Creatine: From Gym Bro Supplement to Brain Booster
Originally sent to subscribers on 24 August 2025
My Creatine Journey
I’ll be honest—creatine and I have had a rocky relationship. For a year I was “on and off,” mostly off. Why? Compliance: tasteless powders, occasional bloating. This week, though, I switched to creatine gummies—no compliance issue. But are they giving me enough of what I need? And why creatine at all? Let’s dive in.
DATA
Where insight becomes impact
Most people still think of creatine as the gym bro supplement—bigger biceps, heavier lifts. Here’s the shift: creatine isn’t just about muscles. It acts as a buffer for your body’s energy currency (ATP) in your quads and your brain. Studies are looking at creatine for cognition, mood, and even Alzheimer’s.
A 2024 meta‑analysis found creatine improves memory, processing speed, and attention—especially in older adults and anyone under stress or sleep‑deprived. Women may benefit even more: baseline creatine levels are often lower due to diet and hormones. Low brain creatine is linked to fatigue and brain fog in the luteal phase, when oestrogen is high and legs feel heavy.
Myth Busting
Kidneys: Creatine doesn’t cause kidney damage in healthy people. It can make blood creatinine appear higher, confusing your GP. Track cystatin‑C for clarity.
Loading phases: You don’t need to load. 3–5 g daily is the sweet spot. Bloating usually happens with 20 g/day loading phases.
There’s lab evidence that a single higher dose (~0.35 g/kg, about 20–30 g) can blunt the cognitive dip from acute sleep loss. If you try an “SOS dose,” split it into 2–3 portions over several hours and reserve this for exceptional days; your everyday plan is still 3–5 g/day.
DEVICES
Track it to hack it
How do you know if creatine is doing anything? I track three simple at‑home markers:
Grip strength: One of the strongest predictors of longevity. Use a dynamometer and the Grip Meter app.
Hydration/body composition: Creatine pulls water into cells; a small weight uptick is intracellular water. Use body composition scales (I use Hume) to track muscle mass gains.
Cognitive checks: The Ruler‑Drop Test.
Sit with elbow on table; thumb/index finger 2 cm apart.
Helper holds the ruler at 0 cm between your fingers without touching.
They drop it without warning; you pinch as fast as you can.
Record the cm where you catch it. Do five trials, discard your fastest and slowest, average the rest.
Track baseline → week 2 → week 4. Goal: reduce your average by 1–2 cm per week.
Consistency matters: same time of day, caffeine status, seat/posture.
DECISIONS
From knowing to doing
Here’s your do‑it‑this‑week plan:
Pick the proven form & dose: Use creatine monohydrate, 3–5 g daily. No loading needed.
Gummies vs powder: Gummies help compliance but check the label—many servings are under‑dosed (1–3 g) so you may need more than one. Gummies can be sugary; pair with food (protein and fats) and use a CGM to see the effect on glucose. Powder is cheaper and has less glucose effect; the best formulation is the one you’ll stick to.
Timing & tummy: Timing isn’t critical—creatine is stored in muscle. Take with a meal if you’re sensitive. If you’ve had bloat before, split the dose.
Pair with training: Creatine shines when you use the energy. Aim for 2–3 resistance sessions/week.
Track a mini‑experiment: Baseline this week, retest at weeks 2 and 4: grip, body composition, reaction time.
Case in point
A founder in his 50s, high stress, short sleep, started 3 g/day with no loading. He trained twice weekly, tracked grip and reaction time, and logged energy. After a month: +5% grip strength, faster ruler reaction‑times, and—his words—“I don’t fade at 3 pm anymore”. Confidence followed compliance.
DIARY
Last week: My conversation with journalist Lucy Cavendish went live on her podcast How to Have Extraordinary Relationships. We talked health, hormones, optimism, purpose, and synergy.
This week: Nervous‑excited! I’ll be on ITV2/ITVX consulting with Billie Shepherd & Sam Faiers in Sam & Billie: Sister Act. I’ll share clips on Instagram.
Next week: Equine therapy—because sometimes you just need quiet company to communicate.
DISTINCTION
“The best supplement is the one you need and the one you’ll actually take—compliance compounds”.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Dr Alka