not the glycerol, something just changed.
But when I did have it, the glycerol was nice.
It'd make sense for glycerin to help with retaining water. To oversimplify, it has 3 oxygens bound directly to 3 hydrogens, much like the bonds in water, and thanks to that similarity, it binds water.
To make it less oversimplified: glycerin has 3 hydroxyl-groups (-OH), which have the capability to create hydrogen bonds; the same bonds that water molecules create amongst themselves. These bonds are very strong - an order of magnitude stronger than even the bonds found in polar substances. (This is why water can stay liquid, despite its molecular weight being lower than a lot of gases.)
Glycerin likewise binds to water, and to itself, making it very good at retaining water, and also very viscous, since there are more of these bonds per molecule than in water.
Also, fermented foods and higher glycerin make sense for the same reason you might feel it tastes foul. Glycerin is made when fats are broken down. Most fats are some sort of glycerides - fatty acids bound to glycerin. Triglycerides (glycerin + 3 fatty acids) are generally what are in dietary fats. If those fats break down before you eat them, it's probably because of some bacteria getting to it and digesting it before you. That happens in fermentation, but more noticably (and far earlier) in spoiled food, which is why our body has, over time, developed our taste buds to detect free glycerin as something to avoid, and therefore, make it taste foul.
t. medical student who got a C on his biochemistry finals. Take everything I said with a handful of salt and please don't make decisions based off a RUclips comment.
@@hamham_6411 That makes sense. It is best to use a very small amount of this stuff.
Some athletes apparently try to saturate themselves with glycerol. I tried that for a week and boy; The flavor was easy enough in small volumes, but if you start drinking it in higher concentrations, it does take on a character of punishment that made me avoid it for years afterwards. I am still curious about it, though.
So yeah, don't do what I did and try to copy an athlete's plan with glycerol for the lolz. It's not a good time.
@@dvklaveren Use it at night so it doesn't conk you out. Lol. Glycine is a soporific.
The RUclips channel, Institute of Human Anatomy, had an extremely informative video about Creatine not too long ago. It's role in the production of ATP is crucial.
Thank you for your video as well Adam!
Love your stuff man. While getting my undergrad at University of Missouri-KC, I used the campus gym five days a week and would take a 5g daily dose of creatine HCL from Raw Labs. Never in my life had I found myself wanting to document how crazy of a pump I would get following the completion of my workouts. It's been a few years since then and I've significantly....deflated. However, I just started lifting again yesterday and now I see this!! The universe works in mysterious ways.
It's more like
Google's mind reading recommendation system works in mysterious ways
I was really skeptical of taking creatine at first but after seeing the overwhelming number of studies in support of it I gave in and bought some. The thing is, if youre not loading (which I recommend, taking 20g a day is a bit too much) the strength effects come slowly, though I can testify about the thirst. However the effects are noticable despite the fact that they come slowly. I managed to break a plateau and the length of my workouts and the reps done every set increased in general.
After 2 years, a couple months ago actually, I stopped taking it because I went abroad and forgot my bag at home. And in the same way, the effects slowly disappeared over a week. I felt a little sluggish, maybe tired all the time. Not enough to ruin my vacation, but just enough to make me slightly uncomfortable and annoyed.
I found that it really doesnt matter what brand you choose. Wether you buy something really expensive or really cheap, it has the same effect, so long as you look on the back and take an appropriate dose. 5g of creatine max a day is enough for anyone under 100kg with a decent bf.
also my doctor said it was okay :3
You changed my mind about creatin , because i know how passionate you are about the videos you make
Thank you! I've avoided creatine because it seemed too good to be true in a lot of ways, but this breakdown helped. I'm so glad you're covering a bit of fitness stuff now.
creatine barely does anything lmfao. U wont notice a difference when u take it
@@ThatsLifeDude I notice a huge difference. Plus my arms swell into cannons
@@GModBMXer have u been lifting only 1 year? the placebo is strong w u. its just creatine its not hard steroids
@@ThatsLifeDude are you slow?
@@ThatsLifeDude grow up
I've never noticed the increase in strength you describe, as in being able to lift more weight or things feeling lighter than before. I have however noticed the extra rep or two I can squeeze in at the end of a set, and the ability to squeeze in an extra set without feeling as fatigued as previously. I also notice one hell of a pump and faster recovery/ less soreness.
This has been exactly my experience, as well.
Does that not kind of imply you could have done more weight in the same rep range if you’re getting more reps at your normal loads?
