Anthony finally breaks his 10-year resistance to creatine and shares exactly what happened when he took it for 30 days—including a surprising 5% boost in sprint power and why the science behind it completely changed his mind. We dig into the real effects, bust the myths that have scared cyclists away from it, and figure out whether creatine is actually worth it for endurance athletes.
Key Takeaways
- Creatine boosts short, high-intensity efforts (sprints, punchy climbs) by 5-10%, but has no benefit for steady-state endurance—it's a sprint turbo, not an aerobic tool
- The 1-2kg weight gain is almost entirely water stored in muscles, not fat, and won't slow you on climbs enough to offset the power gains for explosive efforts
- Creatine doesn't dehydrate you, damage your kidneys, or cause cramping—these are myths debunked by decades of research; it's completely legal in sport and one of the most studied supplements ever
- Skip the aggressive loading phase; 5 grams daily for 3-4 weeks gets your muscles fully saturated and avoids GI issues that come with loading protocols
- Creatine makes most sense for track sprinters, crit racers, and road racers needing a decisive kick—less so for ultra-distance, bike packing, or pure climbing events where every gram counts
- At $15 for months' supply, it's the cheapest supplement available, so the barrier to trying it is nearly zero if you match it to your discipline
Expert Quotes
"I hit that short punchy little hill and it was the first time I noticed an extra kick... I held between 850 and 900 watts in that entire 30 seconds, peaking out at around 900—that's my best short-term power in years. — Anthony Walsh"
"Creatine is not a steroid. It's not a hormone. It's not a doping drug. It's a supplement... It's a concentrated form of something that your body is already producing very naturally. — Sarah"
"After my experiment, I would categorically say I was wrong. Creatine didn't turn me into the Incredible Hulk. It didn't harm my endurance. It didn't dehydrate me. Instead, it gave me a noticeable boost in my top end power. — Anthony Walsh"