Creatine and the brain - is the evidence clear? 🧠
The science may not equal the hype.
Creatine supplementation and brain health: Methodological challenges, current evidence, and translational perspectives
Study Details
This new review aimed to establish the cognitive effects and potential uses of creatine plus highlighting potential issues with the current research 🔍
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
⚡️ Creatine may support cognitive function due to enhancing ATP resynthesis
🩸 Creatine can cross the blood-brain barrier via SLC6A8 transporter
⛔️ This transporter capacity may limit brain uptake
🔬 Measuring brain creatine can be challenging and error can reach 10 - 20% in some studies
⁉️ Many studies lack absolute creatine concentrations reporting
💊 Supplementation can increase brain creatine stores ~ 5 - 9%
📊 But responses vary by brain region and large inter-individual variability is common
🩺 In clinical populations (depression, Alzheimer’s) creatine can improve cognition but many studies lack reproducibility
✅ Creatine may work best for sleep deprivation, hypoxia, ageing, neurological disease or for conditions with increased energy demands
🗓️ High-dose creatine supplementation, likely ≥20 g/day for several weeks, may be required to meaningfully increase brain creatine levels
Conclusion
Creatine does show promise for brain energetics and cognitive support, yet stronger, standardised and larger-scale trials are needed before firm dosing recommendations can be made ✅
Reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050624726000033
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