Thing is, creatine is essentially a fuel source. Taking creatine just means having more of that fuel available. In fact, outside of this video, I've always seen it described as a way to increase your stamina rather than strength. That said, someone's creatine level could be low enough to hinder their strength, and the supplement would be overcoming that deficit.
I've been lifting weights since I was 12 and am now pushing 50. I've tried creatine many times and never really felt a huge difference in performance to justify constantly use it. Most of my lifting has been centered around powerlifting which means low reps and long rest periods. I tried it once during an endurance period where I was doing supersets for several months. I did one month without and then one month with. When I used it then I felt like I recovered slightly faster between sets but it wasn't mind blowing like it was hyped up to be.
Me too.. never found benefits but like you I do low reps due to having fibromyalgia
I took Creatine back in college Track and field. Did nothing for me either, and I was a Decathlete. I did every fast twitch movement under the sun. I transferred into Powerlifting after college but never bothered with creatine.
Great to hear you're still lifting.
Yeah unfortunately there's a small percentage of people that are non-responders to creatine
I'm not sure it's quite as high as 10% I've never seen studies claiming that but creatine does work it requires regular usage, just using it occasionally has minimal benefit.
there may be a genetic angle; everybody cannot process the stuff equally well.
Hey Adam I'm glad you mentioned the potential danger to kidneys by taking too much. About 15 years ago I was on a hard labor job and I was working out after work and I started taking creatine. I absolutely noticed the difference my arms got bigger and my short burst energy at work was improved. Problem was that made me stupidly take more than I probably should have and I did end up in the hospital with kidney stones Sydney stones. The surgeon explained that it was most likely the creative. It wasn't conclusive. That being said I stopped taking creatine at that point but you've got me reconsidering it But perhaps we could look at the correlation of Is creatine and kidney stones?
Creatine and kidney stones are more of a correlation rather than a causation. Regular Creatine supplementation means you need to drink a LOT more water. Without more water, it will increase the risk of kidney stones. So creatine =/= kidney stones, but Creatine without enough water = kidney stones. Especially if you took too much, it can definitely dehydrate you. You should really just be taking around 5g per day, maybe up to 10g for a single week to load if you want the effects quicker. TLDR: Like most things, drinking water will help.
It's been a while since I actively thought - "Wow... this is just a really good video."
Wow... this is just a really good video.
I like to think the thumbnail is adam spoonfeeding us this mystery powder, like we are some iron pumping infants
Fill my baabaa 🍼 with *muscle milk* Papa
- Us (probably)
I like that he chose to spoon feed us with a fork
I never really noticed a huge strength gain with creatine, but as others have said, my recovery is much quicker, meaning I can get more reps and more sets in, and am less likely to skip the gym over soreness.
This video came along at the right time for me.
I’ve been working out at home since the start of the pandemic and I’ve seen some good results. I’ve been using the same brand of protein powder you showed in the video.
I have a friend who only recently started working out but using creatine. I must say his results seem to be outpacing mine.
I know there are many many variables that need to be accounted for but I’m going to talk to my doctor about creatine.
Thanks for the great video as always!
I don't think it's just creatine , it does help but genetic factors pay a big role. Some people lose muscles when they start working out, some gain them at an insane right. Not only that, you're born with a genetic limit on how much bigger you can get, no matter the PEDs .
Start creatine but don't expect crazy results, for one it needs to be saturated in the muscles over time, you can also try creatine loading
I just turned 42, 145lb, and started creating regularly for the first time a couple months ago. I’ve been lifting with regularity since I was 18 or so and never had my 1 rep bench max above 240 or so. I just built a simple home gym and decided to lift until failure with all the weights I have, which is 205. I was astonished when I pumped out 12 reps. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was capable of that, especially at this stage of life. I credit this to creatine. I can’t wait to find more weight and find out my official max!
I was a skinny dork my whole life and really unable to put on much mass, but when I started taking creatine, I instantly put on 15-20 pounds. Love that shit.
Another fitness food video idea that I'd love to see you cover: Greek yogurt, what's the water on top that isn't there when you first open the package, but is every subsequent time. Should you pour it out or mix it back in?
Isn't that just separation?
@@penguindrum264 maybe, but why isn't it there when you fist open the package then?
It’s whey, it’s intended to be strained out of Greek yogurts. Also hi Rob, big fan
I also believe it's just separation. I normally drink it.
