Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid derivative produced naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, and also obtained from red meat and seafood. It is stored primarily in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, where it serves as a rapid energy reserve. Among all sports supplements, creatine monohydrate has one of the largest and most consistent bodies of research supporting its efficacy.
Expert Evidence
126 references from 4 experts
“I think virtually everyone should be taking creatine outside of people who have got severe kidney disease because creatine seems to be fantastic for not only muscle recovery but also muscle performance in combination with exercise.”
How To Increase Longevity | Prof. Matt Kaeberlein
55:3255 references in 26 episodes from 2021–2025
Brad Stanfield is a strong advocate for creatine, calling it the most effective nutritional supplement available for athletes and recommending it for virtually everyone except those with severe kidney disease. He emphasizes its well-established benefits for muscle performance and recovery, its emerging cognitive benefits (especially for older adults and females), and its reassuring safety profile with up to five years of data showing no adverse health risks including no evidence of hair loss.
Consumption
He takes 5 grams of creatine monohydrate every day, including rest days, as part of his Microvitamin Plus Powder formulation. He chooses creatine monohydrate because it is the most commonly studied, cheapest, and well-absorbed form.
Benefits
Creatine is the most effective nutritional supplement for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass, with about 70% of peer-reviewed studies showing significant improvements. Meta-analyses also show it enhances memory performance, particularly in older adults and females, and may improve short-term memory, attention, and processing speed, while posing no risks to testosterone, DHT, or hair loss.
Best Practices
He recommends a consistent dose of 5 grams per day (including non-exercise days) to gradually saturate muscle stores, noting this approach has less chance of stomach upset compared to a loading phase.
Cautions
He recommends against creatine supplementation for patients with severe or significant kidney disease, suggesting they either reduce the dose or stop taking it entirely.
“Me personally, based on the work that I've read, I think 5 to 10 grams per day is probably plenty for most people as a prophylactic. That said, this is what I do for my athletes: seven days or so prior to a high-risk situation, a competition, we up that dose to 20 to 30 grams for those seven days.”
Nutrition to Support Brain Health & Offset Brain Injuries
43:0840 references in 9 episodes
Galpin is a strong advocate for creatine, viewing it as one of the most well-supported supplements for both performance and brain health. He emphasizes its neuroprotective potential for TBI prevention and cognitive function, personally takes it, and provides detailed dosing protocols for both daily maintenance and pre-competition loading.
Consumption
Galpin takes creatine first thing in the morning, noting that taking it after workouts disrupts his sleep.
Benefits
Galpin highlights creatine's neuroprotective effects, citing studies showing 35-50% reduction in cortical damage following TBI, improvements in cognitive function during sleep deprivation, and benefits for brain health in both injury recovery and healthy aging. He notes that more people now take creatine for brain health than for performance.
Best Practices
Galpin recommends 5-10 grams per day as a baseline prophylactic dose, taken in the morning to avoid sleep disruption. For athletes facing high-risk situations or competitions, he prescribes a 7-day loading protocol of 20-30 grams per day split into multiple doses. He notes elevated creatinine on blood work is normal for people who lift and supplement, and suggests checking cystatin C instead if kidney health is a concern.
Cautions
The main risk is GI distress — some people experience gas, bloating, or stomach cramps even at 5 grams per day, which can worsen significantly at higher loading doses of 20-30 grams.
“I certainly feel better when I'm taking five grams of creatine monohydrate per day. I take it for the brain effects, and also because I like to think that it gives me a little bit of a DHT bump that I can actually see in my blood charts.”
How to Optimize Your Hormones for Health & Vitality | Dr. Kyle Gillett
52:0725 references in 15 episodes from 2021–2025
Huberman is a strong, long-term advocate of creatine monohydrate, taking it daily for both cognitive and physical benefits. He emphasizes its well-supported evidence for brain function, mood, and power output, while noting a potential hair loss risk for DHT-sensitive individuals.
Consumption
Takes 5-10 grams of creatine monohydrate daily (more recently 10-15g), primarily for cognitive benefits, with occasional washout periods. Considers it a baseline supplement alongside fish oil, D3, and others.
Benefits
Highlights creatine as a fuel source for both muscles and the brain, citing 66 studies on power output, cognitive enhancement (especially for non-meat-eaters, sleep deprivation, altitude, and TBI), and evidence it can improve mood and augment SSRI treatment for major depression.
Best Practices
Recommends weight-based dosing: 1-5g for those under 180 lbs, 5g for ~180 lbs, and 10-15g for 220+ lbs. Creatine monohydrate is the preferred form, no cycling is needed, and at least 5g/day is the threshold for cognitive benefits.
Cautions
Notes that creatine can increase dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which may accelerate male pattern baldness in susceptible individuals, though not everyone is affected.
“I take 5 to 10 grams of creatine per day. Most of the time I'm taking 10 grams and some days I take 15 to 20 on days that I'm traveling or don't get enough sleep. I find that doubling my dose up to about 20 grams really helps with cognitive function during lack of sleep.”
Rhonda Patrick's EXACT Supplement Routine (doses, timing, & brands revealed)
5:206 references in 5 episodes from 2024–2026
Rhonda Patrick is a strong advocate for creatine supplementation, taking it daily at doses of 5-10 grams and sometimes up to 20 grams on days with poor sleep or travel. She has not discussed specific cautions or reasons to avoid creatine.
Consumption
She takes 5-10 grams of creatine daily in the morning, typically in coffee, using Thorne brand (NSF certified). She has noted improvements in afternoon alertness since starting creatine.
Best Practices
She recommends 5-10 grams daily as a baseline, with up to 15-20 grams on days involving travel or sleep deprivation to support cognitive function.
Side Effects
- Water retention and mild weight gain
- Occasional gastrointestinal discomfort at high doses
- Elevated creatinine levels on blood tests (not indicative of kidney damage)
- Muscle cramping in rare cases
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