Creatine Expert: Creatine Is The Secret To Weight Loss
Adding just 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression — yet most people still think it's just a gym supplement.
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
Creatine Expert: Creatine Is The Secret To Weight Loss
Adding just 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression — yet most people still think it's just a gym supplement.
TL;DR
Creatine researcher Dr. Darren Candow joins Steven Bartlett to dismantle the 5 biggest creatine myths — kidney damage, water retention, hair loss, muscle cramps, and "it's only for men" — and reveals a precise dosing ladder: 5g for muscle [1] — Dr. Darren Candow "5g/day for muscle: 5 grams of creatine per day is the effective dose for improving muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance across all a…" 18:57 , 8–12g for bone [2] — Dr. Darren Candow "8–12g for bone benefits: Bone benefits from creatine require 8–12 grams per day combined with exercise; creatine without exercise has never…" 26:07 , and up to 20–30g acutely for a sleep-deprived or stressed brain [3] — Dr. Darren Candow "20–30g for sleep-deprived brain: A study giving 30g of creatine to volunteers sleep-deprived for 21 hours showed it increased brain creatin…" 31:04 . He explains how adding just 5g of creatine to an antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression [4] — Dr. Darren Candow "Doubled depression remission rate: Adding 5g of creatine daily to standard antidepressant treatment doubled remission rates in women with m…" 44:00 , and why vegans and postmenopausal women stand to gain the most. The single most useful takeaway: most people fall into a metabolically stressed state, making a daily baseline of 10g the practical sweet spot.
Dr. Darren Candow, a leading creatine researcher with 175 published papers, debunks 5 major creatine myths and reveals optimal dosing for muscle, bone, brain health, sleep deprivation, depression, and aging. He explains why 5g may not reach the brain under stress, how creatine can double antidepressant remission rates, and why vegans respond best to supplementation.
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Steven Bartlett introduces Flightcast, a podcast hosting platform he built offering analytics, AI tools, and growth features for creators.
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Dr. Candow previews the stressed brain creatine principle and hints at his broad research scope, from cancer to Alzheimer's to children.
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Steven Bartlett asks listeners to follow the podcast, then introduces Dr. Darren Candow and his mission to promote disease-free longevity.
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Dr. Candow traces his path from glutamine research to creatine, explains creatine's physiological role in ATP energy maintenance, and describes how the body synthesises and stores it.
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Elevated creatinine on blood tests is a false positive 99% of the time. Randomised controlled trials confirm creatine causes no kidney harm. [1] — Dr. Darren Candow "I would say 99 out of 100 times, that it's a false positive. There's been randomized controlled trials for several years showing that creat…" 09:26
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Initial loading can cause brief water retention, but long-term the water enters muscle cells, increasing volume and triggering protein synthesis — a desirable effect.
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A 6-week study showed only 0.86kg average mass gain, mostly lean mass. Creatine's main strength is performance improvement, not large muscle mass increases.
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Creatine works robustly in women; the hair loss myth stems from a flawed rugby study; creatine's hydrating effect actually reduces muscle cramp risk.
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Creatine enhances training capacity and recovery speed. An 8-week graph shows volume gains drop without creatine and rebound when resumed. Loading is optional.
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Creatine monohydrate is the evidence-backed gold standard. Dr. Candow's three buying criteria: monohydrate form, CreaPure certification, and NSF third-party testing. [1] — Dr. Darren Candow "By far creatine monohydrate. All the evidence that you ever hear about the safety and efficacy of creatine is based on the old boring from …" 20:42
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5g/day covers skeletal muscle benefits across all ages. Over-50s may need slightly more. Microdosing throughout the day improves tolerability. Dr. Candow takes 10g daily minimum.
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Bone benefits require 8–12g daily WITH exercise. Creatine slows hip bone mineral density loss in postmenopausal women but does not reverse osteoporosis.