@@TheHookUp the water will reabsorb with time. The reason it isn't there is simply because of the time it takes for the yogurt to reach your house from production.
Source: Thixotropy is a property of yogurt. Sorta like some types of honey.
this is a certified hood classic
9:20 It is believed that people who don't respond to Creatine supplementation already have a naturally high level of creatine in their bodies. Their bodies naturally produce enough Creative to maintain levels at or near saturation.
Creatine has been shown in studies to benefit endurance athletes to a higher degree than "short bursts" as was described in the video. It's been shown to benefit the heart as well, it's naturally found in foods like steak. But a very very important factor to remember is to drink plenty of water throughout the day while supplementing with creatine. This is in part due to the process by which it works - muscle is made mostly of what by volume?
All of this info is open source and available to easily look up, and as the guy said in this rando feed video, its been around for decades and studied
I tried a pre-made creatine drink, to help my endurance during kung-fu classes. The first thing I noticed was a near immediate drop in blood sugar. I've been hypoglycemic for a long time. It may be that the creatine was pulling a bunch of water into my muscles, but the feeling was the same as sudden low blood-sugar. A quick candy bar pulled me up from being so wobbly. I think creatine is great and it doesn't sound like people have health problems from it. I wish I could be sure it doesn't affect my blood sugar. Does any of the literature measure blood sugar?
It does effect how you handle sugar, it has an effect on glut 4 (whatever that is )as far as I know and makes you better at handling sugar
Take citrulline instead.
I had the same experience
I watched this while having my creatine laced protein shake. I started working out regularly at home in January and I found that creatine helped me to lift more and recover faster. I did research it before hand as there is a lot of snake oil out there, but it does the trick and it's a nice sweet treat after exercise (I am also not an athlete). I'm glad your research matched up with mine. Also hi-five for working out in a disused bit of the house that no one wants, we are the true heroes.
i started working out in january too! cheers to progress brother
Creatine does in fact bust down sexual style.
I actually started taking it for its osmolytic properties I had a surgery that left me with a bunch of loose muscle. So filling that muscle with water(and energy) helped me recover faster than I would have otherwise.
I'm sure he addresses this but it will elevate your creatinine. I just had a blood panel and the only thing outside of the reference range was creatinine and only by a small margin. (0.66-1.25mg/dl reference range I'm 1.3mg/dl)
Beyond that, the amino acid thing has always fucked with me, cuz it's literally three amino acids and a phosphate group. So I've literally heard it described as an amino acid, a protein, a peptide, and just as a phosphate donor. I am certain it is far more clear than this but boy howdy does the fitness industry not make it so.
“Sexual style?”
nearly died reading the first sentence
@@BuiltInBrooklyn Yes, creatine is busting it down sexual style 7 days a week.
It is all of those 4. They're not mutually exclusive
@@Corzappy what does ‘bust down’ mean? lol
I'm unfortunately part of that small % that does not respond to Creatine. The real strange part is that after like a month or two, the powder was making me sick. I thought (and still do) that it was psychosomatic, that is to say all in my head. I would mix the powder with my water, down the drink, and immediately feel nauseous. I switched to pill form and the nausea went away. Same brand, same kind of Creatine monohydrate. After a few periods of being on and off I stopped after figuring out it wasn't doing anything for me.
I’ve heard that those who don’t respond may either produce enough or are resistant to low doses, but I’m not completely sure. It’s not that big of a deal though the effects are certainly over hyped.
Just wondering but does your body respond to caffeine
Man I really like your vibe, and it's great how you go the extra step of showing scientific research.
Also, looking great man
I am loving the slow addition of fitness content to your channel Adam, keep it up!
I needed a moment to remember that this was a fitness video and that Adam’s use of Cr in powder was not a reference to the chemical element chromium, for which Cr is the symbol.
It’s a good reminder as to Adam’s podcast commentary regarding research and wording for his video scripts.
Personal anecdote:
Used to do creatine monohydrate (creapure), didn't notice a difference because I basically just took it as I started lifting. And it was hard to distinguish between newbie gains and the effects of creatine. It was my basic supplement every time I got back into it but I did stop taking any supplement at one point because I felt like it.
