Michelle Dang

Well, Darren said it's not physically building muscle for you. Instead, it works by getting you extra energy during your workout. So like as you're working out, you're rapidly using up fuel in your body, which is ATP or adenosine triphosphate. Uh-huh. And your body like eats it up really quickly, runs out of ATP, and then needs to recycle it to use it again.

Well, Darren said it's not physically building muscle for you. Instead, it works by getting you extra energy during your workout. So like as you're working out, you're rapidly using up fuel in your body, which is ATP or adenosine triphosphate. Uh-huh. And your body like eats it up really quickly, runs out of ATP, and then needs to recycle it to use it again.

And what creatine does is help that recycling process happening faster.

And what creatine does is help that recycling process happening faster.

Yeah, and another really interesting thing that Darren's study tried to sort out is this question of whether creatine actually helped grow muscles or if maybe it just kind of makes them look bigger. What do you mean? It's because of this other thing creatine can do in our bodies. So when we bring a bunch of creatine into our muscles, it can bring water in with it. Here's Darren.

Yeah, and another really interesting thing that Darren's study tried to sort out is this question of whether creatine actually helped grow muscles or if maybe it just kind of makes them look bigger. What do you mean? It's because of this other thing creatine can do in our bodies. So when we bring a bunch of creatine into our muscles, it can bring water in with it. Here's Darren.

Which would mean maybe your muscles get plumped up, but you're sort of tricked into thinking it's muscle gain when it's really just this water that's hanging around in there.

Which would mean maybe your muscles get plumped up, but you're sort of tricked into thinking it's muscle gain when it's really just this water that's hanging around in there.

Exactly. It looked like at least some of the gain was real muscle. And some studies in older folks have also found that creatine really can help build muscle too.

Exactly. It looked like at least some of the gain was real muscle. And some studies in older folks have also found that creatine really can help build muscle too.

Well, this new study came out suggesting that the question of how much of the gains you see with creatine are water weight versus actual muscle growth hasn't been fully solved. But, you know, we spoke to the author of the study and he basically told us that when you zoom out and look at the bulk of studies on creatine, it shows creatine can help build muscle. But the question is, how much?

Well, this new study came out suggesting that the question of how much of the gains you see with creatine are water weight versus actual muscle growth hasn't been fully solved. But, you know, we spoke to the author of the study and he basically told us that when you zoom out and look at the bulk of studies on creatine, it shows creatine can help build muscle. But the question is, how much?

So did you notice that Darren said that even in his study when creatine made people stronger, it wasn't a dramatic difference?

So did you notice that Darren said that even in his study when creatine made people stronger, it wasn't a dramatic difference?

That's what a lot of these studies find. Creatine can work, but it's not this huge change. Like it's not a night and day difference from how you were working out before. Darren told me maybe I'll help you do like two to three extra reps, like a few extra push-ups or lifts per set at the gym.

That's what a lot of these studies find. Creatine can work, but it's not this huge change. Like it's not a night and day difference from how you were working out before. Darren told me maybe I'll help you do like two to three extra reps, like a few extra push-ups or lifts per set at the gym.

And one review of 10 studies that followed people for different times, about a week all the way up to a year, imaged their muscles and found that creatine compared to placebo increased the thickness of their muscles by about a tenth of a centimeter.

And one review of 10 studies that followed people for different times, about a week all the way up to a year, imaged their muscles and found that creatine compared to placebo increased the thickness of their muscles by about a tenth of a centimeter.

Yeah. Right. So these differences are not huge. And, you know, these extra reps you can do thanks to creatine, it might add up for some people. Darren reckons it's worth trying. Right. But big picture here, let me tell you about the Olympics. They have this huge list of banned substances. You can't use steroids or this and that, but you can use creatine. It is not a banned substance.

Yeah. Right. So these differences are not huge. And, you know, these extra reps you can do thanks to creatine, it might add up for some people. Darren reckons it's worth trying. Right. But big picture here, let me tell you about the Olympics. They have this huge list of banned substances. You can't use steroids or this and that, but you can use creatine. It is not a banned substance.