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Is creatine good for your brain? Here’s what the science says
Written byLiz Connor
Reviewed byLaura Jennings
From sleepless nights to sharper focus, there’s growing online buzz around whether an old-school bodybuilding supplement could support brain health. But what does the research say?
Summary
1What does creatine do in the body?
Creatine helps regenerate ATP, the energy our cells use, particularly during short bursts of high-intensity activity – a bit like recharging a battery
2Can creatine affect brain health?
Scientists are investigating whether creatine’s role in cellular energy could also apply to the brain, especially during periods of high cognitive dem
3Can creatine help memory?
Some studies in older adults suggest creatine may support memory or mental processing in certain tasks, but findings vary across studies.
Once the locker room fuel of elite athletes and buff bodybuilders, creatine is popping up in gym bags everywhere thanks to its potential for boosting athletic performance. But lately, the conversation has spilled far beyond the gym floor, with some social media users hyping creatine as a potential brain booster too, linking it to everything from better energy after an all-nighter, to sharper focus and even brighter mood.
So, should you be taking it when you need to knuckle down to a hard deadline? Let’s take a deep dive into the cognitive research, with help from two leading academics, Ali Gordjinejad and Professor Theo Wallimann.
What does creatine actually do in the body?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound our bodies make from amino acids. It’s stored mainly in our muscles, but also in organs that burn lots of energy like the brain. Alongside the stores our liver and kidneys naturally produce, we also get creatine through our diet from seafood and red meat.1 Its main job is to help regenerate ATP (aka, the energy our cells use), particularly during short bursts of high-intensity exercise. When cells use up ATP, creatine helps top it back up so they can keep going, a bit like recharging a battery.1
Why are scientists talking about it for brain health?
The same ATP-boosting process that helps our muscles to go further during a HYROX class could theoretically support cellular energy buffering in the brain too – especially during periods when the brain is stressed or energy-hungry. Since the brain uses a lot of energy (about 20% of the body’s baseline consumption)2, researchers think that taking steps to top up our creatine stores could help support the brain’s cellular energy supply. This may be particularly relevant during periods of higher cognitive demand or focus3 (hello, university dissertations and last-minute work presentations).
What does the science actually say then?
So far, the evidence is mixed but interesting…
Creatine and sleep deprivation
One 2024 study found that during extreme conditions like sleep deprivation, people given a high dose of creatine showed modest improvements in certain cognitive tasks compared to placebo.4 Some brain imaging research suggests creatine may help increase the brain’s phosphocreatine availability (energy reserves), which may support cellular energy buffering – especially during periods of metabolic stress.
“By administering subjects with a high dose of creatine in the early evening (around 35g), we saw the preservation of cerebral high-energy phosphate levels” begins Ali Gordjinejad, who worked on the creatine and sleep deprivation study.4 “The result was that participants performed better on certain cognitive tasks compared with placebo under sleep-deprived conditions”.
But that’s not all Gordjinejad and his team noted. The researchers also found evidence suggesting the brain may take up creatine differently under sleep-deprived conditions. In other words, its effects may be more apparent during periods of acute metabolic stress, like sleep deprivation, than in well-rested individuals.
Creatine for memory and thinking in older adults
Beyond its proposed effects on focus, research in older adults has also suggested possible benefits for memory and thinking skills, with a few trials seeing elderly people performing a bit better on tasks that involve short-term memory or quick mental processing.5 However, the results across studies vary, and in a review of the literature, researchers found that it made little or no difference in others.
Creatine and depression
Researchers are also exploring whether creatine may have a role in mood-related research. In one small study, participants with depression received creatine alongside cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).6 Over eight weeks, the group receiving creatine showed greater improvement in symptom scores compared with the control group. However, this was a small exploratory trial, so it’s a starting point for research rather than proof that creatine can replace well-researched treatments like SSRIs.
What the experts say
While a number of studies report improvements, biologist Professor Theo Wallimann points out that they often involve “small groups of people, use different doses and run for different lengths of time” – making it impossible to compare results or draw any firm conclusions.7 Another major challenge is the way the brain is studied and knowing whether creatine actually reaches it in meaningful amounts.
“In most of the studies, it’s not shown that the creatine reached the brain and led to an elevated total brain creatine concentration,” he says. “This is because measuring the brain is more difficult compared to muscle, where you can take biopsies.” Because of this inconsistency in the research, European regulators EFSA (the body that rigorously checks the claims that can be made on your supplements) haven’t approved the cognitive health claims for creatine, concluding that there isn’t yet enough clear and quality evidence to prove a direct benefit.
Also, scientists still need to undertake lots more research to double-check the results and understand how and when it actually works best. In particular, Gordjinejad says they don’t yet fully know how creatine gets into the body and brain or what conditions make it most effective. “We’d also like to see whether there is a correlation of creatine content in different regions of the brain,” adds Wallimann.
Certain areas of the brain control specific mental functions, like memory and learning, and creatine levels might not change evenly across them. “These human studies are expensive and technically demanding, which is one of the reasons why this brain-related research is slower than we’d like it to be,” he concludes.
The final say
Creatine might be the supplement of the moment when it comes to lifting hard and heavy in the weights room, but when it comes to your brain, the research is still very much a work in progress. Some studies hint at effects in certain situations, but it’s safe to say that the hype you’re seeing on social media right now is massively outweighed by the actual evidence available. For now, it's an interesting area of science. And if you're already considering using it to support your workouts, then this could be the push you need.
Curious to learn more? You might want to explore what the science says about creatine and weight gain, or check out our myth-buster on whether caffeine affects the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Disclaimer – This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Working with experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.
1. Wu SH. Creatine supplementation for muscle growth: A scoping review of randomized clinical trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients [Internet]. 2022 Jan 1;14(6):1255.
2. Raichle ME, Gusnard DA. Appraising the brain’s energy budget. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [Internet]. 2002 Jul 29;99(16):10237–9.
3. Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental Gerontology. 2018 Jul;108:166–73.
4. Gordji-Nejad A, Matusch A, Kleedörfer S, Jayeshkumar Patel H, Drzezga A, Elmenhorst D, et al. Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation. Scientific Reports [Internet]. 2024 Feb 28;14(1):4937.
5. Rawson ES, Venezia AC. Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino Acids [Internet]. 2011 Mar 11;40(5):1349–62.
6. Sherpa NN, De Giorgi R, Ostinelli EG, Choudhury A, Dolma T, Dorjee S. Efficacy and safety profile of oral creatine monohydrate in add-on to cognitive-behavioural therapy in depression: An 8-week pilot, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled feasibility and exploratory trial in an under-resourced area. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Jan;90:28–35.
7. Prof. Theo Wallimann, PhD | Creatine For Health [Internet]. Creatineforhealth.com. 2025 [cited 2026 Mar 6].
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