2530: Why All Women Should Take Creatine

Summary

Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth – Episode 2530: "Why All Women Should Take Creatine"

Release Date: February 10, 2025
Hosts: Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews
Produced by: Doug Egge

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Introduction

In Episode 2530 of Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth, hosts Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, and Justin Andrews delve into the compelling reasons why creatine should be an essential supplement for all women. Dispelling prevalent myths and highlighting science-backed benefits, the episode serves as an authoritative guide for women seeking to optimize their fitness and health regimes.

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The Necessity of Creatine for Women

[01:13] Sal DeStefano:
"Ladies, if you're not taking creatine, you are simply not getting the best results. It's true. You're not going to burn the body fat you want, you're not going to build the muscle you want, you're not going to perform the way you want. Plain and simple. You need to take creatine."

Sal emphasizes that creatine is a fundamental supplement for achieving optimal fitness outcomes, regardless of individual goals. He underscores that without creatine, women may miss out on significant fat loss, muscle development, and enhanced performance.

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Debunking Common Myths about Creatine

1. Creatine Causes Bulking

[03:14] Mandy:
"The first myth around creatine, probably the one that gets most women to kind of pause and maybe be afraid of taking creatine, is that it makes you bulky. Most women are not trying to get bigger. Some are, but most are trying to get leaner or more sculpted."

Mandy dismantles the misconception that creatine leads to undesired muscle bulk. She explains that the term "toning" used historically was a marketing ploy to attract women by implying muscle building would make them bulky, which is misleading.

[09:51] Adam Schaefer:
"When you take creatine, that actually helps support building muscle, which in turn speeds up your metabolism, which in turn helps you lose body fat. There's no question it's the best fat burner, but nobody markets it that way."

Adam reinforces that creatine supports muscle growth, which inherently boosts metabolism and aids in fat loss, making it an effective fat-burning supplement contrary to popular beliefs.

2. Creatine Causes Bloating

[11:00] Mandy:
"Creatine doesn't make you bloated. It encourages and enhances intracellular hydration. There's a difference between looking hydrated and looking bloated."

Mandy clarifies that creatine promotes intracellular hydration, leading to fuller and more sculpted muscles, rather than the unwanted puffiness associated with bloating. She distinguishes between the two, emphasizing that creatine enhances muscle appearance without the negative side effects.

[15:38] Justin Andrews:
"It looks more like inflammation versus, you know, just looking tighter and fuller."

Justin highlights that the hydration from creatine contributes to a healthier, more toned appearance without the inflammation-like bloat that women typically associate with water retention.

3. Creatine Causes Weight Gain

[15:51] Adam Schaefer:
"If you gain weight and it's lean body mass, which fluid inside the muscles is considered lean body mass, when you get a body fat test... you are now leaner as a percentage."

Adam explains that any weight gained from creatine is due to increased intracellular water, which contributes to lean body mass. This results in a lower body fat percentage despite a slight increase in scale weight.

[21:35] Mandy:
"Most women taking creatine will probably gain a couple pounds on the scale, but they're gonna be leaner as a result. And that's the firmness and sculpt that you're looking for."

Mandy reinforces that the minor weight gain is a sign of improved muscle hydration and definition, leading to a leaner and more sculpted physique.

4. Creatine is Unsafe or Risky

[22:20] Adam Schaefer:
"Creatine is one of the most studied supplements ever. It's one of the most studied ergogenic supplements that exists. It's also not just one of the safest."

Adam highlights the extensive research supporting creatine's safety and efficacy. With over 500 peer-reviewed studies, creatine stands as one of the most reliable and safe supplements available.

[23:18] Mandy:
"Creatine is good for you. It's not just safe, it's actually good for you."

Mandy emphasizes that beyond its performance-enhancing benefits, creatine offers significant health advantages, including cognitive and cardiovascular benefits, making it a longevity supplement.

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Health Benefits Beyond Fitness

[23:21] Mandy:
"Creatine also has tremendous health benefits that don't just relate to muscle and fat loss. It's actually quite remarkable."

Beyond muscle building and fat loss, creatine supports brain health, cardiovascular function, liver health, and may even aid in combating depression and anxiety. These multifaceted benefits position creatine as a comprehensive health supplement.

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Optimizing Creatine Intake

Consistency is Key

[29:30] Mandy:
"Consistency trumps everything. Once you build up your stores then you just take it every day to maintain those stores."

Mandy and Adam agree that consistent daily intake is crucial for maximizing creatine's benefits. Whether taken post-workout or at any other time, maintaining regular supplementation ensures optimal creatine levels in the body.