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A healthy brain self-synthesises creatine. Under stress or sleep deprivation, 20–30g acutely is needed. German study: 30g offset cognitive decline after 21-hour sleep deprivation.
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Dr. Candow demonstrates the Stroop cognitive test live on Steven. A 20g creatine dose improved performance on this 90-minute test in a landmark study.
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Populations with depression, Alzheimer's, and concussion all show reduced brain creatine. 20g/day for 8 weeks increased Alzheimer's patients' brain creatine by 11% and improved cognition.
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Adding 5g of creatine to antidepressants doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks. A 200,000-person study linked low dietary creatine to higher depression rates.
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Female athletes taking creatine slept 1 hour longer on training days than placebo in Dr. Candow's lab study.
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Weight training is the 'hammer' — superior to cardio as a single modality. Dr. Candow explains that lifting to fatigue with lighter weights is as effective as heavy lifting for muscle growth.
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Sedentary people lose 1% of muscle mass per year after 40 and 1–3% of strength. Resistance training is the only proven tool to halt this. It's never too late to start, but earlier is better.
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Protein at 1.2–1.6g/kg/day is sufficient for most people. Combining creatine with high-quality protein amplifies lean mass and performance gains beyond either alone.
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Steven Bartlett promotes Stan Store's AI-powered social media content tool, Stanley, designed to help creators overcome posting paralysis.
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Declining estrogen during menopause disrupts creatine metabolism. Supplementation may offset accelerated muscle, bone, and cognitive decline during this transition.
-
A review of 25,000+ cases confirms creatine is safe at 10g+ daily for years. Timing doesn't matter. 90% of off-shelf products tested had little or no creatine — always buy third-party certified.
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The 1992 landmark 5g dosing study and a 2-year postmenopausal bone trial are highlighted. Dr. Candow shares his full daily supplement stack: creatine, magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3, probiotics.
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Dr. Candow is most excited about creatine as a prophylactic for brain trauma in contact sports, referencing rodent studies showing faster concussion recovery when creatine is taken beforehand.
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Dr. Candow reveals a deep personal fear of death drives his research. He is Roman Catholic, believes in heaven, but wants to spend as long as possible alive and active.
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Dr. Candow's vision: people living to 120–130 still active. His parting advice — laugh more. Steven thanks him for decades of research that underpins much of the health space.
- ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
- The primary energy currency of all living cells; creatine helps regenerate ATP during high-intensity exercise to maintain energy output.
- Creatine monohydrate
- The most studied and evidence-backed form of creatine: a creatine molecule bonded to a single water molecule, identical to what the body naturally produces.
- CreaPure
- A branded, pharmaceutical-grade creatine monohydrate manufactured in Germany, widely regarded as the highest-purity creatine standard and recommended as a quality benchmark.
- NSF Certified (National Sanitation Foundation)
- An independent third-party certification confirming a supplement has been tested for contaminants like heavy metals and matches its label claims.
- eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
- A blood test measure used to estimate kidney function; can appear falsely lowered in creatine users due to elevated creatinine from supplement metabolism.
- Creatinine
- The metabolic breakdown product of creatine; elevated levels on blood tests are often misread as a sign of kidney damage in creatine users but are typically a harmless false positive.
- DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)
- A potent androgen hormone derived from testosterone; has been linked to hair follicle miniaturisation and male pattern baldness, and was transiently elevated in the original creatine hair-loss study.
- BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
- A protein that promotes brain plasticity and neuron survival; animal studies show creatine may increase BDNF levels, with implications for mood and cognitive health.
- Blood-brain barrier
- A selective membrane that tightly controls which substances pass from the bloodstream into the brain; creatine crosses it with difficulty, requiring higher doses during stress for meaningful brain uptake.
- Osmotic
- Describing a substance's tendency to draw water across a membrane; creatine is osmotic, meaning water follows it into muscle cells, increasing cell volume.
- Sarcopenia
- The age-related progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, beginning around age 40 and accelerating thereafter; a key target of creatine and resistance training research.
