Dr. Peter Attia

We don't have a way outside of a lab commercially to measure tissue creatine levels. So we do not have a biomarker for this. And that's why people who take it are just sort of adhering to a protocol.

We don't have a way outside of a lab commercially to measure tissue creatine levels. So we do not have a biomarker for this. And that's why people who take it are just sort of adhering to a protocol.

On the physical side, meaning on the muscle performance side, it's certainly pretty clear. People will recall how energy currency is delivered. ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is the richest form of energy currency, and it liberates energy. It's spent by liberating a phosphate. ATP becomes adenosine diphosphate, ADP. Of course, that process works in reverse.

On the physical side, meaning on the muscle performance side, it's certainly pretty clear. People will recall how energy currency is delivered. ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is the richest form of energy currency, and it liberates energy. It's spent by liberating a phosphate. ATP becomes adenosine diphosphate, ADP. Of course, that process works in reverse.

So as we want to build up and replenish our ATP stores, we need a phosphate donor. And this is where phosphocreatine comes in. So we do naturally have phosphocreatine. In fact, when you start to think about the various energy systems, if I asked you, Nick, to do something that was an all-out effort for 10 seconds... That would not require oxygen.

So as we want to build up and replenish our ATP stores, we need a phosphate donor. And this is where phosphocreatine comes in. So we do naturally have phosphocreatine. In fact, when you start to think about the various energy systems, if I asked you, Nick, to do something that was an all-out effort for 10 seconds... That would not require oxygen.

You're not tapping into your VO2 max or your oxygen delivery system. It's frankly not even an anaerobic activity, meaning you're not actually turning glucose into pyruvate, into lactate, etc., If you're doing something that is such a short burst of activity, you are really relying on the phosphocreatine system to generate the ATP for that activity.

You're not tapping into your VO2 max or your oxygen delivery system. It's frankly not even an anaerobic activity, meaning you're not actually turning glucose into pyruvate, into lactate, etc., If you're doing something that is such a short burst of activity, you are really relying on the phosphocreatine system to generate the ATP for that activity.

So if you're doing a 40-yard dash, you're relying on phosphocreatine. But of course, phosphocreatine itself is a phosphate donor, and therefore... Anything that boosts the supply of phosphocreatine boosts the supply of ATP.

So if you're doing a 40-yard dash, you're relying on phosphocreatine. But of course, phosphocreatine itself is a phosphate donor, and therefore... Anything that boosts the supply of phosphocreatine boosts the supply of ATP.

And it's our belief that that's effectively what it is doing, and therefore that it's helpful with anything that requires bursts of activity, but even beyond just the super short extending into the anaerobic. I don't know that there are really any proven benefits that this augments aerobic performance.

And it's our belief that that's effectively what it is doing, and therefore that it's helpful with anything that requires bursts of activity, but even beyond just the super short extending into the anaerobic. I don't know that there are really any proven benefits that this augments aerobic performance.

Once you get into the purely oxidative phosphorylation pathway, maybe someone will correct us, but I'm not really aware that there are benefits of creatine in that regard. I think it's more in the first two energy systems, the phosphocreatine system and the anaerobic system.

Once you get into the purely oxidative phosphorylation pathway, maybe someone will correct us, but I'm not really aware that there are benefits of creatine in that regard. I think it's more in the first two energy systems, the phosphocreatine system and the anaerobic system.

On the cognitive side, we know that a small amount of creatine is synthesized in the brain and that creatine can cross the blood-brain barrier. But the brain certainly does not take up creatine to the same extent as the muscles do.

On the cognitive side, we know that a small amount of creatine is synthesized in the brain and that creatine can cross the blood-brain barrier. But the brain certainly does not take up creatine to the same extent as the muscles do.

So while we have, again, some evidence to suggest that creatine is efficacious for cognitive function, it might turn out to be the case that you need higher doses of it. I think that's still an open question as far as I'm concerned.

So while we have, again, some evidence to suggest that creatine is efficacious for cognitive function, it might turn out to be the case that you need higher doses of it. I think that's still an open question as far as I'm concerned.

This is a supplement that has been quite readily studied. There's reasonable evidence to suggest, and again, we'll link to lots of it, that creatine does help improve various parameters of muscle performance. And it's not that subtle. I mean, it's typically in the range of 5%, 10%, maybe even 15%. So these include things like power and hypertrophy.

This is a supplement that has been quite readily studied. There's reasonable evidence to suggest, and again, we'll link to lots of it, that creatine does help improve various parameters of muscle performance. And it's not that subtle. I mean, it's typically in the range of 5%, 10%, maybe even 15%. So these include things like power and hypertrophy.