Forms of Creatine

[26:21] Adam Schaefer:
"This is why the gummy game is so strong."

Addressing the challenge of consistency, Adam praises creatine gummies for their convenience and palatability. Mandy concurs, noting that gummies enhance adherence to supplementation routines compared to traditional powders or pills.

[26:49] Mandy:
"Creatine monohydrate is a flavorless, gritty powder. Unless you're a fitness fanatic, a lot of people don't like to pour powder on their face... The gummies taste amazing, and it's easy."

Mandy advocates for creatine monohydrate as the preferred form due to its extensive research backing, while also highlighting the practicality of gummies in ensuring consistent intake.

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Who Should Take Creatine?

[30:02] Mandy:
"There's really a small percentage of people who should not take creatine. People who are in active kidney disease who are on a protein-restricted diet."

Mandy identifies the minimal exceptions for creatine supplementation, primarily individuals with specific kidney conditions. For the vast majority, creatine is beneficial and safe.

[24:29] Adam Schaefer:
"Most people are not deficient in it, but people with lower dietary intake, like vegans, definitely benefit from taking creatine.”

Adam points out that even those with high meat diets can benefit from supplementation, as dietary intake from food rarely meets the optimal levels for creatine's full benefits.

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Future of Creatine in Healthcare

[28:51] Mandy:
"A lot of scientists and doctors agree now and this will happen in 10 years or so. Creatine will be given in hospitals, it'll be given in care homes. It's going to be given to everybody because the benefits are so far-reaching."

Mandy envisions a future where creatine becomes a staple in medical and wellness settings due to its extensive health benefits, further cementing its role as a vital supplement for overall health and longevity.

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Conclusion

[31:46] Mandy:
"Nothing. No other studies have shown anything like that. Nobody in the field points that study. It's total myth."

Throughout the episode, the hosts effectively debunk myths surrounding creatine, providing evidence-based insights that position creatine as an indispensable supplement for women aiming to enhance their fitness and overall health. By addressing misconceptions about bulking, bloating, weight gain, and safety, Sal, Adam, and Justin present a compelling case for the universal adoption of creatine supplementation among women.

[31:56] Sal DeStefano:
"If your goal is to build and shape your body, dramatically improve your health and energy and maximize your overall performance, check out our discounted RGB super bundle... If you enjoy this show, please share the love by leaving us a five-star rating and review on iTunes and by introducing Mind Pump to your friends and family."

Sal wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to further engage with their comprehensive fitness programs, ensuring that the insights shared translate into actionable fitness and health improvements.

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Key Takeaways:

• Creatine is essential for muscle development, fat loss, and enhanced performance in women.
• Common myths about creatine causing bulkiness, bloating, and weight gain are debunked with scientific evidence.
• Creatine is safe and offers numerous health benefits beyond fitness, including cognitive and cardiovascular improvements.
• Consistency in supplementation is crucial, with creatine monohydrate gummies being a convenient option.
• Almost everyone can benefit from creatine, with few exceptions primarily related to specific medical conditions.
• Future integration of creatine into mainstream healthcare is anticipated due to its extensive benefits.

For women looking to optimize their fitness and health, incorporating creatine as a daily supplement can provide significant and multifaceted benefits, backed by robust scientific research.

Transcript

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[Mandy]

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[Sal DeStefano]

If you want to pump your body and expand your mind, there's only one place to go. Mind Pump Mind Pump with your hosts Sal DeStefano, Adam Schaefer and Justin Andrews.

[Mandy]

You just found the most downloaded fitness, health and entertainment podcast. This is Mind Pump. Today's episode why All Women Should Take Creatine, the Most Effective Supplement. I don't care what your goal is. If you're not taking the supplement, you're totally missing out. Now this episode is brought to you by Legion. In fact, Legion has a gummy creatine with the form of creatine that is most studied creatine monohydrate. Get your 5 grams of creatine a day in a gummy form. Go to buylegion.com mindpump Use the code mindpump. Get 20% off your order. Also, we have a special this month on some workout programs. Maps Anabolic the most popular workout program we have. Great for speeding up the metabolism, building muscle and strength and burning body fat. And our no BS six pack formula. This is a program just for your core. Both of these programs together. Ready for this $59.99. That's it. You get them both for 59.99. This is a huge discount savings of $114. If you're interested, here's what you got to do. Go to Maps February all right, here comes the show Ladies, if you're not taking creatine, you are simply not getting the best results. It's true. You're not going to burn the body fat you want, you're not going to build the muscle you want, you're not going to perform the way you want. Plain and simple. You need to take creatine. Today's episode, we're going to break down.

