The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
Host: Dave Asprey
Episode: The Willpower Drug: How to Supplement Discipline (#1394)
Release Date: January 8, 2026
Guest: Dr. Greg Kelly, ND — Naturopathic physician, author of Shapeshift, and lead formulator at Qualia (Neurohacker Collective)
Episode Summary
Main Theme
In this episode, Dave Asprey and recurring guest Dr. Greg Kelly dive deep into the science, history, and practical use of creatine as a pivotal nutrient for not just muscle performance but cognitive, reproductive, and metabolic health. They challenge common myths, discuss creatine’s roles beyond bodybuilding, detail its implications for both men and women (including pregnancy and adolescence), and reveal strategies for maximizing its effects safely. The conversation is packed with actionable insights for biohackers and anyone looking to upgrade their willpower, cognition, and overall vitality.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Creatine’s Origin & Bodybuilding Roots
[07:08 - 10:53]
- History: Discovered in 1832 from meat; Harvard (1912) found it elevated muscle levels in animals; first in humans in 1926; became popular after 1992 Olympics.
- Common Misconceptions: Plant foods do not contain creatine — only animal flesh offers meaningful amounts.
- Creatine’s Role: Buffers ATP in tissues with high, fluctuating energy demands (muscle, brain, reproductive organs).
Quote:
"What they've found is the main role of creatine is to buffer ATP... Creatine is the system that comes to the rescue when our muscles or brain are working really intensely."
— Dr. Kelly [09:52]
2. Beyond Muscles: Brain, Hormones, and Longevity
[12:28 – 19:38]
- Brain Function: Supports higher executive functions, especially within the thalamus—crucial for focus, decision making, and emotional regulation.
- Cognition: Higher creatine = more brain energy, better choices, less reliance on gut feelings, improved emotional resilience.
- Reproductive Health: Emerging studies highlight benefits for both men and women, but most research is animal-based for now.
- Wild vs. Domesticated: Sedentary (and older) individuals have lower tissue creatine; exercise increases creatine storage.
Quote:
"More energy in the brain equals better cognitive function... If it's low on energy, you’ll just go with a gut feeling — but they'll both feel like you thought about it."
— Dave Asprey [11:13]
3. Dietary Sources, Dosage, and Absorption
[14:09 – 25:38]
- Diet: Red meat is the richest source; a pound gives ~2g creatine. Plant-based diets provide almost none.
- Daily Needs: ~2g/day lost, body synthesizes ~1g/day. Supplementation helps saturation, especially with higher activity.
- Who Needs More: Athletes, biohackers, older adults, women (especially those cycling), and possibly the obese (for brain benefits).
- Loading vs. Maintenance: Loading (5g x 4/day for 5 days), or slow build (3-5g daily) — both get muscle levels saturated in ~4 weeks.
- Women’s Needs: May require more due to lower synthesis; benefits seen especially at higher doses during hormonal fluctuations.
Quote:
"If you want an upgraded system, sort of like adding extra things to the motor in your car, what's the appropriate amount?... For cognitive enhancement, protocols are at least 5 and sometimes 10 or even up to 20 grams per day."
— Dave Asprey [20:24-22:54]
4. Creatine Safety & Myths
[26:35 – 29:02]
- Kidneys: Myths about damage are unfounded; over 700 human studies confirm creatine’s safety.
- Creatinine: Elevated lab values post-supplementation stem from increased muscle breakdown, not kidney dysfunction.
- Obese/Chronic Fatigue: Supplementing creatine can increase energy, willpower, and emotional regulation even in those with less muscle, primarily by supporting brain ATP.
Quote:
"Creatine is among the most... researched compounds... very, very safe."
— Dr. Kelly [26:39]
5. Practical Insights: Bloating, Solubility, and Bioavailability
[30:32 – 38:37]
- Bloating: Largely due to water retention in muscles (a performance benefit, but may reflect as weight gain, not fat).
- Absorption: Hot liquids (like coffee) vastly improve solubility and plasma levels. Quality and form matter.
- Product Design: Qualia Creatine Plus uses two advanced forms for better solubility, reduced GI issues, and faster absorption.
Quote:
"If you put your creatine in hot coffee, you're going to get better absorption... That combination of hot coffee and creatine feels very different than either one by itself."
— Dave Asprey [34:09-35:34]
6. Creatine Forms, Contamination & Supplement Integrity
[38:37 – 72:08]
- Forms: Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard (~95% of research), newer forms rarely outperform it.
- Quality Concerns: Cheap/generic creatine—especially gummies—often underdose or contain breakdown products or even contaminants (e.g., dicyandiamide, a precursor to cyanide).