- Bisphosphonate
- A class of drugs commonly prescribed to slow bone mineral density loss in osteoporosis; Dr. Candow noted creatine shares some mechanistic similarities with this class of medication.
- Stroop test
- A classic cognitive psychology task requiring subjects to name the ink colour of words that spell different colours (e.g., the word 'red' written in blue ink); used in creatine research to measure cognitive speed and accuracy under fatigue.
- Ergogenic
- Relating to a substance or intervention that enhances physical or athletic performance; creatine is described as the leading ergogenic supplement, having overtaken protein and caffeine.
- Osteoclast
- Specialised cells responsible for breaking down bone tissue; creatine appears to inhibit osteoclast activity, contributing to its bone-preserving effects.
- Prophylactic
- Preventive, intended to guard against a future event; used by Dr. Candow to describe taking creatine before contact sport to reduce the risk or severity of brain trauma.
- NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
- A coenzyme central to cellular metabolism that declines with aging; Dr. Candow flagged it as a supplement he is watching closely as an emerging longevity candidate.
- CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy)
- A progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated head trauma, commonly seen in contact sport athletes; Dr. Candow speculated creatine may help reduce its risk prophylactically.
Chapter 2 · 00:58
Teaser: Who Should Take Creatine?
Dr. Candow previews the stressed brain creatine principle and hints at his broad research scope, from cancer to Alzheimer's to children.
Chapter 4 · 05:03
Dr. Candow's Research Journey
Dr. Candow traces his path from glutamine research to creatine, explains creatine's physiological role in ATP energy maintenance, and describes how the body synthesises and stores it.
Claims made here
Creatine has been synthesised naturally in the human body since its discovery in 1832 and is made only in the liver and brain, with 95% stored in skeletal muscle.
The body stores 95% of its total creatine in skeletal muscle, even though creatine is only synthesized in the liver and brain.
Creatine is found exclusively in animal flesh. Vegans and vegetarians synthesise about 1–3g daily through amino acids but get none from food, meaning they start with the lowest stores and respond the most dramatically to supplementation.
Vegans and vegetarians respond better to creatine supplementation than meat-eaters because they start with lower baseline creatine stores from their diet.
Getting just 3 grams of dietary creatine requires consuming a large amount of red meat or seafood, making supplementation a practical alternative.
Chapter 5 · 08:48
Myth 1: Creatine Damages Kidneys
Elevated creatinine on blood tests is a false positive 99% of the time. Randomised controlled trials confirm creatine causes no kidney harm. [1] — Dr. Darren Candow "I would say 99 out of 100 times, that it's a false positive. There's been randomized controlled trials for several years showing that creat…" 09:26
Claims made here
Creatine supplementation causes no detrimental effects to kidney function; elevated creatinine on blood tests in creatine users is a false positive 99% of the time.
Creatine doesn't damage kidneys, cause hair loss, make you bloated long-term, or cramp your muscles. It's not only for men. Every one of these widely-held myths is contradicted by randomised controlled trial evidence.
Chapter 6 · 10:17
Myth 2: Creatine Causes Water Retention
Initial loading can cause brief water retention, but long-term the water enters muscle cells, increasing volume and triggering protein synthesis — a desirable effect.
Chapter 7 · 11:52
Creatine and Lean Mass Gains
A 6-week study showed only 0.86kg average mass gain, mostly lean mass. Creatine's main strength is performance improvement, not large muscle mass increases.
Claims made here
A 6-week creatine supplementation study showed an average mass increase of only 0.86 kilograms, the majority of which was lean mass.
Creatine reduces fat mass, as shown by meta-analysis data.
In the original rugby player study, creatine at 20–25g/day for 7 days increased DHT levels, but the levels remained within the normal biological range and no measurement of hair follicle loss or thinning was performed.
5g of creatine daily for 6–8 weeks in young males caused no detrimental effect on hair follicle thinning or loss.