[Adam Schaefer]

Why, you know how I know we haven't made this statement or fussed about this enough, is when my wife, who listens to every episode that we do and has been a part of this business since day one, should I take creatine?

[Mandy]

No.

[Justin Andrews]

She's not alone.

[Adam Schaefer]

She asked me that the other day. Yeah, it was not even. Not even a month ago. It was a few weeks ago. I'll have to ask her what it sparked. It must have been one of the other conversations that we had. And she said that exactly to me. She goes, should I take creatine? I can take creatine, right? I'm like, yeah.

[Mandy]

You know what's crazy about this? We've said this before. When you look at the whole fitness and health space, we're all lied to by the fitness marketing machine. Lies quite a bit and misinforms all of us. But women have really paid the price. They really have. It took a long time for women to adopt strength training, for example. Yeah, a long time. They're now discovering that strength training is the most effective way to work out, regardless of your goal, even if it's just fat loss. By the way, all the data shows this. But now women are figuring this out. They're also late to the party. With creatine. With creatine, a lot of women, there's a lot of myths surrounding creatine, and the myths are what scare them away. By the way, the myths around creatine were actually put out by our stupid industry. They really were. Because when creatine came out, it was such a popular, effective supplement that other supplement companies wanted to try and sell their version of creatine to women. And the way they did it was by making up myths to scare them away from taking the other creatine. But the problem, what they actually caused, was just fear. And so anytime I talk about creatine to women, these myths pop up about, well, doesn't it do this, doesn't it do that? And it's all completely false. It's all completely false. It's the most effective supplement you could take, hands down. And it's effective for a lot of things you don't Even realize. So I'm going to start with the first myth around creatine, probably the one that gets most women to kind of pause and maybe be afraid of taking creatine. And that myth is that it makes you bulky, that if I take creatine, I'm just going to get bigger. And I'm, you know, most women are not trying to get bigger. Some women are, but most women are trying to get leaner or more sculpted. This is why the fitness industry at one point talked about toning instead of building muscle, which is a made up word in that context as well. You either build muscle or you or you don't. But they did it to try to attract women because saying building would, Would scare someone away. Creatine, not only is it like this whole about making your bulky thing a myth, it's actually the most effective fat burning supplement you could take. And a lot of people have no idea.

[Adam Schaefer]

I like that argument.

[Mandy]

Yeah.

[Adam Schaefer]

I mean, it aligns so much with our messaging around when we first get clients, even when they need to lose a hundred pounds, we reverse diet and we focus on building muscle, because building muscle is what's going to speed the metabolism and is what's going to help us get that weight off the fastest and also maintain it. And so the same theory applies here. Creatine is incredible for building muscle. Well, if it's incredible for building muscle and muscle is the main form of what we do to improve somebody's metabolism, then therefore it would make it an incredible fat burner because it speeds the metabolism up.

[Mandy]

Yes.

[Justin Andrews]

Well, I could see too. I mean, it's hard enough that we try to get our female clients to, you know, go on a surplus. And we can't call it a bulk. You know, we got to call it building or we got to, you know, sort of presented a little bit differently in terms of building muscle creates, you know, this, this nice definition in their arms or legs. And, you know, it's, it's a perception thing because it's been, again, this myth has been. Been presented and again, to our. Our. Our own detriment, our own people, like promoting, creating, created that sort of thought process around it that all of a sudden they're going to look like linebackers taking this. So it's, it's been a tough one to, to kind of take them back down and realize, like, this is very helpful for building muscle, which in turn helps you burn fat.

[Mandy]

Yeah, if you look at the fat burner market or fat burning supplement market, you could look at them and kind of place Them into two categories. Supplements that try to suppress appetite and then supplements that promote or purport, I should say, to speed up your metabolism. So you see like thermogenic, right. A lot of people heard that thermogenic supplements you take amplifies your metabolism through this thermogenic process. You're gonna burn more calories on your own, so it burns body fat. Or take this and it makes you eat less. Now both of those categories are kind of a waste of time. One, the thermogenic effect of a supplement that's going to speed up your metabolism through this central nervous system amplification, that's what caffeine does. And it's a really a negligible boost the metabolic rate and it stops very quickly. The body adapts very quickly. So that's a waste. The appetite suppressing effects of supplements is also a waste because although some of them do kill your appetite. Like the now illegal ephedra by the way, back in the day, used to be able to take ephedra with caffeine and it had this kind of appetite suppressing effect. It's very short lived. And then you get a rebound effect when you come off. So the appetite suppression will last for a little while, the body adapts, then you go back to normal, then you're taking it just to stay normal, then you go off and you get this rebound effect as these, these receptors are down, regulated or upregulated as a result of, of the compound that you're taking. So. So waste of money, waste of time. For the most part. Creatine actually builds metabolism in the way that's real.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mandy]

