Creatine Isn't Just for Bodybuilders Anymore

Creatine monohydrate has decades of research behind it as a performance supplement, consistently shown to improve high-intensity exercise capacity and support muscle growth when combined with resistance training. What's newer is a growing body of research looking at creatine's role in the brain, since neurons also rely on the creatine-phosphocreatine energy system, particularly under conditions of stress like sleep deprivation.

Several small trials have found cognitive benefits from creatine supplementation, particularly in tasks involving working memory and under conditions of fatigue or sleep deprivation, though the research base here is considerably smaller than the exercise performance literature. There is also emerging interest in creatine's relevance to healthy aging more broadly, since both muscle and brain creatine stores appear to decline with age.

Why this matters for tracking: creatine's safety profile is one of the best-established of any supplement, which is part of why researchers are comfortable exploring these newer applications beyond athletic performance.