COMING SOON!
Unless You have been living under a rock in a cave on the Moon, you’re aware of creatine now as a supplement with benefits well beyond simple performance enhancement. It only took me thirty years or so to see its popularity explode, but here we are. All I can say is, finally! The world has officially woken up to the many potential benefits of creatine that I have been espousing since the mid 90s in the various print magazines before the ‘net existed. My early writing on the topic was found in the pages of bodybuilding focused magazines such as MuscleMag International, Muscle Media, Muscular Development, and so forth, so the audience was limited to that readership at the time. Finally, early 2000’s, I was able to reach beyond the limited bodybuilding readership and publish an article in the Life Extension Foundation’s magazine, where I wrote:
“Although creatine offers an array of benefits, most people think of it simply as a supplement that bodybuilders and other athletes use to gain strength and muscle mass. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A substantial body of research has found that creatine may have a wide variety of uses. In fact, creatine is being studied as a supplement that may help with diseases affecting the neuromuscular system, such as muscular dystrophy (MD). Recent studies suggest creatine may have therapeutic applications in aging populations for wasting syndromes, muscle atrophy, fatigue, gyrate atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other brain pathologies”
So while various influencers, the media, etc. are now recommending creatine for its various potential benefits outside performance or as a “muscle builder,” as if they just discovered it; I wrote the above over two decades ago! I have also done consulting work for supplement companies and creatine manufacturers specific to creatine. For those not aware of my history with creatine, I hope that establishes my Bona fides on the topic vs perhaps mistaking me for another jumping on the creatine hype train.
To the credit of Life Extension, they started offering creatine to their members shortly after that, then being the first anti aging/longevity focused org to recognize the benefits of creatine beyond simple gym benefits as far as I know. As I like to say about creatine (and whey…), I’d use and recommend creatine whether I exercised or not. From infants to pregnant women, to the elderly, and everyone in between, creatine should be of value. Obviously, the benefits are amplified considerably with regular exercise – resistance exercise more specifically – but creatine is worth using regardless. I can’t possibly list all those benefits here, but people can peruse the extensive articles, studies, etc. on my site HERE if not already aware of those benefits to body and mind.
I assure you, you’ll also find possible benefits you were not even aware existed. So, while I’m happy and excited to see creatine finally getting the attention and focus it deserves, I’m one of, perhaps the, OG source as to those benefits in the lay media at least. In particular, creatine is getting a big focus on cognitive benefits, and that’s where this new product comes in. Alpha Joe Coffee Booster contains 3g (3000mg) of German Creapure creatine. Why German sourced creatine? That’s covered HERE. Studies find that 3g dose is adequate for saturating muscle tissue and deriving the benefits of creatine monohydrate. However, it may not be adequate for increasing brain tissue levels. The brain, via the blood brain barrier, is notoriously resistant to allowing all manner of compounds through, and increasing brain levels of creatine to maximize benefits, is estimated to be closer to 8-10g, or 8,000 – 10,000 mg. Some are using and recommending far higher doses, up to 20g, with anecdotal claims of noticeable mood and cognitive effects at highest doses.
Hence, I decided to offer creatine as a stand-alone option to either add additional creatine to their coffee booster experience, or take it alone, for those who want to maximize the brain related benefits, be it mood, neuro protection, or related. Note above I said “estimated.” The fact is that precisely what dose of creatine is required to boost brain creatine levels has yet to be fully established via the research. For a variety of reasons, without going into technical and physiological mechanisms and pathways that will be boring to most readers, most research and researchers in the field conclude higher doses than typical to saturate muscle tissue (3-5g) are required to maximize brain tissue levels. It may also depend on the population using it, and studies looking at mood and depression, neuro muscular disease, brain injuries, and so forth, use much higher doses than typical 3-5g. Bottom line is, brain creatine levels are harder to elevate than muscle, and precisely what that dose is has yet to be fully elucidated. For obvious reasons, it’s very difficult to study human brains directly, and animal studies will only get you so far. My current guidelines are as follows, subject to change with further data:
- For those looking to saturate muscle tissue for performance and strength, 3-5g is sufficient, may still have neuro cognitive benefits.
- For those looking to optimize brain tissue levels, 8-10g is likely sufficient
- For those targeting specific issues, such as depression/mood, TBI, and neurodegenerative diseases, 20g+ may be required for maximal effects.
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He’s also been published in peer reviewed journals.
Will is the author of the popular e-books, both accompanied by private members forum access , Bodybuilding Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed.
You can also buy Will’s other books on Amazon, Apple iBook, and Barnes and Noble.