Because what creatine does is extremely effectively, more effectively. Okay. Than any other supplement we've ever studied or seen, ever. The only thing that would compete or beat creatine would be hormones. But you know, you're not gonna buy those at a supplement store or whatever. Creatine builds muscle very effectively now. You're not gonna gain pounds and pounds of muscle, but it will aid in the metabolism, boosting insulin sensitizing effects that muscle building provide. In fact, creatine on its own has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, meaning your muscle's ability to absorb carbohydrates and calories, amino acids, which you want, that helps the fat burning process. Creatine, if you put it in the context of all of the supplements and you compare it, you're like, which one affects muscle growth the most? Which one affects insulin sensitivity? Which one's going to boost metabolic rate through the muscle building process the most? Creatine isn't just the best. It's literally in its own category. It's like everything else is over here, and here's creatine. So from that perspective, which is a real. That's. That's real deal. That's how it works. It's the best fat burner. It's actually the opposite of the myth that it's going to make me bulky. This is going to help you burn body fat. And not only that, it's going to help you burn body fat better than any other supplement that exists.

[Adam Schaefer]

Well, not to derail this conversation, but I've always found it interesting how we can even market fat burners as fat burners. There's nothing about them that burns body fat. Nothing. There's literally there. And that's wild when you think about it, because I don't know how many times I've had to communicate this to a client who's, oh, what about this fat burner? Or my friend's taking this, and it's like there is nothing in that that burns body fat at all whatsoever. And the. The best thing is either one, there's something that affects your central nervous system. It just makes you move around like crazy. So you either just burn more calories because you move more, so that's because you're all stimulated, or there's something that just completely crushes and suppresses. Suppresses the appetite. Therefore, you eat less calories. But there is no. There is nothing in that supplement that is actually doing anything metabolically to you. If anything, it's slowing your metabolism down by having you eat less. Less food. So when you think about it, and you compare it head to head with creatine. With creatine, that actually helps support building muscle, which in turn speeds up your metabolism, which in turn helps you lose body fat. There's no question it's the best fat burner, but nobody markets it that way.

[Mandy]

100% the next myth. This one is.

[Adam Schaefer]

And this is why, by the way.

[Mandy]

Yes. This one right here is also super damaging.

[Adam Schaefer]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

And it's the myth that creatine makes you bloated. First of all, that's false. It doesn't make you bloated. Now, what it does do is it encourages and enhances intracellular hydration. Okay, so there's a difference between. And ladies watching, listening this right now. You know what I'm talking about. There's a difference between looking hydrated and looking bloated. One of them, you look good versus dry muscle. The other one, you look like you're not feeling very well. Right. Bloated is water outside of the muscle, under the skin, it's puffiness. It's like I didn't get good sleep or I drink too much alcohol or I have an autoimmune reaction or something like that. That's what bloat looks like. Or I ate something that didn't agree with me. That's bloat. Hydration is different. Hydration is my skin looks good. And here's the best part. 70% of your muscle is water as water. So if you were to take your muscle, if you were taking glutes, I want rounder glutes. Cool. Let's take your glutes off. Let's analyze those. 70% of what makes your glute your glute is actually fluid. And that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. It's supposed to be there. What creatine does is it helps give you more of that hydration. So you want rounder, fuller, more sculpted muscles. You want them to be more hydrated. Creatine does that. Now, the reason why this myth even exists is when creatine first came out, it was so effective, it was blowing people's minds. Like anything in a market based society, once something comes out, first of all, it was expensive. I remember back in the early 90s when I started taking creatine as a teenager, you buy 30 servings and it would be something like 50 bucks, not adjusted for inflation, which is super expensive for like 1992. Right? 30, 50 bucks. Today you could buy, you know, 200 servings for. For less than that, even though, you know, money's worth less. And that's because it was so effective that everybody came to the space and started selling it. So the margins started getting smaller, and the way they started competing with each other was, well, I got to come up with new ways to sell. You're selling creatine monohydrate, I'm selling creatine monohydrate. How can I make mine sell more than yours? And so some of these supplement companies wisely identified the female market, which is true. If you want to sell a product and you want to do well, you want to target the female consumer because they tend to do. They tend to buy things. But what they did, and they really messed things up quite a bit for women for a long time is they said, our creatine doesn't bloat you. So they inadvertently sold this idea that creatine made you bloated. And actually what it did is it Actually scared women from taking creatine. That's not what happens. It actually hydrates your body, by the way. It's not just your muscles that become more hydrated and feel. So right now, if you're watching this, if I were to dehydrate you or hydrate you, dehydrated, you would feel flabby. Hydrated, you would feel sculpted and firm. It doesn't just hydrate your muscles, it also hydrates your skin. And the data shows this. So if you want skin that looks more hydrated, creatine. In fact, they're now making skin creams that contain creatine as a result of this.