A 6-week creatine study showed only 0.86 kg average increase in mass, the majority of which was lean mass, not fat.
Chapter 8 · 14:00
Myths 3–5: Gender, Hair Loss & Muscle Cramps
Creatine works robustly in women; the hair loss myth stems from a flawed rugby study; creatine's hydrating effect actually reduces muscle cramp risk.
After stopping creatine, elevated brain creatine levels can persist for 5 weeks to 3 months, while muscle levels take about a month to return to baseline.
Chapter 9 · 16:40
Training Volume, Recovery & the Loading Phase
Creatine enhances training capacity and recovery speed. An 8-week graph shows volume gains drop without creatine and rebound when resumed. Loading is optional.
5 grams of creatine per day is the effective dose for improving muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance across all ages.
Chapter 10 · 19:05
Optimal Creatine Type and Quality
Creatine monohydrate is the evidence-backed gold standard. Dr. Candow's three buying criteria: monohydrate form, CreaPure certification, and NSF third-party testing. [1] — Dr. Darren Candow "By far creatine monohydrate. All the evidence that you ever hear about the safety and efficacy of creatine is based on the old boring from …" 20:42
Muscle needs 5g, bone needs 8–12g with exercise, and a stressed brain may need up to 20–30g acutely. Taking 10g daily covers muscle and bone and provides a reasonable buffer for the brain — making it the practical all-round dose for most people.
Chapter 11 · 22:25
The Dosing Dilemma: Muscle
5g/day covers skeletal muscle benefits across all ages. Over-50s may need slightly more. Microdosing throughout the day improves tolerability. Dr. Candow takes 10g daily minimum.
Taking creatine in smaller doses spread throughout the day eliminates GI discomfort, dizziness, and water retention issues that can occur with large single doses. One study showed that 1 gram every 30 minutes up to 20 grams retained more creatine in the body.
Chapter 12 · 26:00
The Dosing Dilemma: Bone
Bone benefits require 8–12g daily WITH exercise. Creatine slows hip bone mineral density loss in postmenopausal women but does not reverse osteoporosis.
Bone benefits from creatine require 8–12 grams per day combined with exercise; creatine without exercise has never been shown to improve bone health.
Creatine at 8–12g daily combined with resistance exercise reduced the rate of bone mineral density loss around the hip in postmenopausal women. It won't cure osteoporosis, but it may reduce fracture risk at one of the most dangerous sites for age-related injury.
Chapter 13 · 28:40
The Dosing Dilemma: Brain & Sleep Deprivation
A healthy brain self-synthesises creatine. Under stress or sleep deprivation, 20–30g acutely is needed. German study: 30g offset cognitive decline after 21-hour sleep deprivation.
Claims made here
The brain weighs approximately 2 kilograms but consumes 20% of the body's total daily resting energy.
Giving 30g of creatine to volunteers sleep-deprived for 21 hours increased brain creatine levels and offset negative cognitive effects.
A rested brain makes enough creatine on its own. But sleep deprivation, time zone shifts, exam pressure, and high-stakes performance all create metabolic stress that depletes brain creatine faster than it can be synthesised. At 20–30g acutely, supplementation crosses the blood-brain barrier and partially restores cognitive performance.
The brain weighs about 2 kilograms but consumes 20% of the body's total daily energy at rest.
A study giving 30g of creatine to volunteers sleep-deprived for 21 hours showed it increased brain creatine levels and offset cognitive decline.
In a landmark study, participants given 20g of creatine before a 90-minute Stroop test — where you must name ink colours while reading conflicting colour words — showed statistically significant improvements in both speed and accuracy. The Stroop test is one of the most cognitively fatiguing tasks used in creatine research.
Chapter 15 · 37:20
Creatine, Alzheimer's and Brain Health
Populations with depression, Alzheimer's, and concussion all show reduced brain creatine. 20g/day for 8 weeks increased Alzheimer's patients' brain creatine by 11% and improved cognition.