Fast forward to early 2022. I was fully detrained. I got back into lifting by just doing the "big three" and I grew back lost muscle just from how your muscle's myonuclei survive atrophy. No creatine or anything. That really motivated me to bump up my training volume and eventually, get back into using creatine monohydrate after all. I know you don't need to load it but I did it anyway. Anyway, the results were like night and day after 5 days of loading. I added 15-20 kgs to my squat in 2 weeks. Shot back up to 107,5 kg in a 5x5 routine (at a bodyweight of 68 kg).
Part of it was me knowing what I'm doing, having squatted way more than that in the past, and my body just remembering. But the rate of progress post creatine was bizarly fast, much moreso than before. It has tempered since, of course, but the results speak for themselves. The liftts felt way more effortless.
Thanks for tuning me into myonuclei retention; I used to workout pretty heavily a few years ago, until the love bug bit me and I came down with a hard case of love & marriage. Haha, I just started working out about a month ago and already I've noticed I'm lifting about 90% of the weights I used to, with a healthy layer of chub on top. Was actually pretty shocked, and this in some part may explain it.
@@leenva hey don't beat yourself up about a dad bod
The big three being squat, deadlift and bench press? You should add in some pullups for those upper back gains.
@@malcolm_in_the_middle I only did just the big 3 when I got back into it for the first month. I couldn't be bothered diving head first into a full routine. I figured doing some movements is better than none and I just did what I enjoyed. As I got results, I was motivated to do more, which turned into a proper routine. I've been doing a full, 4 day, push/pull split routine. Including weighted pull-ups on the pull days. One day high volume (4x12, to failure on last set. One day high intensity (3x4-6).
@@leenva Good job though!
Those ad transitions. There were a great ones, but I think this is the next level
Lol, it was a clever and quirky one, lol
Always been curious about the truth, effect and efficacy of Creatine, such an insightful video, also LOVE how inclusive you are of different diets and lifestyle choices!!
Mix creative in warm/hot water, it dissolves better. I used to mix it with milkshake out of refrigerator and had severe bloating especially in my face. After I started mixing in warm water it went away.
I love that you subtly support the strength/fitness lifestyle, as opposed to to just the "food network" lifestyle. Creatine is the real deal, and your lifting "hinting" in past videos suggests that you are dedicated to actually helping people be the healthiest, strongest version of themselves. Much love Adam!
Love your videos Adam! Food science and exercise science: always a winner in my book
Thanks to you Adam not only have I gotten back into lifting, but I am now going to talk to my doctor about taking creatine
Lol I also found that funny. I don't know a single person who went to their doctor before starting creatine haha.
@@Tomiply I have a kidney filtration disorder that I was hospitalized for a few months before starting creatine and I wanted to be safe.
Adam’s channel is a must! You expect to learn cooking, but it’s so much more - from nutritional science, to history and even biology.
Creatine doesn’t help with the “anaerobic” energy system per se. The ATP-CP system, while technically anaerobic, is it’s own system and you are correct that it provides energy for short bursts, such as max lifts or sprints. The anaerobic system relies on glycolysis, which is the rapid breakdown of glucose molecules into pyruvate and then lactate, good for about 90-120 seconds of high intensity, but sub-maximal work.
I remember looking ´´puffy´´ when i was on creatine. My muscles just kinda inflated as an effect of water retention, i almost instantly got bigger, more ´´swole´´ as an effect. I also remember every guy at my gym looking the same, probably all for the same reason. But i didn´t really notice any strenght gain, so i stopped taking it after two months and immediately shrunk back down.
I stopped taking creatine in an effort to increase my weight loss. I was taking it to both maintain muscle and increase DHT (I don't know how effective it really is for that, but there's some evidence it might), Yes, I know losing muscle weight isn't the best way to drop pounds, but while trying to get below maximum bmi for surgery, what I lose is less important.
Creatine works extremely well for me doing deadlifts and sprints. My sprint times noticeably improve with creatine use. It's not as effective in doing high volume low weight stuff, at least in my insignificant anecdotal experience, yet I could instantly see strength gains in my heavier, more intense lifts (i do statistical analysis of my training, because why not, and it's cool to plot charts and stuff showing your performance improvements over time). Regardless: skip the loading phase, use 5g a day (normally a scoop) and don't "cycle" it. Finally, it doesn't really matter whether you use it before or after Training, except in the case where you haven't reached peak saturation yet. Then it's better after (or before? Can't remember) i beleive, but I'm about 51% sure after.
I just drink it plain with water at night. Some poeple use cranberry juice, some in shakes etc. Doesn't really matter. Use sugar if you want with it, the data isn't conclusive on what to take with it. And i believe the timing and what to take with it does little to nothing. Stressing about it probably does more harm than good.