[Adam Schaefer]

Well, I'll tell you how I explain it to Katrina because that was actually her questioning. Well, doesn't it, doesn't it hold a bunch, doesn't it make me hold a bunch of water? And I have never met anybody, male or female, that doesn't like the way their body looks after they get a pump. When they go to the gym and they lift weights, they drink their jug of water or whatever, male or female, will, will tell you like I like, I like the way I look better there than I did when walking into the gym. And especially my female clients that, you know, understand how to get a glute pump through, like hip thrust and exercises like that, like, they'll tell you like how much they love that plump pump. And I explained to her all that is, is you've came in, you drink your gallon of water or your whatever, your jug of water and you're lifting weights and you're just pumping fluid into that muscle. Creatine enhances that. So if you like the way your butt looks after you do a bunch of hip thrusts and drink some water inside the gym, creatine is what helps, that helps, that enhances, that makes that better. So and same thing goes for your shoulders, arms and all the other muscles. But that's what's happening and that's what it's doing. It is different than when you're on your period and you feel bloated in your stomach and your body's retaining and holding water. Totally different. One of them holds it inside your muscles, the other is between your skin. Right. And your, and your muscles. Totally different look. And the one you want and the one you like is that one you get from working out. That's what creates, by the way.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, it looks more like inflammation versus, you know, just looking tighter and fuller.

[Mandy]

Creatine's got actually some anti inflammatory properties, which is the ironic.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

Of this whole you know, this whole conversation, by the way, this is the way.

[Adam Schaefer]

It's the holding water. That just sounds like, it just sounds like every, every woman, okay, every in their defense knows what that's like. They go through that every month. Every month they have a period in their, in their month.

[Mandy]

And a woman's hormone profile can do this?

[Adam Schaefer]

Yes, it changes up. They hold a bunch of water, they feel it, they know what it looks like, they don't like it. And rightfully so and understandable. And so when they hear a product holds water, that's exactly where their brain, I know that that's what my wife is, where her brain went right away is. It holds water, doesn't it? Yes, but different. Not like what you're, you're thinking.

[Mandy]

That's why I use the word hydrated, because I, that women also understand, they know what it feels like and what it looks like when they're dehydrated, when their skin's dehydrated, when their muscles are dehydrated, their body's dehydrated. You just don't look as good, you don't feel as good. Creatine super hydrates all of those cells and your muscles included, by the way. This isn't even performance enhancement and this is not even the primary action of creatine. The reason why this happens, that's just.

[Adam Schaefer]

A nice little side benefit.

[Mandy]

The reason why this happens is creatinine. As a result, creatine increases the amount of ATP that is available for energy in your body. What is ATP? ATP is one of the primary sources of energy for your cells, for all of your cells. So now when you have more ATP, when we're talking about just athletic performance, you're stronger. So when you take creatine, what you'll notice when you take creatine is within the first week or two, if nothing else changes, you're going to add about two to five pounds, sometimes ten pounds to your lifts. Okay? So if you want to get stronger right away, without changing anything else, start taking creatine within two weeks. Your leg press, your squat, your lunge, your hip thrust, your overhead press, whatever, you are going to be stronger because they have more of this ATP now along with this ATP comes in more hydration. So the side effect being muscles have more energy, but also now contain more of this hydration within them. By the way, this super hydrated state and the ATP fueled energy contributes to nitrogen retention, which is muscle growth. So it also speeds up the process by which you are actually building the actual contractile Tissue, the dry, lean muscle tissue. So it's not just the hydration that you gain and your muscles feel fuller and rounder, which is good, but you also speed up and enhance the ability to actually build real muscle through this process. So it's. It's. It's. It's not bloat. And again, I got to say this again, it really frustrates me that supplement companies came out and tried to come up with an angle, and what they did instead is they confused and misled so many women and prevented so many women from taking the most effective supplement they'll ever try in their entire life. By the way, creatine also has tremendous health benefits that don't just relate to muscle and fat loss, which we'll get to a little bit later, and it's actually quite remarkable. All right, last myth. Creatine makes you gain weight. Now, I'm gonna be very clear. You probably will gain a pound or two on creatine. Okay? Why? What I talked about earlier, this super hydrated state. So here's where I'm gonna trip everybody out. Okay? Right now, if you're watching this or listening to this right now, and I were to snap my fingers and just magically make you gain four pounds of intracellular water of hydration in your muscles, if I just snap my fingers and gave you another four pounds of water inside your muscles, here's what would happen. They'd feel tighter, they'd feel fuller, they look more sculpted, and you ready for this. You will instantly be leaner. You are instantly leaner. All right, So a lot of people are like, how does that work? If you gain weight and it's lean body mass, which fluid inside the muscles is considered lean body mass? When you get a body fat test, or that's what they're looking at too, if you gain intracellular fluid, if your muscles are more pumped and rounder, and fuller, you are now leaner as a percentage. Your body fat percentage actually went down a little bit. Not much, maybe like 0.2, 0.3%, 0.1%, depending on how big you are, but you actually instantly become leaner as a percentage because of the hydration. So it's actually hilarious. So although your weight may go up on the scale a little bit from the intracellular fluid, the. The hydration within the muscles, again, that makes you look better, looks more sculpted, more toned. You're actually going to be leaner, and you'll look leaner as a result.