Claims made here
People with clinical depression, Alzheimer's disease, and concussion consistently show reduced baseline creatine levels in the brain.
Resistance training athletes who took 20g of creatine per day for 5 days before a long-duration endurance event showed significant reductions in inflammation markers.
20 grams of creatine for 5 days before long-duration events like Ironman triathlons reduced inflammation markers in participants. This anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic effect may allow faster recovery and better subsequent performance.
Twenty Alzheimer's patients who took 20g of creatine daily for 8 weeks showed an 11% increase in brain creatine levels and significantly improved cognitive test scores. Creatine reduced inflammation, improved brain bioenergetics, and may offer neuroprotective effects.
Chapter 16 · 41:50
Creatine and Mental Health / Depression
Adding 5g of creatine to antidepressants doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks. A 200,000-person study linked low dietary creatine to higher depression rates.
Claims made here
20g of creatine daily for 8 weeks increased brain creatine levels by 11% and improved cognitive test scores in Alzheimer's patients.
A study of over 200,000 adults found those who consumed the least dietary creatine had the highest rates of depressive symptoms.
Adding 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks.
Young female athletes who took creatine on training days slept an average of 1 hour longer compared to a placebo group.
A study of 20 Alzheimer's patients found 20g of creatine daily for 8 weeks increased brain creatine levels by 11% and improved cognitive test scores.
Adding 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks. People with depression consistently show lower baseline brain creatine, and supplementation appears to restore the bioenergetics that underlie mood regulation.
Adding 5g of creatine daily to standard antidepressant treatment doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks.
A study of over 200,000 adults found those who consumed the least creatine in their diet had the highest rates of depressive symptoms.
In a study from Dr. Candow's lab, healthy young female athletes slept an average of 1 hour longer on training days when taking creatine versus placebo. If replicated in males, this could be one of creatine's most universally appealing benefits.
A study in young female athletes found they slept an average of 1 hour longer on training days when taking creatine compared to a placebo.
Chapter 18 · 47:10
The Toolbox: Exercise Hierarchy
Weight training is the 'hammer' — superior to cardio as a single modality. Dr. Candow explains that lifting to fatigue with lighter weights is as effective as heavy lifting for muscle growth.
Weight training provides almost all the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise while additionally building muscle mass, improving VO2 max, and boosting mitochondrial health. If you have to choose one, choose resistance training — but do both.
Chapter 19 · 51:00
Muscle Loss After 40 and Why to Start Now
Sedentary people lose 1% of muscle mass per year after 40 and 1–3% of strength. Resistance training is the only proven tool to halt this. It's never too late to start, but earlier is better.
Claims made here
Sedentary individuals lose approximately 1% of muscle mass per year after age 40, with muscle strength declining at 1–3% per year.
On average, people lose 1% of muscle mass per year after 40, and strength declines even faster at 1–3% annually. Resistance training is the only proven modality that halts this progression. Without it, the slope becomes catastrophic by age 80.
On average, sedentary people lose about 1% of muscle mass per year after age 40, with strength declining even faster at 1–3% per year.
Chapter 21 · 55:25
Sponsor: Stan Store
Steven Bartlett promotes Stan Store's AI-powered social media content tool, Stanley, designed to help creators overcome posting paralysis.
Claims made here
A review of over 25,000 cases confirmed creatine is safe and effective even at doses above 10g per day over many years.
Estrogen is directly involved in the enzymes that synthesise creatine and in both brain and muscle bioenergetics. As estrogen falls during perimenopause and menopause, creatine supplementation may help offset accelerated losses in muscle, bone, and cognitive function.
A 2024 study reviewing over 25,000 cases confirmed creatine is safe and effective even at doses above 10 grams per day taken over many years.
Chapter 22 · 57:20
Creatine, Menopause and Women's Health
Declining estrogen during menopause disrupts creatine metabolism. Supplementation may offset accelerated muscle, bone, and cognitive decline during this transition.
