Review explores creatine as cognitive enhancer
Writing in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers from the School of Physical Education at Guizhou Normal University reported findings from a meta-analysis of studies published between 1993 and 2024 collected from the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases.
“Creatine supplementation showed significant positive effects on memory and attention time, as well as [significant improvements] in processing speed time,” they wrote. “However, no significant improvements were found on overall cognitive function or executive function.”
The review identified 16 randomized controlled trials involving 492 participants between the ages of 20 and 76, including healthy individuals and patients with specific diseases. All studies used the form creatine monohydrate.
Creatine and cognitive function
Creatine has been studied extensively and used as nutritional supplement among athletes for its muscle building properties, but knowledge surrounding its potential for cognitive health is still emerging.
“In the brain, creatine may improve cognitive performance by increasing cellular energy reserves and reducing oxidative stress, which is particularly important in tasks requiring high cognitive processing,” the researchers wrote.
A 2023 review published in the journal Sports Medicine by a team of leading U.S. creatine researchers found that creatine showed promise for improving measures of cognition and memory primarily in aging adults, decreasing symptoms of sleep deprivation and alleviating some symptoms of traumatic brain injury and characteristics of muscular dystrophy.
Noting that the global rise in aging populations has led to a concurrent increase in the prevalence of age-related cognitive decline as major public health concern, the Chinese researchers focused on exploring creatine’s potential benefits for improving cognitive function in not only the general adult population but specific groups, such as the elderly and patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Variability in effects
The review included a subgroup analysis of the difference effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance across health condition, age and sex of trial participants, as well as the length of intervention.
“For individuals with medical conditions, creatine supplementation can effectively improve energy supply, showing significant potential benefits,” the researchers wrote. “In age-stratified analysis, adults aged 18–60 showed significant effects from creatine supplementation, whereas the effects were not significant in individuals over 60 years old, possibly due to age-related physiological changes.”
The analyses also revealed significantly reduced processing speed time in women, suggesting potential sex-specific effects, but no substantial differences were found between short-term interventions (less than four weeks) and long-term interventions (over four weeks).
“This finding suggests that the effects of creatine on cognitive function may reach a saturation point within a certain period, implying that extending the intervention duration does not provide additional benefits,” the researchers wrote.
They called for larger robust clinical trials to validate these findings and investigate the effects across different populations and time frames to optimize supplementation strategies and to understand the precise mechanisms underlying creatine’s potential cognitive-enhancing properties.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1424972
“The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis”
Authors: Chen Xu et al.
