Creatine: The Longevity Supplement for Muscle and Mind
The body produces creatine naturally; taking creatine as a supplement helps promote muscle growth and could strengthen your brain - here's what to know.
Supplements that Promote Muscle Growth
After the series on the equipment that can help us add muscle for longevity, next up is the supplements that can support muscle growth as we age. The point is not to promote supplements, i.e. try to get you to buy some from me, but to inform you about what they do, how they function and to give you some information about whether or not they could support your fitness efforts.
Creatine, formally known as creatine monohydrate, has been one of the most studied, used and effective supplements in sports nutrition. Most fitness professionals and strength coaches recognize it as a powerful tool for adding lean muscle that can boost strength levels. Not only can creatine help add muscle mass, but, in recent years, research has uncovered another benefit that may be especially appealing to adults over the age of 40: creatine may also support brain health and cognitive performance.
If your goal is to maintain muscle mass, strength, and cognitive acuity as you age, creatine monohydrate deserves consideration as a nutritional resource for your fitness efforts.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound comprised of three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, where it helps produce energy during short bursts of high-intensity activity. The remaining 5% is stored in the brain, kidneys, and liver.
Inside muscle cells, creatine binds with a high-energy phosphate group to form phosphocreatine. This acts as a quick-access energy reserve, replenishing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s main energy currency. ATP fuels everything from a heavy set of squats to the firing of neurons in your brain. Without adequate ATP availability, both muscles and the brain fatigue more quickly.
During exercise, ATP is split into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) - losing that 1 phosphate releases approx 10 calories of energy (if memory serves) that fuels muscle contractions. Creatine monophosphate can combine with ADP to reconstitute ATP.
How the Body Produces Creatine
The body can produce about 1 gram of creatine per day, mainly in the liver and kidneys. An additional gram typically comes from dietary sources like red meat and seafood.
For many adults, especially those following plant-based diets or eating less animal protein, this baseline creatine intake may not be enough to fully saturate muscle and brain creatine stores. That’s where exogenous creatine supplementation comes into play.
Benefits of Supplementing with Creatine
1. Muscle Mass and Strength
The most established benefit of creatine is its ability to increase lean muscle mass and strength. Research has consistently shown that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training leads to greater gains in muscle size and performance compared to training alone.
For adults over 40, this is especially important. Muscle mass naturally declines with age, a process known as sarcopenia. Losing muscle doesn’t just reduce strength, it also impacts balance, mobility, and metabolic efficiency - you’ll burn less calories and increase the risk of developing onset diabetes. By improving training performance and muscle growth, creatine can help offset sarcopenia and support long-term independence and vitality.
2. Brain Health and Cognitive Function
Emerging research suggests creatine also supports cognitive performance, especially under conditions of mental fatigue or stress. Because the brain relies heavily on ATP, increasing its creatine stores may improve energy availability for neural processes.
Researchers have found creatine supplementation may improve memory, processing speed, and mental clarity, particularly in older adults and during tasks that demand high cognitive effort. If you are over 40 and looking to maintain not only physical but also cognitive resilience, consider creatine as an accessible and well-studied solution.
3. Longevity and Overall Health
Muscle mass is increasingly recognized as a predictor of longevity. Maintaining strong, functional muscle tissue reduces the risk of falls, frailty, and metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. By supporting muscle growth and strength, creatine supplementation could indirectly contribute to extending your long-term healthspan.
At the same time, supporting cognitive health can improve quality of life and preserve independence. While creatine isn’t a magic bullet, its dual benefits for body and brain make it one of the few supplements with evidence-based potential to extend both physical and mental health into later years.
Recommendations for Dosing
The most effective and widely studied form of creatine is creatine monohydrate. It is safe, affordable, and highly bioavailable.
There are two common dosing strategies:
Loading phase (optional): 20 grams per day (divided into 4 doses) for 5–7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day.
No loading phase: 3-5 grams per day consistently, which will saturate muscle stores in about 3-4 weeks.
If you’re over 40, the second method may be easier to sustain, as it avoids the short-term bloating some people experience during the loading phase.
It is best to take creatine with water or a meal containing carbohydrates and protein, which may help with absorption.
Safety Considerations
Creatine monohydrate has an excellent safety profile, even with long-term use. The main precaution is ensuring adequate hydration, as creatine increases water retention in muscle cells. Individuals with kidney disease should consult a healthcare professional before beginning supplementation.
Final Thoughts
If you are over 40, creatine monohydrate is a scientifically validated way to support muscle growth, protect against age-related muscle loss, and even enhance brain function.
If your goal is to stay strong, sharp, and independent well into later life, creatine is a simple, safe, and effective addition to your daily routine.
Personally, I take creatine every day to support my strength training efforts and (hopefully) keep my brain happy. Creatine does help muscle tissue store extra water (which explains the size gain), so it is important to stay properly hydrated and limit the use of diuretics like alcohol or coffee to minimize any potential GI issues. I’ve been taking creatine and drinking coffee for years and have never had any issues, but then again, I also stay properly hydrated.
There are no specific brands I’d recommend; do a few searches for buyers guides or recommendations to identify the best solution for your needs and budget.