Claims made here
Taking 1g of creatine every 30 minutes up to a 20g total dose retained more creatine in the body than a single large dose.
Chapter 23 · 58:50
Creatine Safety, Timing and Product Quality
A review of 25,000+ cases confirms creatine is safe at 10g+ daily for years. Timing doesn't matter. 90% of off-shelf products tested had little or no creatine — always buy third-party certified.
Claims made here
Approximately 90% of off-the-shelf creatine products tested by YouTuber James Smith contained little or no actual creatine.
A YouTuber's product testing found 90% of off-the-shelf creatine products contained little or no creatine. Dr. Candow's three-point checklist: look for creatine monohydrate, CreaPure certification from Germany, and an NSF or third-party certification logo.
Testing of off-the-shelf creatine products found that approximately 90% contained little to no actual creatine, underscoring the importance of third-party testing.
As little as 3 grams of creatine per day is the lowest effective dose, and taking it consistently for one month will fully saturate skeletal muscle stores.
Dr. Candow's lab conducted a 2-year trial in postmenopausal women using 0.14g/kg of creatine that showed improvements in bone preservation and muscle performance.
Chapter 24 · 1:02:00
Landmark Studies and Supplement Stack
The 1992 landmark 5g dosing study and a 2-year postmenopausal bone trial are highlighted. Dr. Candow shares his full daily supplement stack: creatine, magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3, probiotics.
Daily: 10g creatine, probiotics, two forms of magnesium (for cognition and function), 2,000 IU vitamin D, 4g omega-3 fatty acids (one dose post-exercise), protein, and a multivitamin. Watching closely: NAD+ as an emerging candidate.
Chapter 25 · 1:06:00
Future Research: Concussion, CTE and Longevity
Dr. Candow is most excited about creatine as a prophylactic for brain trauma in contact sports, referencing rodent studies showing faster concussion recovery when creatine is taken beforehand.
Animal studies show that taking creatine before head trauma significantly speeds up concussion recovery. Dr. Candow argues anyone in contact sports — boxers, UFC fighters, rugby players — should be taking creatine as a prophylactic neuroprotective measure.
Dr. Darren Candow admits he is deeply, viscerally afraid of death — to the point where he struggles to even think about it. That fear is what drove him to devote his career to understanding how to extend healthy, active life. He wants to live forever.
Chapter 26 · 1:08:10
Personal Philosophy: Fear of Death and the Mission to Live Longer
Dr. Candow reveals a deep personal fear of death drives his research. He is Roman Catholic, believes in heaven, but wants to spend as long as possible alive and active.
Unlike caffeine, creatine has no immediate perceptible effect. At 3–5g per day, muscle benefits typically emerge after 2–4 weeks. Brain effects at low doses are unlikely to be noticed unless you are acutely sleep-deprived or metabolically stressed.
Chapter 27 · 1:11:30
Closing Thoughts and Final Words
Dr. Candow's vision: people living to 120–130 still active. His parting advice — laugh more. Steven thanks him for decades of research that underpins much of the health space.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Show stoppers
Adding 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks. People with depression consistently show lower baseline brain creatine, and supplementation appears to restore the bioenergetics that underlie mood regulation.
A rested brain makes enough creatine on its own. But sleep deprivation, time zone shifts, exam pressure, and high-stakes performance all create metabolic stress that depletes brain creatine faster than it can be synthesised. At 20–30g acutely, supplementation crosses the blood-brain barrier and partially restores cognitive performance.
Muscle needs 5g, bone needs 8–12g with exercise, and a stressed brain may need up to 20–30g acutely. Taking 10g daily covers muscle and bone and provides a reasonable buffer for the brain — making it the practical all-round dose for most people.
Snapshots ()
Key Quotes ()
This episode
Cast
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Discussed as a condition where reduced brain creatine is observed and where supplementation shows early promise in improving bioenergetics and cognition.