(Just an engineer/nerd optimising things as per usual)
anecdotal: started a diet at the same time I started creatine and I actually was able to maintain my lifts/slightly increase even while losing weight. normally I'd get weaker. gained a couple pounds of water weight though. and I was counting calories- Ive done this before.
Adam, you're one of the most logical, just-the-facts creators on RUclips. I enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from you.
If you'd allow me as an English major to offer one small pet peeve of mine for your consideration: The word 'processes' is not pronounced 'prä-ˌ -sə- , -ˌsēz'. Lots of folks (mainly educated folks) goof this because the word 'process' sounds like some -sis words from Greek which would get an '-ease' sound on the plural, like 'thesis', 'axis', or 'crisis'. The word 'process' isn't like those, as you probably know, and its plural is pronounced 'prä-ˌse-səz'.
I take creatine for the purported muscle recovery benefits even though I don't lift much in the way of weights. I cycle, like a lot, primarily because I truly enjoy it and find it a great way to ingest many an audiobook/podcast. After long rides, I noticed, pre-creatine, my quads especially would take about 2-3 days to get back to normal levels of strength. This is purely anecdotal, but post-creatine, it takes about a day. Doesn't really seem to impact the DOMS I very occasionally suffer from. I also noticed that I can push much harder when doing squats and lunges in the evening, after doing a ride early in the morning.
Creatine doesn't really do anything for DOMS because DOMS is a necessary part of building muscle. You're better off just taking Tylenol for DOMS. It's good for power, not endurance.
Anecdotally I did experience some hair thinning on creatine. When I stopped taking it my hair did grow back fuller. I realize this isn't scientific or anything, just my (and many others') experience. I wish there was more published research on it outside of that one dated Rugby study.
I’m already thinning, maybe I’ll avoid.
all in your head. they are not related at all.
Bollocks
There are far too many factors in life, mainly stress, that thin hair. If using creatine correlates with greater stress in your life, you'll have hair thinning no matter what
If your hair truly improved relative to before using it, then it's probably entirely a coincidence
@@phosphate66 I did say it was anecdotal. There's plenty of people on both sides. The current consensus is: More research is needed. If you are pre-disposed genetically to lose hair, then it is _possible_ creatine will expedite that process. More research is needed. If not, then you are totally fine in this regard, which might explain why there are so many differing experiences. More research is needed.
I started making baked oats with unflavored protein powder it’s been a revelation. Cake for breakfast. Recipe below if anyone’s interested:
15 grams protein powder
40 grams oat flour
I use 1 scoop of fiber powder
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch salt
1 banana mashed in
Bit of almond milk just to bring it together
Spices, cocoa powder, etc. for flavors
35 grams pbfit drizzled on top
85 grams nonfat yogurt on top
600 calories, 48 protein, 93 carbs, 9 grams fat
I stopped the video at 0:30, it was garlic powder obviously
There is one downside to creatine. It looks like it can raise men's DHT levels a little bit, but the research on this is limited right now. Now high DHT levels are good for men's overall health (except maybe prostate issues), but it is also the main mechanism of male pattern hair loss. For most people, this isn't a problem, as a little rise in DHT won't do much. But if you're an edge case where you're just barely below the threshold of losing your hair, creatine might bump you up to faster hair loss. I'm apparently one of those edge cases. Just a month or two after taking it I noticed I seemed to be losing hair. I've stopped the creatine, but I'm not getting the little bit of hair I lost on my temples back. The hair loss has slowed the months since, so anecdotally it appears the creatine was a factor. I'll probably start taking it again once my hair loss is far enough I don't care about losing more hair, because it's not that the creatine is causing my hair loss so much as accelerating what's already going to happen. If you're not prone to hair loss already, you don't need to worry. It doesn't "cause" hair loss like steroids do, it only furthers hair loss that was going to happen.
I had major issues with hair loss when I was taking it. I stopped. I'm now taking Saw Palmetto and occasionally using the crude oil scalp treatments recommended by Edgar Cayce. The hair is slowly starting to come back.
DHT is linked to beard growth though and as a guy with a great head of hair but a fucking awful beard this is just another plus for me lol.
@@andreastheshadow Just be careful.
