After 65, your body starts losing muscle faster than you’d like — and your brain isn’t running at peak efficiency either. The good news? A well-researched, affordable supplement called creatine may help with both. Rally walks you through the science (the easy version), what form to buy, how much to take, and why pairing creatine with a little movement is where the real magic happens.
RALLY:
Hey there, Beautiful People!
It’s Rally Preston here – your always charming host of the Silver Beast Podcast. And 71 years old here – and I keep repeating that I know, but it’s just to convince myself I guess.
Well today I want to talk about a few grams of white powder – oh now don’t jump ahead, this one’s perfectly legal.
We’re talking about creatine today.
It’s a supplement that may help us older adults – in a couple of different ways.
Now you’ve probably heard of creatine. It’s been around forever – I’ve taken it for years.
But I noticed creatine’s now getting a lot of attention – a lot of press lately. So much, I bet the Kardashians are getting pretty jealous at this point.
And maybe when you think of creatine you picture a dude in a tank top with bulging biceps at the gym. Well, if so, you’re probably picturing me! But go ahead, I don’t mind.
No, seriously, creatine has been the go-to for gym rats because it works. It helps with tissue growth, feeds those muscles. So definitely muscle head approved. But that’s just the showy side of creatine – there’s more to it.
So people our age?
Well, creatine might help us even more than that oiled-up guy at the gym flexing in the mirror. That’s not me, by the way.
So I think you’ll find this pretty interesting…
First off, creatine isn’t some kind of weird-science lab concoction.
Your body naturally makes creatine out of amino acids every day – around one to two grams of it.
But here’s the thing – you only make about half what your body actually needs.
The rest you need to get from food or supplementation.
So meat, pork, salmon, chicken, tuna – many animal products – your body gets creatine from those. You can’t get creatine from plant foods, by the way.
So, what creatine does is…well, it’s basically your body’s emergency power supply.
Think of it like this…
You’ve got little energy units in your cells — like tiny batteries. And your body burns through those constantly. Creatine’s job is to recharge those batteries so your muscles and your brain can keep going.
The problem is, as we age, the body gets less efficient at doing that.
And the brain, especially. It tends to run low.
And you know the brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in your whole body. It uses around 20% of your body’s energy. Even a brain as small as mine – needs that much energy. I know, it’s hard to believe! And as we get older, the brain struggles to keep up with the demand.
I mean, there’s still enough juice up there in yours to power a 20-watt lightbulb all day – but it’s just not running as efficiently as it used to.
And that can show up as brain fog. Slower recall. I bet you can feel it sometimes, like you’re running on fumes some days, right? Yeah.
So creatine may help keep your brain lit up better as you get older.
Now, the research so far on creatine and brain health is promising. But more studies are needed to really prove this one out.
Ok, but there’s another benefit to creatine that has been proven time and time again. And that’s what creatine does for your muscles. And we need those, as older adults, we really do.
So us – well I’m talking mid-60s and beyond – our bodies start losing muscle mass faster. We lose around 1 to 2% a year. Yeah, maybe more. And it’s not just about how you look in the mirror – that’s one thing.
But muscle loss, age-related muscle loss, is a strong predictor of poor health outcomes. Things like mobility problems, falls, fractures – muscle loss can contribute to those.
Well, OK, there’s plenty of research on creatine and muscles – and it just confirms that creatine supplementation — especially when you pair it with any kind of resistance exercise — pushes back on that muscle loss.
In fact, the latest research shows creatine combined with resistance training adds around 2 to 3 pounds of lean muscle mass beyond what you can accomplish with just exercise alone. And that’s really what we need.
So stronger muscles – what does that look like for us?
Well, you can get out of a chair without grabbing the armrests. Carry grocery bags without struggling. Catch yourself if you stumble – and no alcohol is involved! So that kind of strength. That’s what we want.
Oh, and there’s a little bonus here…
Creatine supplementation, when combined with resistance training, has shown some improvements in memory, processing speed, and executive function – that’s what some studies say. So yeah, we’ll take that too, thank you.
So creatine’s a two-fer – it boosts your muscles, that’s a for sure thing, and maybe you get a little extra oomph for the brain too.
Alright, now let’s talk about how you actually take this stuff. And it’s super-simple.
Creatine’s a powder, right? You can mix it in water, juice, warm coffee – not really hot coffee – but warm coffee. And it’s tasteless. It mixes really well – very quick and easy.
And the form of creatine you want is creatine monohydrate – that’s creatine monohydrate. That’s the most researched one. Great safety record. Around three to five grams per day is very safe for most healthy older adults. I wouldn’t go much more than that 3-to-5 grams to start – you could have some digestive issues with it.
But yeah, most people land somewhere around five grams a day – so that’s about one level teaspoon.
And it’s best to take it with a small amount of food. Now not a Big Mac or something, just something small. That will help if your stomach’s on the sensitive side.
Now — just to be clear here— before you start any supplement, including creative, please run it by your doctor first. Especially if you’ve got kidney issues or you’re on medications – and especially heart medications. Your doctor needs to be in the loop on this one.
But if you get the green light? Well I’d say go for it. I’ve taken it for years and years – I just add it to my protein shake. That’s what works for me.
And of course the key thing here is pairing it with movement. Taking a creatine supplement combined with exercise is where the magic happens.
There is a ton of evidence that creatine is good for improving strength, whole-body lean mass, and better functional ability in older adults.
But you need movement to make this work – and the more consistent you are, the better.
Alright. Let’s do your quick Silver Beast Action Steps for today.
Action Step One: Ask your doctor about creatine. Just say, hey, I heard about creatine for muscle and brain health, what do you think? And that’s it. Just to be safe. I’m not giving medical advice here – always ask you doctor before adding any supplements, or even changing up your exercise routine.
Alright, Action Step Two: Look for creatine monohydrate. If your doctor gives the okay, that’s the form you want. It’s everywhere – pharmacies, health food stores, online, Amazon. And it’s very affordable too. Oh, and by the way, it’s not made from animal products, it’s synthetic, so even vegans can take it.
Alright, Action Step Three: Start with five grams or less of creatine a day. Mix it in water, juice, a smoothie, warm (not hot) coffee or tea — whatever you’re already drinking in the morning. It dissolves easy, no taste to it. It’s pretty simple.
Action Step Four: Pair creatine with some kind of resistance movement. So light weights. Resistance bands. Chair squats. Anything like that. Even walking if you put some real effort into it. This is where you get that two-fer benefit for both your body and your brain.
And finally, Action Step Five: Give creatine some time. This isn’t an instant fix. May take a few weeks to get going. Just stick with it. The research says it works — but it works over time, not overnight.
Alright. Here’s the bottom line, Silver Beasties…
Creatine is well-researched, affordable, and a great tool for most folks our age. It’ll help keep your muscles strong, and maybe keep your brain a little sharper too.
And as always — get your doctor on board first… with creatine or any supplement or exercise program.
Alright, I’m Rally Preston. Hey, thank you so much for spending some time with me today on the Silver Beast Podcast.
Hey, you stay strong out there…and take care!