#76 - Creatine in exercise and health with Professor Darren Candow

Dec 11, 2023

Professor Darren Candow, an expert on creatine and its effects on exercise and health, discusses various topics including strength gains from creatine supplementation, effects on muscle and brain creatine levels, benefits for vegetarians/vegans, aging and creatine, mechanisms of action, optimal dosage, creatine transporters, side effects, sarcopenia, effects on muscle and bone, and the interaction between caffeine and creatine.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Impact of Social Media and Recognizing Pioneers in Creatine Research

03:03 • 4min

The Role and Benefits of Creatine Supplementation

06:50 • 18min

The Effects of Creatine on Recovery and the Importance for Vegetarians and Vegans

25:08 • 3min

The Effects of Creatine Supplementation without Exercise for Older Adults with Atrophied Muscles

28:34 • 19min

Creatine Dosage and Body Size

47:36 • 19min

The Impact of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Sprinters

01:06:32 • 2min

Regulation of Creatine Transporters and Cycling Supplements

01:08:11 • 2min

Evidence of Side Effects from Creatine Use

01:09:59 • 2min

Sarcopenia: Age-related reduction in strength and muscle mass

01:11:46 • 2min

Effects of Creatine on Muscle and Bone

01:13:40 • 22min

Creatine Metabolism: Exercise, Health, and Conditions

01:35:44 • 4min

The Interaction between Caffeine and Creatine

01:40:08 • 15min

Dr Glenn McConell chats with Professor Darren Candow from the University of Regina. Saskatchewan, Canada. He is an expert on creatine (Cr) and the effects of creatine supplementation on resistance exercise and other exercise. He is also examining the role of creatine in bone metabolism and cognitive function.
Get greater increases in strength than muscle mass when supplement with Cr during resistance training. Vegetarians/vegans have lower muscle but not lower brain Cr. Need to exercise to get benefits of Cr on muscle. Lots more. A very interesting chat. Twitter: @darrencandow
0:00. Introduction
1:40. How Darren got into exercise research
4:15. The early pioneers of creatine and other exercise research
7:30. What is creatine (Cr) and where get it from?
9:30. Do people need Cr and other supplements?
11:50. Effects of Cr supplementation on muscle Cr
14:10. Cr vs creatine phosphate (ATP and H+ buffering)
20:12. How Cr/creatine phosphate effects exercise performance
23:30. Cr supplementation and resistance training
26:30. Vegetarians/vegans and Cr
28:15. Aging and Cr
29:40. Mechanisms that Cr effects exercise performance
33:44. Does Cr increase strength/muscle more if control volume?
40:10. Pre print means not reviewed/published
42:15. Cr causes cell swelling but need exercise
43:40. Use it or lose it
45:10. Cr suppl: how much?
50:40. Cr transporter and muscle creatine levels
52:40. Does age or biological sex affect Cr levels?
54:30. What % increase with Cr suppl during resistance training
55:40. Dissociation of muscle mass and strength
1:00:15. Cr suppl has no effect on fat mass
1:01:15. Cr suppl timing/anti-inflammatory effects
1:05:15. Keep it simple and food first
1:06:45. Top sprinters, vegetarians/vegan and Cr
1:09:00. Time for Cr to decrease after stop Cr suppl
1:10:10. Side effects of Cr suppl?
1:12:00. Sarcopenia, resistance training and Cr
1:14:40. Bone and Cr suppl
1:20:12. The brain and Cr suppl
1:27:00. If brain is compromised Cr suppl may be beneficial
1:28:55. Who can Cr suppl benefit
1:31:50. Do untrained vegetarians/vegans need Cr suppl?
1:35:50. Need to exercise for Cr suppl to have any effect
1:40:10. Caffeine and creatine may interfere with eachother
1:43:40. Can put Cr suppl in coffee?
1:44:12. CHO (insulin) and protein can increases Cr uptake
1:45:19. Volume of resistance training and Cr suppl
1:46:10. Depression and creatine
1:47:08. Surprises with Cr research
1:48:15. Controversies in the field
1:51:15. Need to be careful with info on social media
1:53:42. Takeaway messages
1:54:46. Outro
Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all.
The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research experience while at The University of Melbourne, Ball State University, Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and Victoria University.
He has published over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and recently edited an Exercise Metabolism eBook written by world experts on 17 different topics (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94305-9).
Connect with Inside Exercise and Glenn McConell at:
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Email: glenn.mcconell@gmail.com
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Not medical advice