Please reference the papers.
reminds me of a comment I read on picturefits video about creatine:
I wanted to try creatine again as it was the only supplement which actually made my muscles fuller and even increased my lifts. So, found out that ketoconazole shampoo blocks the DHTS effect on hair. Been using creatine & ketoconazole shampoo for 1.5 years and my hair remains the same.
Love this! I try to get all of my friends and clients on creatine!
Note: for normal healthy people.
The metabolism of creatine is creatinine, which then take kidney to dispose. If someone have kidney problem, it is not wise to use it. As Adam repeatedly said in the video, you shall ask your doctor before start taking it. Kidney problem usually doesn't occur immediately, it only occur when the person is in terminal phase, but doctor can test your blood to determine whether your kidney is still up to it.
Oh shit. I responded extremely well to creatine, as a woman. My strength grew immensely. I went from using 5-7.5 lb dumbbells to benching 90lbs and squatting 145. I can leg press 315. If you're a woman and you're interested in getting fit and strong, I would recommend at least trying to cycle creatine once or twice. The comments below talk about not cycling, but you may consider it if you're like me and find your clothes fitting tighter when you're using creatine than when you're not.
There’s no need to cycle it ffs...
Just take it regularly. The reason creatine works is because it titrates up inside the body over time.
Which is why loading is also pointless.
@@Icenflamesrush you could get across a lot more effectively if you'd just be chill about the info you're putting out... Meanwhile, you don't consider that I cycle because I don't like looking bloated/fluffy from the water retention all of the time, but w/e man.
@@yuordreams you’re projecting hardcore...
Also, creatine doesn’t cause subcutaneous water retention. Creatine would pull water into your muscles, making you look leaner if anything.
If you’re experiencing bloating it’s likely caused by something else.
@@Icenflamesrush 100% creatine does not cause bloating lmao
@@Icenflamesrush Regardless of whether the liquid is pulled into the muscles or subcutaneously, my clothes. Fit. Differently.
You don't see how you come off as aggressive/arrogant when you end a sentence with "ffs"? 🙄 Bro, consider that you're mad at me for mentioning that creatine affects how my clothes fit.
really good video, thanks!
Couple of things I've found interesting about creatine that you didn't touch on:
- There are genetic differences in baseline levels of creatine kinase which may explain some difference in athletic performance among genetic groups. Those differences in levels also indicate (which I think is generally backed up anecdotally) a reduced response or straight up no need/benefit to supplementing creatine. This could even explain the 'non-responder' phenomenon you alluded to. I first heard about this genetic/racial difference on youTube, of course (South Indian creator I think), but he cited studies and the data/measurements are there.
-creatine is used in all cells, including the brain. which makes the supplement even more super-powered. This also means some more-excitatory mental illness sufferers need to be careful and aware when supplementing creatine. bipolar and schizophrenia come to mind. creatine can in some cases induce mania. That said, it can also be beneficial in depression, ADHD, and bipolar still. All about proper cellular energy. here as well, the elderly can benefit greatly from creatine supplementation.
Cheers!
...Making a note particularly of that second half, as someone who does have ADHD. I was already contemplating trying out creatine after this video, since I *do* work a somewhat physically intensive job, but now I'm *really* considering it.
@@Hexagonaldonut I would encourage anyone to try it out for six months or so. More cellular energy is always a good thing. Energy makes the old feel young, the sick feel well, and the tired... You get the idea.
i love ragusea's energy man (:
Probably the most useful video I have watched in a looooong time!
You’re creatine a lot of good content, subscribed!
There's some evidence that creatine also enhances mental performance, especially in high-pressure scenarios that require accurate calculations or logical decision-making, such as a timed math test. There hasn't been a ton of research on this topic, but the studies that have been done seem compelling enough.
The mental performance effects are the entire reason I take it. Never cared much about gains or whatever.
This study was done on vegetarians. Your gained benefits won't have the same improvement as them. We don't know if there will be any improvement at all since they didn't study the mental effects on meat eaters.
Kinda off topic, but this reminded me of a funny story from my third Iraq deployment from 2009-2010.
That specific deployment wasn't as bad as my previous two deployments, so we actually had time to lift and eat somewhat decent.
Well, one of our medics, this country ass dude from TN had been trying to lose weight and bulk up with muscle, and he had been taking a LOT of creatine (as well as lots of protein powder).
So this one morning we're all making our way to the latrine area to conduct morning hygiene, and this guy is YELLOW. like BADLY YELLOW! and he doesn't know it! Lol me and two buddies ran into him in the hall and we're like
DUDE. YOU'RE YELLOW AS F!!
and the guy is confused, looks in the mirror, and says
Well I be damned... I'm yeller'er than Homer Simpson!!!
