I Took 20g of Creatine For 60 Days (Did Not Expect This!)

Key wellness / productivity takeaways (20g creatine trial)

Creatine basics (why it might matter)

• Creatine is one of the most researched supplements.
• It helps regenerate ATP, supporting high-intensity efforts like:
  • lifting
  • sprinting
• It’s generally considered very safe and has been studied across many populations.

Why some people may “not respond”

• The video suggests up to ~30% of people may show little or no performance change.
• One proposed reason: some individuals may be underdosing for noticeable effects.
• Another idea: brain creatine saturation may be slower/less efficient than muscle, so standard 5g might not be enough for cognitive effects in some people.

Self-experiment strategy: ramp dose slowly + hydration

• Instead of jumping to 20g immediately, the creator used a 3-week ramp-up to reduce digestive side effects.
• To minimize bloating or mild GI discomfort, they increased hydration to >4 liters/day during ramp-up.
• They split the dose into smaller servings, especially as it increased.

Protocol used (dose schedule)

• Week 1: 10g/day total (5g + 5g, split)
• Week 2: 15g/day total (split into two doses)
• Week 3 onward: 20g/day total (10g breakfast + 10g dinner)
• Tip: taking creatine with meals to improve adherence and reduce stomach issues.

What changed (mentally vs. physically)

Within ~2 weeks (at 15g/day):

• Better afternoon focus
• Less mental drain / tasks felt “easier”
• Described as not like caffeine—more “less mentally drained” by day’s end

In the gym:

• No dramatic early strength changes
• A few strong workouts after ~1 month, but it’s unclear whether that came from creatine itself vs. improved recovery/less volume per muscle group

Real-life context for the experiment (productivity + stress)

The creator linked potential cognitive benefits to periods of:

• sleep deprivation
• high stress
• high workload (coaching + deep work)

They framed it like an “AB test” because training, steps, diet, protein intake, and workload were relatively consistent.

Decision framework if you want to try

• Try strategically, and only if you don’t have relevant medical issues.
• Use:
  • a ramp-up
  • split doses
  • strong hydration
• Track progress and adjust:
  • If issues or no benefit: drop back to 5g/day
  • If needed: reduce to 15g or 10g

Side effects observed

• No bloating or major water retention reported.
• Main downside mentioned: urinating more often (likely tied to higher fluid intake).

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Presenters / sources

• Presenter: The video creator (speaker) — no name provided in the subtitles.
• Referenced sources/studies: The video cites “a ton of research” on creatine, plus newer studies on Alzheimer’s and brain creatine saturation (specific study names/authors not provided).