Try This – 2/16/24

Hi Everyone!  

You’ve probably heard me talk about creatine before, Try This readers. 

It’s honestly one of the supplements that I’ve seen make a huge impact on my own health, specifically when it comes to building muscle. 

Combined with eating enough protein, staying hydrated, and being consistent with weight-lifting, creatine has taken my gains to the next level. 

Not only can creatine support muscle growth, but it’s also been shown to improve longevity, blood sugar levels, and even mental health! 

In fact, a groundbreaking study has shed light on how powerful of a therapy creatine can be when it comes to depression, and the results will blow your mind. 

If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression, you won’t want to miss this article! 

Let’s dive in… 

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Should Creatine Be Used to Treat Depression? 

Before we get started, I want to give a shout-out to Dr. Stacy Sims, who discussed this study in a recent Instagram post! I’m a huge fan of Dr. Sims and her work in women’s health.

If you’re unfamiliar with creatine, here’s a little backstory. While our bodies produce some creatine naturally from our liver, kidneys, and pancreas, we also get it from food like animal protein. Creatine provides our muscles with a source of energy, which makes it really important. What’s so fascinating is that creatine provides reserves for tasks that require significant mental energy, too. 

When the body takes up creatine, it binds to a phosphate group and becomes phosphocreatine. Increases in the cerebral reservoir of phosphocreatine can be used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) when there’s a greater energy demand put on the body. Scientists have found that brain energy usage and creatine levels are altered in individuals with depression and suspect that supplementing with creatine could help with depressive symptoms. 

In a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers enrolled 52 women between the ages of 19 and 25 in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, eight-week trial to see the effects of creatine on depression, specifically in women taking antidepressants. Twenty-five women were placed in a treatment group and 27 in a placebo group. Each participant had been diagnosed with depression. 

The creatine group was given three grams of creatine for the first week, followed by five grams for the remaining seven weeks, in addition to their SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a type of antidepressant medication). The placebo group was given a capsule containing dextrin that resembled the creatine in addition to their SSRI. 

The group that received the creatine supplementation had significant improvements in their depressive symptoms as soon as week two! Also, more than half of the creatine group experienced a remission in depression at week eight compared to 25.9 percent of the participants in the placebo group. ​This is huge! 

The researchers point out that while SSRI treatment can be powerful, the response varies from individual to individual, and it can take time for the medication to start working. Creatine supplementation seemed to not only reduce symptoms earlier on but even led to remission of symptoms.

This could be groundbreaking for anyone struggling with depression and other mental health disorders—especially those who have tried medication and other therapies without success. 

What Type of Creatine Is Best? 

The type of creatine used in this study, and the one that I take, is creatine monohydrate. It’s the most effective, least expensive, and most common form. You might need to start small with supplementing as it can cause bloating and GI discomfort for some folks at first. You might have to work your way up to taking 2–5 grams a day, which is the effective dose most experts recommend. 

Creatine is one of the safest supplements to take, but you should always work with a practitioner before you start any new supplements, especially if you’re taking other medications like SSRIs. You want to avoid any medication interactions. 

Have you taken creatine? How did it work for you? I would love to hear your feedback. And if anyone you know is struggling with depression, send them this article. It could change their life! 

Here’s to your health, Dhru Purohit 

P.S.: My favorite creatine supplement to take is the creatine from Momentous. In full disclosure, Momentous is a sponsor of both this newsletter and my podcast, but I trust their products so much and have found significant benefits from taking this creatine. You can use the code DHRU for 20% off any order.