Creatine, Strength, and the Kind of Aging I Want
David and his wife
I think about aging every day. Not because I’m afraid of it, but because I’ve seen two very different versions of it.
My grandfather (my mom’s dad) was over 40 when she was born, which means he was in his 70s and 80s during my childhood. But he never felt old. He stayed busy with projects, helped around the house, stayed socially connected, and retired from his last job at 80. Even when oxygen dependence set in around age 93, he adapted. He stayed active and mentally sharp until he passed at nearly 97. He lived long and died fast.
My grandmother on the other side of the family had a different path. She was active most of her life, but around retirement age she slowed down and didn’t pick back up. Diabetes worsened. Vascular disease crept in. When she broke her ankle at 80, she never walked again. She lived another 13 years, mostly in a bed. She lived long, but died slow.
That contrast shaped me, first subconsciously, then professionally, and now deeply personally. I'm a physician assistant who specializes in medical weight loss and healthspan, but I'm also a parent, a veteran, and a man in his mid-40s who has no interest in “getting old” the way my grandmother did. I want independence. I want adventure. I want to age with strength.
And strength, I’ve learned, doesn’t just happen. You have to build it and protect it.
The Moment I Realized Nobody Was Teaching Strength
Early in my career, I was surprised by how little focus there was on muscle. In medical school, we learned to manage diseases. But we weren’t taught how to help people preserve the ability to move. It got worse when I worked at a large commercial weight loss clinic. I asked the medical director if we could teach patients how to exercise instead of just handing them a flyer.
She said, “That’s not our job.”
Another time, a diabetes drug rep smirked and called me “the diet and exercise guy.” Like that was a bad thing. That was when I knew I was in the right fight.
Where Creatine Comes In
David & his beautiful family!
I first heard about creatine when I was in the Army. Back then, it was all muscle mags and supplement tubs. I used it like most people did—hoping it would help me lift more. But I drifted away from it for a while.
Years later, I stumbled across a podcast (maybe Layne Norton or Danny Lennon) talking about creatine in a completely different way. Brain health. Aging. Cognitive resilience. PTSD. It wasn’t about “bulking up” anymore. It was about holding on. Holding on to function, independence, mental clarity.
As a combat veteran with PTSD and a history of concussions, I paid close attention.
Now I’ve been using creatine consistently for over 15 years. I eat an omnivorous diet, so I likely get some from food. But I take it daily, just like I take aspirin. Not because I feel it, but because I know what the evidence shows.
I’ve seen patients (and other veterans) notice an improvement in mood or energy after starting creatine. I don’t promise that to everyone. But I do say this: it’s safe, effective, and one of the most studied supplements in the world.
The Truth About Creatine
There’s a lot of confusion out there. Let’s clear a few things up:
● Your body already makes creatine. It’s a natural compound stored in your muscles and brain.
● You get creatine from food, mainly beef and fish. Vegetarians and vegans often have lower muscle creatine levels and likely benefit even more from supplementation.
● Creatine is safe. We’ve got decades of data and over 1,000 studies to back that up.
● There is no such thing as “women’s creatine.” That’s just clever packaging.
● Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard. Fancy forms don’t work better. They just cost more. Stir it into warm water or take a dry scoop. Either way, it works.
You Can’t Stop Aging, But You Can Choose How You Age
We’re all going to age. We’re all going to die. The question is: how do you want to live between now and then?
Muscle is the foundation of a long, independent life. Creatine won’t build that for you, but it helps.
It’s been put this way before:
● Resistance training is the cake.
● Sleep, nutrition, recover; that’s the icing.
● Creatine? It’s the sprinkles.
Sprinkles don’t make the cake. But they make it better. And if something as safe, affordable, and well-studied as creatine can help you hold onto muscle, clarity, and energy for a few more years?
Why wouldn’t you use it?
I’m not chasing immortality. I’m chasing mobility. Presence. Joy.
I want to hike with my kids. Pick up a grandchild. Play music without pain.
I want to live long—and die fast.
That’s what creatine is about for me. It’s not just about strength.
It’s about the life that strength makes possible.
Seize the years,
David Propst | DMS-C, MPAS, PA-C
