Creatine supplements can boost mental performance after a bad night’s sleep

Some athletes and fitness enthusiasts take creatine supplements to improve physical performance. However, its role in cognitive function has recently come to light. But what is creatine and where does it come from?

Made up of three amino acids, the human body produces around 1 gram (g) of creatine daily, mainly in the liver and kidneys, and to a lesser extent, the pancreas.

It is also present in other foods – especially meat and fish. A person following an omnivorous diet will eat about 1 g per day.

About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscle but also in the brain.

Sports scientists are interested in creatine because it helps the body to regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the energy source of our cells.

Medical News Today spoke to Scott Forbes, PhD, about how this works. He told us that “[c]Creatine is converted into a molecule called phosphocreatine and this molecule can be quickly broken down into energy (ATP).

Forbes, who was not involved in the new study, is the chair of the department of physical education at Brandon University in Canada and has published papers on biological processes and the brain.

“The best part of this energy system is that it does not require oxygen. Therefore, if your brain needs energy quickly, you can use creatine (or phosphocreatine),” he explained.

MNT contacted Marco Machado, Ph.D., of the University of Itaperuna in Brazil, who has written numerous papers on the subject.

Machado was not involved in the current study, but explained that while some research shows that creatine can improve cognitive ability, it can only help people in certain situations.

“Mostly, yes [creatine] showed promise for improving cognition among the elderly, especially those who do not eat a diet of low animal origin, as well as in cases of mild brain injury and insomnia.”

-Marco Machado, PhD

According to Forbes, evidence is mounting that creatine can also “reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which can help the brain,” and that “creatine can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, protect cardiovascular against brain damage, and helps support brain health and development.

In the latest creatine study, the authors recruited 15 participants. Each went to the laboratory for 2 nights, separated by at least 5 days. During one of the visits, they took a dose of one high creatine, and the other night, they took a placebo.

Previous studies have shown that the brain does not take up creatine unless it is stressed. As Forbes said MNT,”[w]conducted systematic reviews and original research on creative and cognitive performance in healthy adults in non-stressful situations and found little benefit.”

However, lack of sleep puts the brain under stress, so the researchers kept the participants awake at night and asked them to complete mental tasks. They did tests at the beginning of the study – before taking creatine or placebo – and at three other times throughout the night.

They found that 3 hours after the dose of creatine, there were positive changes in brain metabolism, and mental performance improved. This positive effect peaked at 4 hours but lasted for 9 hours.

In particular, working ability and short-term memory were improved.

Forbes is interested in the fact that only one dose provided a measurable increase in cognitive function because, first, “researchers estimate that a high natural dose for a long time is necessary to raise the levels of the brain.”

He continued: “Since many people suffer from insomnia,” this is “some very good data showing the functions of creatine. More research is needed, but these findings can be very useful.” to first responders – firefighters, military, police – health workers, pilots, or athletes who may have trouble sleeping but need their brains to function high method.”

However, there are some security issues. MNT spoke to one of the study’s authors, Ali Gordji-Nejad, PhD, from the Jülich Research Institute in Germany. Gordji-Nejad told us: “The amount in our study was very high (more than 20 g). It is not recommended to use it because of kidney strain.”

Although people who work at night may benefit from creatine supplements one day, we have to wait for more evidence.

“Only if future studies show the same cognitive improvement effect at very low levels (about 5 g) can it be taken for long work nights,” said Gordji-Nejad.

He hopes that there may be ways to improve the effect so that a lower dose can still be beneficial: “The same or even better effect can occur when creatine is combined with ling. This could be the focus of further studies.”

Machado also needs caution: “Consulting with a nutritionist for proper dosage and guidance is important, as with any food supplement, to ensure its safe and effective use.”

He also explained how it is not clear who can benefit from creatine. “Strict evidence about the psychological benefits in young people of good nutrition is still lacking,” Machado said. MNT. This suggests “little or no improvement in this population.”

Although the effect on cognitive performance was short-lived in this study, Machado reminds us that this was a “one-dose supplementation protocol.”

“Some research suggests that consistent supplementation over a longer period of time may produce more lasting results,” he explained. “Further research examining the long-term effects of supplementation may shed light on the possibility of extending the cognitive benefits of creatine.”