Does anyone take a creatine supplement? Helpful?

I've taken creatine monohydrate for many years for assistance in exercise recovery. I suspect it's probably been helpful, but there is no way for me to know for certain. There are lots of creatine benefits, including cognitive assistance, promoted by health influencers these days so I continue to take it.

Sidenote: I finished my SBRT radiation five days ago and I clearly notice the increased fatigue today. It's not a crippling type of fatigue, but it's obvious. I didn't want to exercise yesterday but I pushed myself to it. I felt better afterwards and fell asleep in the early evening.

I think we just have to persevere until things get better near the two-week post-radiation completion date. In the meanwhile I'm continuing to take my creatine.

I’m not a doctor or an expert but my knowledge is that Creating doesn’t boost energy per se, but some say that it boosts muscle energy for those short bursts needed when lifting, I never notice when I was using it. However it does holds a lot of water on your muscles so it gives you the illusion of a big physical appearance once you stop taking all that is gone, also a need to increase water consumption it’s a good idea so not to risk dehydration. I have not started my RT yet but I’m on ADT and my oncologist could not emphasize enough the need of physical activity and weight training, Ask you your doctor or a nutritionist about supplements specifically B complex, D3 with K2 and Mitochondrial NGR. I can’t recommend any products it’s just my opinion
Zzotte

I suggest you research the natural hormone, IGF-1. Dairy protein contains it, but so might other protein foods. IGF-1 can stimulate prostate cancer growth. You should, of course, research creatine in this regard. Creatine is not a food, but an extract, remember. Ditto whey. This winter, after a few years of being mostly vegan, I had begun to eat small amounts of Greek Yogurt, and research showed that IGF-1 was much helpful for "cachexia", which I had from PC. The yogurt helped. Old, dormant muscles seemed to wake up, restoring functionality, albeit in conjunction with hormone therapy. But I have wondered if I am poking the sleeping beast by eating the dairy protein. (creatine, I know, is not necessarily extracted from milk). FWIW I include this link, but feel free to ignore, and best of luck!
https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/does-meat-cause-cancer-revisiting-the-meat-igf-1-and-cancer-connection/?doing_wp_cron=1744654776.7533431053161621093750

Johnny, thanks for the article - it’s over 10 yrs old but pretty informative. After reading it I feel a lot better about my dietary choices.
The article points out that IGF-1 is a very important hormone involved in growth and other metabolic functions. It is indispensable! Goes on to say that ‘excessive’ amounts ‘could’ spur cancer growth…so what is excessive?
My feeling is that ALL cancer is caused by mutations somewhere along the way. I don’t believe IGF-1 is the causative culprit, but perhaps a metabolic mutation affecting its role in cancer growth? The same kind of evidence for flax seed oil causing PCa was debunked, as it was a metabolic flaw in the processing of ALA which caused its buildup in cancerous glands.
So how can you prevent these mutations - especially if they are genetic? Other than common sense things like no smoking, regular exercise, low alcohol consumption, balanced diet, etc… what can anyone really do?
A friend who recently suffered a debilitating stroke has not progressed much 2 yrs after the event; did all the rehab and not much better. So now he sees a holistic dr who gave him a book about the power of the Placebo effect; he told him that if you truly believe that a food, a supplement or a practice will make you better, it has a good chance of working.
I stifled my astonishment at this since the poor guy is grasping at straws. But in that same vein, so much of what we discuss on this forum really seems to border on these placebo-like supplements, diets and avoidance of this or that. In the end I don’t think it really changes anything. Best,
Phil

There seems to be a poignant theme among cancer victims, including me, that there MUST be something more they could do! something that could augment their current therapy. The placebo effect, maybe, if nothing else, engenders hope, and hope can be invigorating.