Creatine Monohydrate
The most evidence-backed sports supplement, now recognised as a significant cognitive enhancer and neuroprotective agent. Creatine's role in cerebral energy metabolism makes it relevant far beyond athletics — with growing evidence for depression, TBI recovery, ageing brain, and neurodegenerative disease protection.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational and research purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound synthesised in the liver and kidneys from glycine, arginine, and methionine. It is stored predominantly in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine (PCr) — the immediate energy buffer for ATP regeneration.
While creatine has been a staple sports supplement for three decades, its role as a cognitive enhancer and neuroprotective agent is increasingly recognised. The brain accounts for ~20% of total body energy consumption and is heavily dependent on PCr buffering during high-demand states — making cerebral creatine status directly relevant to cognitive performance.
Cognitive Evidence
Meta-analyses of creatine and cognition: A 2022 meta-analysis in Nutrients (Prokopidis et al.) analysed 22 RCTs and found significant improvements in memory performance, particularly in older adults and vegetarians (who have lower dietary creatine intake).
Sleep deprivation: Creatine supplementation significantly reduces cognitive impairment during sleep deprivation — one of the more practically relevant findings.
Depression: Emerging RCT data suggests creatine augmentation of antidepressant therapy accelerates response, particularly in women with treatment-resistant depression.
TBI and neuroprotection: Paediatric TBI trials and animal models consistently show neuroprotective effects. Pre-injury creatine loading reduces cognitive deficits and recovery time.
The Vegetarian/Vegan Advantage
Creatine is found almost exclusively in animal products. Vegetarians and vegans typically have significantly lower muscle and brain creatine saturation — and consistently show the largest cognitive effects from supplementation. For plant-based biohackers, creatine is arguably the highest-priority supplement.
Dosage
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Dose | 3–5 g/day |
| Timing | Post-workout or morning |
| Form | Monohydrate (no evidence for superiority of alternatives) |
| Cycling | Not required — continuous use |
| Loading | Optional: 20g/day × 5 days to speed saturation |
Related Research
Stacking Interactions
How Creatine Monohydrate interacts with other compounds
Safety Profile — Tier A
Well-tolerated — strong human evidence
Contraindications
- ●Pre-existing renal disease (monitor, not absolute contraindication)
- ●Caution with nephrotoxic medications
Side Effects
- ●Exceptional safety profile — decades of data in millions of users
- ●Water retention (intramuscular, not subcutaneous)
- ●Mild GI discomfort with loading protocol — avoided with lower daily dosing
- ●No evidence of renal harm in healthy individuals