I've been using creatine monodrate powder (5gr without ever buffering) for over 20 years. Since the end of last year, I stopped for about 4 months. I wasn't sure if it really made any difference to what I was doing. (Although I was doubting about the cognitive thing). I can't say I notice very big differences in my trainings tho, perhaps a final extra rep here and there - arguably.

Because I keep reading these positive long term results, I'm using it again, mainly in the hope it will deliver benefits for my brain of the long term (5gr per day - nothing more).

The whey protein... well, everyone's lifestyle is different of course. I' traveling alot, and I'm not always sure whether I'll be able to eat quality and enoufh protein daily. So in that sense, if I have whey powder with me, at least I have something that should keep me level a bit.

By the way, still in the net tou find mny studies showing that whey delivers. Whether these studies are used for marketing purposes, I can't tell. I also prefer natural protein, but it's not always that simple for everyone to reach those daily amounts.