- Brand Advice: Look for third-party testing, pharmaceutical-grade brands (e.g., Creapure, OptiCreatine). Qualia subjects its product to rigorous safety and efficacy trials (12% cognitive improvement in 15 days, in-house trial).
- Stacking: Creatine stacks well with caffeine (coffee), magnesium (for ATP reactions), and TMG/betaine (for supporting methylation and complementary ATP production).
Quote:
"One of the problems is even if companies put in the right amount of creatine in gummies, unless the gummies are freshly made you’re not getting as much as you think—if any."
— Dave Asprey [67:36]
7. Special Populations: Pregnancy, Women’s Health, Kids, and Teens
[52:21 – 83:54]
- Women: Creatine can stabilize mood and cognitive functioning throughout the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.
- Pregnancy: No human trials, but animal studies support low-dose safety. Conservative recommended dose: 1-3g/day for pregnant/vegetarian women.
- Children/Adolescents: Conditionally essential; 0.5-1g/day for children, 2-5g/day for teens—especially beneficial during high mental/physical demands. Should consult functional medicine provider.
Quote:
"Creatine is maybe under-respected when it comes to fertility and pregnancy as an important input because we know mitochondria are driving so many of those processes."
— Dave Asprey [56:44]
8. Creatine, Magnesium, and Methylation
[58:15 – 65:26]
- Magnesium: Integral to ATP and creatine phosphorylation cycles; magnesium creatine chelates show superior hydration and effectiveness.
- Methylation: Creatine synthesis consumes methyl groups. Taking TMG (betaine) can support this, but timing matters (don’t co-administer with creatine for maximum absorption).
- Supplement Stacking: Daily stack example: 10-15g creatine (in coffee), 1.5g TMG (later), magnesium—especially useful for those with methylation gene variants.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the 'Willpower Drug':
- "You're relying more on willpower to try to lose weight, and you have less ATP, which is where willpower comes from. Supplementing can help their brain have more energy so they don't feel tired." — Dave Asprey [48:30]
- On Quick Effects:
- "One of the nice things about creatine is how quickly after doing an oral dose it makes its way into tissues—within 30 to 45 minutes." — Dr. Kelly [23:41]
- On Stacking with Caffeine:
- "Bodybuilders and people like you and I have been doing creatine with caffeine for a long time. And it’s a great stack." — Dr. Kelly [35:28]
- On Quality Standards:
- "Don’t take the really cheap stuff because it will move your mitochondrial function in the wrong direction. You want better mitochondria, not cyanide mitochondria." — Dave Asprey [71:12]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:00 – Dave’s journey: From 300 lbs, biohacking roots, merging bodybuilding/longevity/neuro fields
- 07:08 – Creatine history, diet sources, and misconceptions busted
- 11:13 – Brain energy and executive function
- 14:09 – Red meat vs. other sources, plant myths
- 20:24 – Loading, maintenance, and high-performance dosing
- 26:35 – Kidney safety, creatinine myths
- 34:09 – Practical absorption hacks (hot coffee, solubility)
- 38:37 – Different creatine forms, industry standards
- 52:21 – Women’s health, pregnancy, and cognition
- 58:15 – Magnesium, biochemistry, product design
- 65:26 – Methylation, stacking, and daily protocol
- 67:36 – Gummy failures, contamination, and why quality matters
- 72:08 – Product integrity, brand advice, R&D investments
- 80:20 – Safe use for teens, kids, and special populations
- 84:38 – Creatine as a “conditionally essential” nutrient
Bottom Line: Actionable Takeaways
- If you want sharper focus, more willpower, physical resilience, and smoother emotional regulation, creatine is a proven, affordable, foundational supplement—even more so if you’re active, older, female, plant-based, pregnant, or neuroatypical.
- Co-administration with hot drinks (coffee), magnesium, and (separately timed) TMG is a potent optimization strategy.
- Quality matters: Use pharmaceutical-grade powders, avoid generic gummies/powders (especially imports); ensure 3rd-party tested, contaminant-free products.
- Start with 5g in the morning; active women and high-stress individuals may benefit from 10g+. Kids and teens: consult a functional practitioner for appropriate micro-dosing.
- Rapid improvements in cognitive and physical energy can be noted in as little as 2 weeks.
- Creatine is not just for bodybuilders—it upgrades the whole human.
For Further Learning
- Qualia Creatine Plus: qualialife.com/humanupgrade (Use code “human upgrade” for a discount)
- Dave Asprey’s books: The Bulletproof Diet, Head Strong, Smarter Not Harder
- Dr. Greg Kelly’s book: Shapeshift
End of summary.