[Adam Schaefer]

I mean, one, I would argue it's more than what you just Alluded. It's even more than that. 2. You could go test this. I've done this before. Yeah, so go take one of those body fat tests. Any. Any of your, you know, dexa scan or your hydrostatic dunk tank, any of those ones that test your lean body mass. Get your button. Go in dehydrated first thing in the morning. Don't have any water, don't have any fluids from the night before. Test your body fat literally the very next day. Do it again, but this time, drink a gallon of water before you go do it. That's it. Don't do anything different. You're leaner drinking, and you will drop a percent or more of body fat. That's how much you can manipulate that. And all that is, is your point is you're. What you're doing is you're hydrating the muscles. And if you are dehydrated when you go into it in the morning, that means it's all sucked out. So you're gonna. You're gonna read at lean body mass. You take that same person, no matter what their size is, and you load them full of water. You now fill all those muscle bellies, which will now register on the machine as lean body mass. So if you want to test this, you can totally test it out. And. And it does. It looks. It. It looks better, it feels better, but it can manipulate that much. And that extra one pound or two pounds that goes on the scale is good weight.

[Mandy]

I'm going to tell you right now, if, if, if you. If you lost, if you dehydrated yourself terribly right now, you would look flabbier. That's what would happen. You would actually look flabbier if you super hydrated yourself, not bloat. Remember, this is hydration. You're gonna look leaner, even though the scale may look like you gained a pound or two. So most women taking creatine will probably gain a couple pounds on the scale, but they're gonna be leaner as a result. And again, that's the firmness and sculpt that you're looking for. And then, of course, down the line, you burn more body fat more effectively. The last myth is that creatine is somehow unsafe or it's risky. I still get this, hey, I want to take creatine. What are the risks? I heard creatine is, you know, maybe I shouldn't take it or whatever of all the supplements or.

[Adam Schaefer]

It's not natural.

[Mandy]

Creatine's. It's natural. In fact, it was first successfully Extracted out of meat because you find it in animal meat in 1832. So 1832 was the first time.

[Adam Schaefer]

I didn't realize it was that far back.

[Mandy]

Yes, it was studied. The first time it got studied was in 1912. Now the problem, the reason why it wasn't available commercially, whatever was it was expensive. It was expensive to extract, it was expensive to produce or whatever. But in the 1970s, they started doing studies on animals and humans. But again, it was still kind of expensive. By 1990, it started being commercially available because they found a way to get it and to be able to sell it. But again, it was way less expensive than it would have been because they found better ways of producing it. But it's more expensive than it is now. And since all that time, We've had over 500 peer reviewed studies done, probably more on creatine monohydrate.

[Adam Schaefer]

It's one of, it's one of the most studied supplements ever, right?

[Mandy]

It's probably the most studied ergogenic supplement that exists. It's also not just one of the safest. So builds muscle, burns body fat, makes me look better, I'm stronger, I perform better. Great. It's not, hey, it's a performance enhancing supplement that helps you burn body fat and build muscle. That's safe. It's okay. To be clear, a performance enhancing supplement that builds muscle, helps you burn body fat, that also makes you live longer, is good for your brain, is good for your cardiovascular system, is good for your heart, is good for your liver, is actually a longevity supplement. So not only is it safe, but if you take creatine regularly, you're probably going to live longer. The studies on creatine are insane. It's, it shows efficacy for depression, anxiety, improved cognitive function, cardiovascular health, liver health. It's a longevity supplement. So it's not just safe, it's actually good for you. That's what it gets crazy. Creatine is one of those supplements that even if you don't work out, you don't lift weights, you don't care about what I'm saying about muscle building, fat burning, whatever, you just want to be healthier. Take creatine. Creatine is good for you.

