Creatine: The science behind the gym supplement with benefits for both brain and body

Creatine is one of the most extensively researched performance-enhancing substances in the world. It was once considered just a bodybuilding supplement, but its popularity among the public is growing as scientists take interest.

This supplement is often associated with building strength and muscle mass, but evidence suggests it actually plays a role in: child growth and adolescent brain health.

“After 20 (to) 30 years of studying physical performance, we’ve noticed a lot of health benefits,” said Richard Creed at Texas A&M University. “It’s a remarkable nutrient that helps our cells in many ways beyond just improving athletic performance.”

What is creatine?

It is a naturally occurring compound in our bodies and other vertebrates. It is found primarily in muscles, but also in the brain, blood, testicles, and other tissues and organs.

Our bodies synthesize creatine, with the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and brain producing 1 to 2 grams of creatine per day. People who eat protein-rich animal products get about the same amount of protein from their diet.

“Any time you consume protein, those proteins are made up of amino acids, and if you put three specific amino acids together, it forms a molecule called creatine,” said Scott Forbes at Brandon University in Canada.

What does creatine do in the body?

Forbes says it plays a key role in the complex way our bodies produce energy at a cellular level. “It is converted and stored into a molecule called creatine phosphate, which can then be quickly broken down into energy.”

Like carbohydrates, creatine is used in Produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP)which stores energy and provides energy to our cells. It also seems to protect structures and function of mitochondriathe source of energy within cells.

Forbes says creatine is especially helpful when you’re stressed or when your tissues are starved of oxygen (which can be caused by conditions like asthma or anemia). “Any situation that might require more energy,” he said.

How does it affect physical performance?

Creatine is already marketed as a sports supplement Since the early 1990shas long been credited with helping athletes improve strength and speed.

Kreider says there are thousands of studies supporting this. “Athletes with higher creatine stores sprint faster, recover faster, have a greater total workload, and have 10 to 15 percent greater performance and training adaptations. There’s nothing modest about that.”

Supplementing with creatine can also cause rapid Increased muscle masswhich is why it is so popular among bodybuilders. “We have shown that trained athletes can gain up to 3.5 kilograms of muscle mass in 5 to 10 weeks,” Kreider said. “It’s profound. Compared to a control group, if someone just trained and kept eating normally, you might gain half a kilogram a month.”

Creatine supplements may also be particularly beneficial later in life. “We recommend creatine for active aging to reduce muscle decline and preserve muscle performance,” says Kreider.

But the researchers stress that this is not a panacea that can replace a healthy lifestyle. “It’s only when you combine it with exercise or resistance training that you really get the benefit, especially from a muscle growth perspective,” Forbes says.

How does creatine affect the brain?

Numerous papers have shown that creatine supplementation can improve various aspects of cognitive performance. A small study published earlier this year found that a single dose of creatine Improve memory The sleep-deprived people’s processing speed was within 3 hours compared to the placebo.

But not all studies have produced consistent results. In 2023, the largest randomized placebo-controlled study to date of the effects of creatine on cognition found only small beneficial effectequivalent to an increase in intelligence quotient (IQ) of 1 to 2.5 points.

“Most studies show it may affect your brain, but in young, healthy people it doesn’t seem to have a big effect unless your brain is stressed from sleep deprivation or mental fatigue,” Forbes explain.

While research in this area is still in its infancy, it may also have protective effects in neurodegenerative diseases – for example, in people with Alzheimer’s disease Low in creatine Their brains—and even their bodies—brain damage.

“For example, if you suffer a concussion, you basically have an ischemic event: a region of the brain is deprived of oxygen, limiting its function and causing swelling and inflammation,” Kreider said. “We know that, at least in animals fed creatine, concussion injuries are reduced by about half.”

How does creatine impact our wider health?

Creatine works at the cellular level, so researchers believe its positive effects may be widespread in the body. “We found that increasing the energy availability in the battery is critical, especially when there are many constraints on providing energy,” Kreider said. “For example, if you have a heart attack or stroke, (creatine) can reduce the amount of damage because it protects these cells.”

An analysis of U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data also suggests that creatine may good for children. “Children whose diets are low in creatine grow with less muscle, shorter stature, and higher body fat,” Kreider said. “Adolescent girls with higher creatine have fewer menstrual cycle problems.”

He also points to research supporting creatine’s role in: strengthen boneslower the level Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and management blood sugaralthough a review of multiple studies of the latter suggests inconsistent results diabetics.

Who should take it?

The emerging consensus among scientists is that creatine supplementation is beneficial to almost everyone. Kreider predicts that over time this will be recommended for certain groups, including the elderly or pregnant women, as well as anyone who doesn’t eat meat, fish or dairy.

He also believes that creatine may one day be added to certain foods. “That’s going to start in the plant-based space, adding creatine to things like plant-based protein powders and veggie burgers,” Kreider said. “This will offset any deficiencies that may be present in their diet.”

Does it matter when I take creatine?

Time of day may only matter if you are an athlete trying to win a race or beat a personal best. “We know that if you train when you train, you get better results,” Forbes said.

But creatine is also stored in the body as an energy reserve. “Think about endurance athletes, their pace changes during a race,” Forbes said. “All of a sudden someone breaks free and you think, ‘Wow, how did they do that?’ Well, they change the power output dramatically, and I think creatine plays a role in that.”

The effects of supplementation can be longer-lasting, but they still need to be repeated. “If you stop taking creatine, it takes four to six weeks to get back to baseline,” says Forbes. “Some people take creatine on and off while cycling, but there has never been a study comparing on and off cycling to long-term use of creatine.”

How should I take it?

Creatine is available in powder, pill or gummy form. There doesn’t seem to be any difference between them in terms of efficacy, although pills and powders have been around longer and therefore tend to be research-tested formulas.

There are also different types of creatine, but creatine monohydrate is the most widely used and best-researched.

Does Creatine Have Side Effects?

According to Forbes, most people take supplements at doses generally considered safe, which is around 5 grams per day. But some people report dehydration or muscle cramps. “There are some people who have gastrointestinal distress,” Forbes said. “They take creatine, but the creatine doesn’t sit well in their stomach. For these people, I recommend taking a lower dose of creatine.”

You may want to talk to your doctor before taking supplements