Is Creatine Worth the Hype?

In partnership with ​Momentous

Disclaimer: Not Medical Advice. Opinions are my own.

Today's newsletter at a glance:

• What is Creatine?

• Dosage, Type, and What to Know Before Purchasing

• Evidence-Based Benefits of Creatine

• What Creatine Doesn't Do

Creatine is in the spotlight on many social media platforms.

Twenty years ago, creatine was coined as the go-to bodybuilding supplement.

Now, creatine is praised—and perhaps even overhyped—as one of the most effective supplements out there. Is it truly worth the acclaim? Let’s take a closer look.

In today's newsletter, we will break down what creatine is, the benefits of supplementing creatine, and what creatine won't do for you.

What is Creatine?

There's a lot of confusion and misinformation about creatine, so let's make sure we are all on the same page by defining what creatine actually is.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that our bodies produce endogenously (in our bodies), mostly in our liver and kidneys.

90-95% of the body's creatine is stored in our skeletal muscle as free creatine and phosphocreatine. The remaining 5% is stored primarily in the brain and heart.

Creatine is crucial for energy production in your body.

Every time you move, lift, run, or use cognitive power, your cells burn a molecule called ATP. The problem is you burn your ATP stores in seconds.

Here's where creatine has the most significant impact. The phosphocreatine stored inside your muscles donates a phosphate group to recharge ATP when it runs low.

Think of your creatine stores (phosphocreatine levels) as a backup energy source when you need it.

Our livers synthesize roughly 1 gram of creatine per day, but we can also obtain creatine from our diet, primarily from animal sources such as beef, pork, and fish.

• 1 pound of beef or tuna offers ~4.1g of creatine

• 1 pound of salmon offers ~4.5g of creatine

• 1 pound of pork offers ~3g of creatine

Note: these are approximations from raw meat in a lab, and cooking can reduce creatine content up to 30%

It's important to point out that both vegetarians and vegans have significantly lower creatine stores because plant foods contain almost zero creatine.

Dosage, Type, and What to Know Before Purchasing Creatine

Now that we are clear on the basics of creatine, let's talk about supplementing.

As we covered, your body can produce approximately 1 gram of creatine, and you can obtain additional creatine through your diet.

The truth is, most people aren't eating over a pound of beef or salmon every single day.

That's where supplementation can be helpful and more effective than dietary sources.

Creatine Monohydrate is the most studied, most effective, and most affordable creatine on the market.

Not all creatine monohydrate supplements are created equally.

Look for third-party testing, such as NSF certification, and ensure it is sourced from Creapure, the highest-quality creatine monohydrate.

When it comes to dosage, the standard is 5 grams of creatine daily, but higher doses have been suggested to improve cognitive performance and provide neuroprotection.

Note: ​Avoid creatine gummy supplements. Most gummy options have low-to-no creatine.​

Evidence-Based Benefits of Creatine

Creatine monohydrate is the most well-studied supplement, period. There are decades of research behind it.

Creatine is extremely safe.

Despite the myths and misinformation online, creatine is not a steroid. No solid evidence proves that creatine causes hair loss. Extensive long-term studies show no kidney or liver harm.

Note: It’s important to tell your doctor if you’re taking creatine, since it can raise serum creatinine levels without reflecting real kidney injury. Measuring cystatin C and calculating eGFRcys or the combined eGFRcreat-cys provides a more accurate picture of kidney function in this context. GI discomfort is the most common complaint.

The benefits of creatine are remarkable.

• Muscle strength, performance, and recovery: With increased ATP recycling,​ creatine can improve training volume and burst power, allowing you to do more reps before fatiguing.​ Creatine has also been shown to ​enhance anaerobic capacity, allowing you to sustain high-intensity intervals​. Creatine supports recovery and helps with muscle repair.
  
  

• Cognitive performance and protection: Your brain utilizes energy (ATP) just as your muscles do, consuming up to 20% of the body's energy production. ​New evidence suggests that creatine supports brain energy metabolism,​ especially in aging or neurodegenerative conditions, and aids in mood stabilization and reducing mental fatigue under stress.​ In terms of performance, creatine supports reaction time, focus, alertness, and can combat sleep deprivation.​
  
  

Vegans and vegetarians have the most beneficial potential upside from creatine supplementation due to their low stores of creatine. The majority of the population will maximize creatine stores in 4 weeks, and daily supplementation is necessary for maintenance.

What Creatine WON'T Do For You

We've reviewed what creatine is, how to supplement with it, and its benefits. Now, I want to focus on the most important part of the newsletter: what creatine won't do for you.

Creatine is a supplement, not a substitution.

It won't replace exercise, proper nutrition and fueling, and high-quality sleep hygiene.

In fact, the muscle-strength and performance benefits of creatine are only realized when combined with resistance training. I wouldn't even consider taking creatine for the physical benefits if you aren't going to do resistance training.

Creatine offers an edge for mental performance and neuroprotection; however, it will not offer the same benefit as high-quality sleep. Your sleep should be the foundation, and creatine is an additional support.

Before you consider supplementing with creatine, commit to the activities that offer the most benefit. Cardiorespiatory and resistance exercise, proper nutrition, and sleep.

Creatine won't do the work for you. However, if you put in the effort, it can help you perform at your best.

Creatine Supplementation Made Simple

After years of work, I'm extremely excited to share that Momentous launched their ​Creatine Chews​ yesterday.

Momentous Creatine Chews deliver 1 gram of pure, German-sourced Creapure® creatine monohydrate in every tasty, NSF Certified chew.

No mixing. No mess. Just clean, science-backed performance that fits effortlessly into your daily routine — at home, in the gym, or on the go.

Consistency is key to experiencing the cognitive and physical benefits of creatine, and the creatine chews are designed to go with you anywhere, anytime.

Whether you’re training, recovering, or just trying to stay sharp through long days, you’ll get the same trusted creatine your body needs in a portable, delicious form.

Now there's no excuse for missing your daily creatine dose.

If you are ready to add Momentous's Creatine Chews to your daily routine, ​click here to get up to 35% off with any subscription.

Only the best,

Jeremy London, MD

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