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Scientist whose interview with Dr. Candow attracted large numbers of older viewers, illustrating creatine's growing relevance to aging populations.
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YouTuber and previous DOAC guest who tested off-the-shelf creatine products, finding 90% contained little or no actual creatine.
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Cited as an example of a contact sport athlete who suffered long-term brain damage, illustrating the potential prophylactic value of creatine for CTE prevention.
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Referenced as an example of high metabolic and cognitive stress during the Eras Tour — a scenario where creatine supplementation could aid performance.
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US creatine gummy company cited by Dr. Candow as one of the few brands with randomised controlled trial evidence supporting their product.
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Academic database cited as the source of studies on creatine, depression, and dietary creatine intake referenced during the episode.
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Dr. Darren Candow's academic institution where he directs the Ageing Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory.
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Research group led by Perry Renshaw that produced key clinical evidence for creatine as an adjunct to antidepressant treatment.
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Cited as the source of a study of over 200,000 adults linking low dietary creatine to higher rates of depressive symptoms.
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The organisation of which Dr. Candow is a fellow and incoming Vice-President.
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Published a landmark study showing 20g of creatine daily for 8 weeks increased Alzheimer's patients' brain creatine levels by 11%.
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Ranked Dr. Darren Candow among its Top 2% Scientists list in 2025.
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Identified as the gold-standard, most evidenced form of creatine supplementation throughout the episode.
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A German-manufactured pharmaceutical-grade creatine monohydrate recommended by Dr. Candow as the quality benchmark for consumers.
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Podcast hosting and analytics platform built by Steven Bartlett; a sponsor of the episode.
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Home country of Dr. Darren Candow, where he completed his graduate education and currently conducts research.
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Origin country of CreaPure, the highest-quality creatine monohydrate standard, and location of sleep-deprivation creatine studies.
Stats
This episode
Claims & Sources
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
Creatine supplementation causes no detrimental effects to kidney function; elevated creatinine on blood tests in creatine users is a false positive 99% of the time.
A 6-week creatine supplementation study showed an average mass increase of only 0.86 kilograms, the majority of which was lean mass.
Creatine reduces fat mass, as shown by meta-analysis data.
In the original rugby player study, creatine at 20–25g/day for 7 days increased DHT levels, but the levels remained within the normal biological range and no measurement of hair follicle loss or thinning was performed.
5g of creatine daily for 6–8 weeks in young males caused no detrimental effect on hair follicle thinning or loss.
The brain weighs approximately 2 kilograms but consumes 20% of the body's total daily resting energy.
Giving 30g of creatine to volunteers sleep-deprived for 21 hours increased brain creatine levels and offset negative cognitive effects.
20g of creatine daily for 8 weeks increased brain creatine levels by 11% and improved cognitive test scores in Alzheimer's patients.
Adding 5g of creatine to a standard antidepressant doubled remission rates in women with major depression over 8 weeks.
A study of over 200,000 adults found those who consumed the least dietary creatine had the highest rates of depressive symptoms.
People with clinical depression, Alzheimer's disease, and concussion consistently show reduced baseline creatine levels in the brain.
Resistance training athletes who took 20g of creatine per day for 5 days before a long-duration endurance event showed significant reductions in inflammation markers.
Sedentary individuals lose approximately 1% of muscle mass per year after age 40, with muscle strength declining at 1–3% per year.
Young female athletes who took creatine on training days slept an average of 1 hour longer compared to a placebo group.
A review of over 25,000 cases confirmed creatine is safe and effective even at doses above 10g per day over many years.
Taking 1g of creatine every 30 minutes up to a 20g total dose retained more creatine in the body than a single large dose.
Creatine has been synthesised naturally in the human body since its discovery in 1832 and is made only in the liver and brain, with 95% stored in skeletal muscle.
Approximately 90% of off-the-shelf creatine products tested by YouTuber James Smith contained little or no actual creatine.