[Adam Schaefer]

I think it's important to address that because I've heard this also people that are aware that it's derived from meat and, oh, I eat lots of meat, I eat a lot of steak, I eat meat every single day. So I don't, that's why I don't really take it. In fact, there was a period of Time where I thought the same thing too is it's like, oh, I eat meat all day long. I eat a good high protein diet. I don't need to take creatine and you don't need to take it. Right. You're probably not deficient in it. But I know that a lot of the studies point towards the upper limit of creatine, that there's still benefits as you start Getting up to 5 and 10, 10 milligrams of creatine in a day and you're in order to even hit 5 milligrams of creatine or grams. Excuse me, 5 grams in a day. The amount of steak, I think it was like two pounds of meat you'd have to eat to get close to that.

[Mandy]

Yeah. So everybody, everybody's gonna benefit from taking creatine. The less meat you eat, the more you'll benefit. But everybody's gonna benefit. And then now we have studies showing cognitive benefits from upwards of 10 grams of creatine a day. I mean, you're not eating five pounds of meat a day. Nobody's eating that much meat. That's how much you would need. So essentially you're right. Most people are not deficient vegans probably, you know, like definitely take creatine if you're a vegan. And by the way, vegan is, excuse me, creatine is vegan. They synthesize it through amino acids that are not taken from animals. So you could take it and still be vegan. But oh yeah, benefits from 5 to 10, 10 grams plus for cognitive benefits they're showing now. So in other words, you're not going to get all the benefits from creatine from your diet. This is one of those few supplements that are out there that you actually taking the supplement is a good idea, period and end of story. So now the one of the chat, I do want to say this. One of the challenges with creatine in my experience has always been consistency, because creatine monohydrate, which by the way, that's the formula.

[Adam Schaefer]

This is why the gummy game is so strong.

[Mandy]

100%, dude.

[Adam Schaefer]

I don't ever miss anymore.

[Mandy]

100%. So it's creatine monohydrates the form you want. That's the one that's studied, that's the one that's been shown to be the most efficacious. All the other versions that have tried to come out to compete with it, they all suck. None of them are better. Actually. Some of them are worse. Definitely all of them more expensive. Just go, creatine monohydrate. That's it. Period. End of story. But creatine monohydrate is a flavorless, gritty powder. It's like sand.

[Justin Andrews]

It's like sand.

[Mandy]

And, you know, unless you're like, a fitness fanatic or supplement aficionado like me, like, a lot of people don't like to pour powder on their face. And if you have to take pills, it's probably like six capsules or seven capsules to get five grams. So the challenge I've always had with clients was consistency. Because you want to take it every day.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

You have to take it every day.

[Justin Andrews]

It's an easy one to dry powder and then juice.

[Adam Schaefer]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

Thankfully, now we have companies. One of our partners, Legion, they put it in gummy form. So you think you eat, like, four or five gummies.

[Adam Schaefer]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

And now you get your five grams of creatine. And what's funny is, like, you use yourself as an example, Adam. You are inconsistent with creatine. I see. You take it every single day.

[Adam Schaefer]

Yeah.

[Mandy]

Because you just eat the gummies. It is.

[Adam Schaefer]

The gummies taste amazing, and it's easy. I take six, but I don't ever miss anymore. And I've got them. I've got one in my room. I've got one right here in the dresser over here. I've got one everywhere in my house where if I had forgot for of the day. It's an easy thing to grab. I don't need water. I don't need to mix it with anything. It's easy. They taste good. So it's. It's interesting to me that we actually took this long to get to that.

[Mandy]

I know.

[Adam Schaefer]

And I've been talking about that for a while now that, you know, the gummy market is, like, getting. Well, I mean, there's studies on this. Humans are more. More likely to be consistent with giving their dog the vitamins and supplements and medication than they are themselves.

[Mandy]

Yeah, we're terrible at it.

[Adam Schaefer]

And I think a lot of that is. It's just the pills are inconvenient. It's inconvenient. You forget, oh, I don't have anything to. You know, when you finally think of it, it's like. It's when you're driving somewhere and it's like, you. You don't have anything to wash it down with. Just becomes kind of a hassle where having something in gummy form doesn't need to be refrigerated, that you can keep with you. Just throw them in your mouth anytime it's just, I don't know, smart, makes it easy.

