The Proof with Simon Hill Creatine for brain health & physical performance | Dr Eric Rawson
Early Creatine Research
- Creatine research dates back to 1832, with early studies focusing on its presence in muscles.
- Even chemist Justus von Liebig marketed a meat extract supplement, high in creatine, in 1847.
Early Creatine Supplementation
- A 1920s study showed oral creatine increased levels in the body, not just urine.
- This suggested creatine was being retained and utilized within the body.
Creatine Supplementation Breakthrough
- Oral creatine supplements effectively increase muscle creatine levels, about 20% on average.
- Exercise enhances this uptake, with low creatine individuals showing the greatest increase.
In Episode #212, Dr Eric Rawson joins me to examine the muscular and cognitive effects of creatine.
Performance supplementation is a flooded field. With supplementation sceptics on one hand and relentless marketing promotion on the other, it can be difficult to know what to believe. Dr Eric Rawson joins me today for an in-depth conversation on creatine, breaking down everything you need to know about this widely studied compound.
In this episode, we cover the basics of creatine consumption and push deeper into specific, common questions people may have. You will learn about the muscular performance and brain health benefits of creatine for people of different demographics, including age, gender, and diet. Dr Rawson also outlines dosage guidelines, addresses common concerns people may have, and speaks to the evidence we have about safety.
Specifically, we cover:
- Intro (0:00)
- Breakthrough Creatine Research (1:53)
- What Creatine is (11.00)
- Is Creating Essential? (12:48)
- Testing Creatine Levels (17:10)
- Vegetarian vs Omnivore (23:01)
- Improving Performance (28:40)
- Analyzing Other Compounds (52:24)
- Safety of Supplements (1:05:48)
- Gender Impact (1:21:30)
- Creating Dosage (1:27:50)
- Brain Health & Creatine (1:29:06)
- Outro (1:57:55)
Dr Rawson offers specific guidelines that you can action, as well as covering the science behind why. In a world where anyone and everyone online makes nutrition claims, it’s critical to have reliable, rigorous evidence to support these. I hope you found this episode clarifying and useful.
If you enjoyed hearing from Dr Rawson, you can connect with him via Twitter. You can also read more at his university faculty page, or email him if you have further questions.
Thank you to The Proof friend Eimele Essential 8 for sponsoring today’s episode. Eimele Essential 8 offers the right nutrients, in the right doses, to complement a plant-rich diet. To save 5% on your first order, head to theproof.com/friends.
Make sure to head to theproof.com/podcast for the full show notes.
Enjoy, friends.
Simon
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Simon Hill, Msc, Bsc (Hons)
- Creator of Theproof.com and host of The Proof with Simon Hill
- Author of The Proof is in the Plants
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