October 3, 2024

How do we reconcile our evolutionary past with our desire for modern performance optimization? Our bodies are finely tuned machines, sculpted by millions of years of evolutionary pressure. The Lindy Effect suggests that anything that has survived this crucible of deep time is likely to be beneficial, or at least not harmful.

Creatine, as it occurs in whole foods like meat, passes this test. But the isolated, concentrated form found in supplements? That’s a different beast entirely.

The key issues, as I see them, are context and dose. Our ancestors undoubtedly consumed creatine, but always within the matrix of whole foods and in quantities that pale in comparison to modern supplement regimens. The metabolic pathways that process dietary creatine evolved under these conditions. Can we really expect them to function optimally when bombarded with isolated creatine in doses that would have been unimaginable for the vast majority of our evolutionary history?

There’s also the question of hormetic stress. We know that many beneficial adaptations, from muscle growth to insulin sensitivity, are triggered by intermittent bouts of stress followed by recovery. By constantly saturating our creatine stores, are we short circuiting these adaptive mechanisms? Could the short term gains in strength and size come at the cost of long term resilience?

And then there are the unknown unknowns. Creatine supplementation has only been widespread for a few decades (90’s baby), a blink of an eye in evolutionary context. Given the complexity of human physiology, it seems hubris to assume we can predict all potential consequences. Issues like impaired kidney function or altered methylation patterns may take generations to manifest.

But I also can’t dismiss Sisson’s perspective out of hand. The reality is that we don’t live in the ancestral environment. Air conditioned gyms, year round access to food, and countless other modern conveniences have changed the game. In this context, is it really fair to compare supplemental creatine to ancestral intake? In modernity, some level of supplementation is necessary to achieve optimal, evolutionarily appropriate levels.

The benefits of creatine for some people are undeniable. Increased strength, muscle mass, and cognitive function are nothing to ignore, especially in our sedentary, sarcopenic society.

As is often the case in matters of health, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. For most people, cycling creatine intake a few weeks on, a few weeks off  likely offers the best balance of benefits and risk mitigation. This pattern more closely mimics the feast famine cycles of our ancestors anyways. And of course, prioritizing whole food sources of creatine, like grass fed meat, should be the foundation.

But even more important than any specific protocol is the ethos of self experimentation and individual sovereignty. We are all unique beings with unique responses to any intervention. The key is to approach supplementation with a spirit of cautious exploration, always listening to your body’s feedback.

Ultimately, for me, the potential long term risks of creatine supplementation outweigh the short term benefits. The asymmetry is too stark the worst case for not supplementing is suboptimal performance, while the worst case for supplementing is unknown but potentially severe health consequences down the line. This asymmetry is compounded by the fact that the benefits are certain and immediate, while the risks are uncertain and delayed. This can create a cognitive bias that favors supplementation - the lure of immediate gratification can overshadow the vague possibility of future harm.

The precautionary principle states that if an action might cause severe or irreversible harm, we should prevent that harm, even when the scientific knowledge is not conclusive. Te onus should be on proponents to prove long-term safety, rather than on skeptics to prove harm

In our world filled with uncertainty of modern interventions, I choose to err on the side of caution and evolutionary wisdom. I’ll continue to get my creatine the old fashioned way through nutrient dense, whole food sources like grass fed meat. And I’ll reserve my risk taking for areas of life where the upside is truly worth the potential downside.