Come to find out from the chief medic, the guy hadn't been drinking enough water on top of the massive amount of creatine, protein, and he went totally jaundiced bc his liver and kidneys were compromised.
Anyway, he got sent away to I think Germany it was... he was gone maybe a month or two, not that long, but when he came back he had lost an absurd amount of weight in a very short amount of time and he didn't really look healthy, despite him not being yellow anymore, but apparently the army felt he was still in good enough shape to continue serving and definitely to finish this deployment lol we started calling him homer after this, and we all had a good laugh.
I lifted for about a year and my bench max was stuck at 165. My goal was to hit 185. After about 2 weeks of taking creatine I hit 185. Then the next week I hit 205. A lot of progress in a short period of time just by taking this one supplement.
You made this so cogently. Thank you for the hard work!
I just ordered creatine a few days ago and now I’m watching this video! Looks like I made a good decision. I have some severe health problems so I use a lot of different supplements to help support my energy and blood (under guidance of my rheumatologist, some of my supplements are prescription), my body doesn’t extract nutrients from food very well so I take supplements to “fix” that. I have been having a difficult time with my muscles and my creatine is on the low end so I’m hoping I notice a difference! So glad you made this video!
If you aren't doing this already, taking CoQ10 helps with energy levels. Ubiquinol is even better because it's the active version of CoQ10.
Fix your digestion over supplements.
@@KvltKommando There is no cure, but I’m taking chemotherapy and immunotherapy for it.
@@RebelRhiannon sorry to hear that, look into aspirin as well. It's not profitable to the industry but it's cheap and many more benefits than the well known one's even for serious conditions like yours
@@KvltKommando I use it often for headaches. I didn’t know it was helpful to digestion though I will look more into it, thank you!
So anyway... I was intrigued by this. I ordered some creatine monohydrate. I'm 2 days through the initial ramp up. I just did my normal Bowflex workout, but added 10% extra weight just to see... That was the easiest workout in months. I need to add more weight to get to muscle failure. I'm kind of blown away by the effectiveness. I do feel a little weird. Not bad, but a little off. That may be adding in the Whey protein though. I'm not lactose intolerant to my knowledge but I also don't eat a lot of dairy so it may be that.
Yo man can I have an update after you being on it for a month?!
A couple of things to note that weren't mentioned. The loading phase can cause stomach discomfort as well as issues going #2. A good way to reduce stomach trouble is to FULLY dissolve the creatine before drinking, this takes forever in cold water but is fast in warm or hot water. I've taken to putting it in coffee for faster dissolving. I've heard that caffeine can blunt the benefits of creatine but am unsure if this is backed up by enough evidence.
I'm 35 now. At 18-19 when I first got interested in health and nutrition, I started taking creatine and it's been a staple since.
I've been watching Dr Mike's videos all week so it's cool to see Adam repping an RP shirt
Just found your channel, and really appreciate the info and your style. Just wanted to mention that barefoot weightlifting can be hazardous!
Only if you drop weights or a not used to being barefoot. Otherwise it will strengthen your feet and give you a more stable lift.
Just don’t drop the weights.
Lol, I love how Adam works out in flip flops.
There is one side effect some people need to consider: It makes you retain more water which leads to a higher weight on the scale. So any athletes that have to compete in a weight class need to make a trade off between weighing more and being stronger.
I'd take +5-10% strength over -1-2lbs in virtually every possible case.
Ooh, this sparked some part of my brain that once learned about boxers dehydrating themselves to stupid degrees in order to fit into lower weight classes
It makes you retain more water while "saturated", but I'd think you can still dehydrate yourself down to the same weight? (that's a question, I honestly don't know)
anyways I've never seen any real noticeably weight gain from creatine, but I'm probably on the limit of overhydrating a lot of the time even off creatine.
You are already 70% water. At around 200lbs I contain about 18 gallons of water. Another 1/4 gallon retention (two pounds) is pretty neglible for 10% increase in strength. But yes, it IS a factor in some cases and Adam did mention the extra pounds on a scale (but not that it matters in particular to some sports)
@@tann_man As I said it's a trade off that needs to be considered. Individual results in strength and weight gained will varry and each sport has different demands.
You gained alot in last year. Good job!
Always enjoy learning from Adam !
Brilliant 👏!