What Happens to Your Brain Health When You Take Creatine

Creatine has been celebrated for its ability to boost muscle energy and strength, but research now suggests it may also benefit brain health. Early studies indicate that creatine supplements could enhance cognitive function in older adults and people with dementia or sleep deprivation.

How Does Creatine Work in the Brain?

Creatine is a molecule that helps the body recycle adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the key source of energy for cells throughout the body. It exists naturally in the body and in food sources, like meat, fish, and dairy.

Most people get plenty of creatine in their food. However, some people choose to take a creatine supplement to help boost energy levels, especially during exercise. More energy can allow people to complete more reps when weightlifting, for instance, which can drive muscle growth.

Creatine improves energy supply in the brain similarly to in muscles. Some researchers theorize that increasing brain creatine can protect neurons and improve cognition.

Studies have shown a correlation between the amount of creatine in the brain and cognitive function. Recent research has started to investigate who can most benefit from a supplement.

“Creatine is a really intriguing supplement. It’s been around for a very long time, and it’s having a moment right now. It’s very safe for individuals with normal kidney function. With some of the new evidence suggesting it might be valuable for brain health, the benefit-to-risk ratio is pretty good,” said Matthew Taylor, PhD, RD, assistant professor and director of the University of Kansas Brain Nutrition Laboratory.

How Does Creatine Affect Stressed Brains?

In a recent study, researchers from Germany examined whether a single, large dose of creatine could help fatigued brains. They deprived 15 participants of sleep, then gave half a 35-gram megadose of creatine and the others a placebo.

The people who took creatine showed better cognitive performance and fewer fatigue-related alterations to the brain. While people who take creatine for athletic performance tend to take the supplement daily, this study suggested that a single dose could cause noticeable cognitive outcomes for brains under stress, Ali Gordjinejad, lead author and research scientist at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, told Verywell in an email.

Improving energy in the brain could also be helpful for people with Alzheimer’s disease, Taylor said.

In a small pilot study, his team found that taking 20 grams of creatine daily for eight weeks was safe and boosted the creatine in participants’ brains. They also noted some significant improvements in cognitive function.

The study paves the way for future research to tease out the effects of creatine on cognition and whether it can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

“I can’t wait to see how creatine affects cognition compared to placebo in Alzheimer’s disease. I’m also excited to see whether it might be valuable for reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases,” Taylor said in an email.

Can Creatine Support a Healthy Brain?

A 2024 meta-review found that creatine supplementation had “no significant effect on young healthy participants in unstressed situations.”

Taking extra creatine is most likely to benefit people who are elderly, sleep-deprived, mentally fatigued, or have a health condition that limits their oxygen intake, said Terry McMorris, the lead author of that study.

“It makes up for overworking the brain, but does not add to a normal brain. It provides energy to overworked neurons,” said McMorris, professor emeritus in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Chichester in the United Kingdom.

Measuring how much creatine ends up in the brain is key to understanding whether it directly impacts cognition. However, McMorris said that few studies actually do this.

“Big pharmacological companies are not keen on financing such research, as the cost of creatine is cheap. Even good results will not make much money for them,” McMorris said.

What’s the Right Dose?

For anything to enter the brain, it must cross the blood-brain barrier, a tight network that safeguards the brain. Studies show that creatine can cross that barrier, but only small amounts tend to get through.

It’s recommended to take about 5 grams of creatine daily for athletic performance. In many cognitive studies, researchers give participants 20 grams or more to ensure the brain got more of it.

“Whether it is too high and whether a lower dose would also be effective remains the subject of further studies,” Gordijnejad said. “However, a dose of 20-30 grams, as in our study, puts a strain on the kidneys and is therefore not recommended, especially for people with kidney problems.”