Creatine For Depression, Sleep & Brain Injuries? | Scott Forbes PhD - Triangle Theory #050
November 26, 2025
Most people think creatine is just a gym supplement. In this conversation, Dr Scott Forbes, a creatine researcher since 2008, breaks that idea open.
We go from muscle to mind: how creatine fuels your brain under stress, what actually happens to your kidneys, why so many people are terrified of hair loss, and how this one molecule might support depression, sleep deprivation and even brain injuries.
We also get brutally honest about dependence on supplements. If you won’t move your body, creatine won’t save you. Scott talks about why exercise is foundational, why the effect size of creatine is small yet meaningful, and how to think about performance, ageing and mental health with more integrity and less hype.
In this episode:
- What creatine actually is and how it fuels your body and brain
- Creatine for cognition, sleep deprivation and high-stress jobs (firefighters, military, medics)
- Kidney damage, blood tests and why most doctors misinterpret creatine users
- The hair loss myth and what the research actually shows
- Creatine for teenagers: safety vs necessity
- Gummies, scams and why third-party testing matters
- Loading phases, timing, and the simplest way to take creatine
- Depression, brain injuries and emerging creatine research
- Why creatine won’t turn you into Mr Olympia, and why that’s good news
Ask yourself while you listen:
“Am I chasing supplements to avoid facing how I actually live?”
Timestamps:
- Creatine is basically stored potential energy in your muscles – and your brain can use it too. (01:43–02:10)
- If you’re asking, ‘Do I need creatine if I don’t exercise?’… my first question is, why don’t you exercise? (04:18–04:35)
- We think creatine really matters when the brain is under stress – sleep loss, low oxygen, mental fatigue, trauma, disease. (05:10–05:34)
- For 99.9% of kids, creatine isn’t necessary. I always ask, why are we giving supplements to children? (08:34–09:18)
- Creatine doesn’t damage your kidneys – but it can confuse your bloodwork if your doctor doesn’t understand creatine metabolism. (09:38–11:10)
- Some creatine gummies we tested had literally zero creatine in them. They were just candy. (13:25–14:15)
- We found no difference taking creatine before or after training. The best time is when you’ll actually take it. (24:15–26:20)
- Creatine might help preserve some of those fast-twitch fibres as you age, but you still need to move explosively. (32:07–33:13)
- If you’re sleep deprived, creatine can blunt the drop in brain performance – your passing accuracy stays almost the same. (34:31–35:30)
- People with depression tend to have lower brain creatine, and in several trials creatine plus meds worked better than meds alone. (37:54–39:15)
-The effect size of creatine is small. It’s not going to turn you into Mr Olympia.” (44:16–45:07)
📌Find more about Scott's work:
https://www.instagram.com/scott_forbes_phd/
📌If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Triangle Theory newsletter for more insights on self-awareness, psychology, and human growth:
https://tr.ee/KM1Gr5S8lG
📌If you enjoyed this episode, you can support us by buying us a coffee! :)
https://tr.ee/maaifQETDl
------------------------------
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- What creatine actually is and how it fuels your body and brain
- Creatine for cognition, sleep deprivation and high-stress jobs (firefighters, military, medics)
- Kidney damage, blood tests and why most doctors misinterpret creatine users
- The hair loss myth and what the research actually shows
- Creatine for teenagers: safety vs necessity
- Gummies, scams and why third-party testing matters
- Loading phases, timing, and the simplest way to take creatine
- Depression, brain injuries and emerging creatine research
- Why creatine won’t turn you into Mr Olympia, and why that’s good news
Ask yourself while you listen:
“Am I chasing supplements to avoid facing how I actually live?”
Timestamps:
- Creatine is basically stored potential energy in your muscles – and your brain can use it too. (01:43–02:10)
- If you’re asking, ‘Do I need creatine if I don’t exercise?’… my first question is, why don’t you exercise? (04:18–04:35)
- We think creatine really matters when the brain is under stress – sleep loss, low oxygen, mental fatigue, trauma, disease. (05:10–05:34)
- For 99.9% of kids, creatine isn’t necessary. I always ask, why are we giving supplements to children? (08:34–09:18)
- Creatine doesn’t damage your kidneys – but it can confuse your bloodwork if your doctor doesn’t understand creatine metabolism. (09:38–11:10)
- Some creatine gummies we tested had literally zero creatine in them. They were just candy. (13:25–14:15)
- We found no difference taking creatine before or after training. The best time is when you’ll actually take it. (24:15–26:20)
- Creatine might help preserve some of those fast-twitch fibres as you age, but you still need to move explosively. (32:07–33:13)
- If you’re sleep deprived, creatine can blunt the drop in brain performance – your passing accuracy stays almost the same. (34:31–35:30)
- People with depression tend to have lower brain creatine, and in several trials creatine plus meds worked better than meds alone. (37:54–39:15)
-The effect size of creatine is small. It’s not going to turn you into Mr Olympia.” (44:16–45:07)
📌Find more about Scott's work:
https://www.instagram.com/scott_forbes_phd/
📌If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Triangle Theory newsletter for more insights on self-awareness, psychology, and human growth:
https://tr.ee/KM1Gr5S8lG
📌If you enjoyed this episode, you can support us by buying us a coffee! :)
https://tr.ee/maaifQETDl
------------------------------
Hey tribe!
You can also support us at:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://3-minute-theory.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triangle.theory_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@triangle.theory
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50RW93YVyR3YgEIuNdKIAZ?si=d77d72433a074a34
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triangle-theory/id1769204627
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TriangleTheorypod
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/triangle-theory
Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/bdxlCwfrYN8
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/triangle-theory-5790906
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triangle-theory-podcast/