[Justin Andrews]

I'm reminded all the time that this whole just like getting everything from your balanced diet like that is a myth in itself. I mean we, our food qualities change so much over the years. Yeah. So like minerals for instance. And just you know what, what's lacking in the food and the nutrients now we, we really need to look at supplements and vitamins to, to fulfill. And so this is one of those that's like there's so many benefits to it. You just got to make sure that this is part of the process.

[Mandy]

Oh, it's, it's to me, it's, it's I, it's a lot of, a lot of scientists and doctors agree now and this will happen in 10 years or so. Creatine will be, it'll be given in hospitals, it'll be given in care homes. It's going to be given to everybody because the benefits are so far reaching. It's so it's again it's not just safe, it's a longevity compound that it's not just for people who benefit.

[Justin Andrews]

They keep finding new benefits.

[Mandy]

It's just more recently just a study came out showing improved cardiovascular function. So it's like if you're not taking creatine, it makes no sense why you're not taking creatine.

[Sal DeStefano]

Got some questions here. The first one is, is there a best time to take creatine?

[Mandy]

No, not really. Now there's some studies that show you might right after workout take most of it, more of it, I should say post workout. But the way creatine works is you take your creatine daily and you start to build the levels. Yeah. These, these phosphor creatine.

[Adam Schaefer]

So in other words, consistency trumps everything.

[Mandy]

Consist. Yeah. So once you build up your stores then you just take it every day to maintain those stores real high and you're totally fine post workout. Might get those to fill faster when you first start taking creatine, but it doesn't make a difference. You could take it anytime.

[Sal DeStefano]

Next question. Who should not take creatine?

[Mandy]

So there's only, there's really a small percentage of people who should not take creatine. One, people who are in active kidney disease who are on a protein restricted diet. You know this because your nephrologist says don't take supplements, don't eat too much protein. Like you're, we need to really, you know, you're probably on dialysis. Like so that. And you'll know, you'll know because your Doctor told you. But you also shouldn't take most supplements. In that case.

[Justin Andrews]

Anyone with like a polymorphism.

[Mandy]

No.

[Justin Andrews]

Do they? Yeah, they don't even have those.

[Mandy]

Nothing. No. Creatine benefits everyone. The only other group, there's a very small percentage of people who will get gastro distress from taking creatine. Just like anything, any supplement. If you take creatine and you notice it upsets your stomach, then you could try taking small frequent doses throughout the day and then if that still bothers you, then just don't take it. But in my experience, I've actually never had a client had an issue taking creatine.

[Adam Schaefer]

Never.

[Mandy]

Never had anybody who's ever had problems.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, even that. It was like just a little different mix to go with it, you know, and they're fine.

[Sal DeStefano]

Does creatine cause hair loss?

[Mandy]

This is another terrible, stupid myth.

[Adam Schaefer]

I mean this, actually this was a myth for a while.

[Mandy]

This. There was one. Okay, so of all the studies, I said 500 peer reviewed studies, there was one small study that showed a slight elevation of dht, which is a androgenic hormone related to testosterone. And then what they did is they deduced from that and said, oh, if DHT goes up, then you're going to get more hair loss. Because DHT is related to hair loss, by the way. Hair loss is far more complex than just dht. Number one, it wasn't this crazy high, you know, increase. Number two, no other studies ever shown anything like that. And so nobody, there's nobody in the field that points that study whatsoever. It's total myth.

[Adam Schaefer]

No, wait.

[Mandy]

That it causes anything with your. Yeah, with, with, with hair loss. Look, if you like the show, come find us on Instagram. Justin is at Mind Pump. Justin, I'm at mind pump DiStefano and Adam's @ Mind Pump.

[Sal DeStefano]

Thank you for listening to Mind Pump. If your goal is to build and shape your body, dramatically improve your health and energy and maximize your overall performance, check out our discounted RGB super [e-mail] the RGB Super Bundle includes maps, anabolic maps, performance and maps, aesthetic. Nine months of phased expert exercise programming designed by Sal, Adam and Justin to systematically transform the way your body looks, feels and performs. With detailed workout blueprints and over 200 videos. The RGB Super Bundle is like having Sal, Adam and Justin as your own personal trainers, but at a fraction of the price. The RGB Super Bundle has a full 30 day money back guarantee and you can get it now. Plus other valuable free [e-mail] if you enjoy this show, please share the love by leaving us a five star rating and review on itunes and by introducing Mind Pump to your friends and family. We thank you for your support and until next time, this is Mind Pump.