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Is Creatine a Secret Weapon for Longevity?

A recent study of neurodegeneration in mice shows promise.

By Jason ReedPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Creatine is a supplement most frequently used by bodybuilders to put on lean mass and muscle. A 2011 study from the National Institutes of Health however shows that creatine might show promise for longevity and anti-aging benefits.

Creatine Reduced an "Aging" Pigment in Mice

In this study, 162 older mice were given an oral creatine supplement. Brains of the mice that were given the creatine showed lower levels of the "aging" pigment lipofuscin. The researcher's conclusion was:

"Creatine may, therefore, be a promising food supplement to promote healthy human aging."

One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery, is that creatine has been extensively studied in humans. Despite an unfairly earned reputation, creatine has been shown to be one of the safest dietary supplements on the market. Studies have shown that creatine:

  1. Improves exercise performance
  2. Hastens muscle growth
  3. May lower blood sugar levels
  4. Helps with brain function

and most importantly, it's safe for human use. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance that exists in your muscle cells. It helps supply energy throughout your body.

Creatine May Help Protect Against Parkinson's Disease

A 1999 study showed that oral creatine supplementation might have neuroprotective effects. While this study was performed on animals (and hasn't been replicated on humans), the results are promising.

Researchers concluded:

"These results further implicate metabolic dysfunction in MPTP neurotoxicity and suggest a novel therapeutic approach, which may have applicability for Parkinson's disease."

Creatine's neuroprotective effects are still very lightly researched, and further study is needed in this area to draw any definitive conclusions.

How Much Creatine Should You Take?

The standard dose of creatine is 5g, although some manufacturers have started to offer "highly absorbed" options with suggested doses as low as 1.5g.

Traditionally, creatine has been recommended to take in 2 phases: loading and maintenance. During the loading phase, you'll take the recommended dose multiple times per day (up to 5 times per day in fact). Once the creatine is "loaded" in your system, you'll enter the maintenance phase and take just a single dose per day.

Recent research has shown that this loading phase might not be necessary, and you might be better off just taking a dosage of creatine that is adjusted to your body weight (about 0.3g of creatine per 1kg of body weight).

Does it Matter What Type of Creatine You Take?

Creatine is offered under countless of brand names. The most popular format is creatine monohydrate, and at the end of the day all of the supplement companies selling 100% creatine monohydrate are offering pretty much the same product.

Absorption is the main criteria for creatine formats aside of creatine monohydrate. The newest forms of creatine are typically "micronized," which means they're broken down into tiny particles that helps your body absorb them.

Still, creatine monohydrate is the time-tested choice of most consumers and would be my recommended option.

Dose Creatine Have Side Effects?

Creatine picked up a bad rep in the early 90's due to some high profile injuries and deaths that in my opinion, were misattributed to the use of this supplement.

Always check with your medical professional, but the evidence shows that creatine is a safe and effective supplement.

While you certainly want to drink plenty of water if you're taking creatine, it's one of the safest and most heavily researched products in the entire supplement industry.

What This Means For You

Let's be clear: creatine has not been shown to be a magic bullet for anti-aging or longevity. That said, these early studies are promising and I'm excited to keep an eye on researchers' findings in this space.

Since creatine is such a safe, well established supplement that's easy to take (just toss a scoop in your morning coffee or post-workout shake), in my opinion it's a no brainer to include in your daily supplement routine.

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About the Creator

Jason Reed

Jason Reed is a health and fitness enthusiast and serves as the Head of Content for Suppwise.com. He is passionate about helping his audience make smart, evidence-based nutrition decisions.

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