Creatine monohydrate for brain power
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Interestingly, creatine monohydrate doesn’t just boost your muscle power, it also boosts your brain power! Creatine supplementation is in widespread use to enhance sports-fitness performance, and has been trialled successfully in the treatment of neurological, neuromuscular and atherosclerotic disease.
Creatine plays a pivotal role in brain energy homeostasis, being a temporal and spatial buffer for cytosolic and mitochondrial pools of the cellular energy currency, adenosine triphosphate and its regulator, adenosine diphosphate. In one study, individuals were given oral creatine supplementation (5 g per day for six weeks) to see if creatine monohydrate would enhance intelligence test scores and working memory performance in 45 young adult, vegetarian subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Creatine supplementation had a significant positive effect on both working memory (backward digit span) and intelligence (Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices), both tasks that require speed of processing. The findings underline a dynamic and significant role of brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance.
How Creatine works in the muscles
Creatine is a substance found in muscle that combines with phosphate to form creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate reacts with adenosine di-phosphate to regenerate adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP – stored energy) in working muscle. Supplementation of creatine may increase the total creatine and creatine phosphate content of the muscle. Researchers have found that muscle creatine phosphate levels drop significantly after the performance of a 300 meter run, which lasts 30 to 40 seconds, suggesting that the lack of creatine phosphate may somehow limit performance during intense, short term exercise. If you are like myself and have high lactate levels then Creatine could be your bio-hack as the buffering of ATP by phosphocreatine extends the duration of activity possible and increasing creatine enhances endurance.
When and how to take creatine monohydrate?
From most of the studies reviewed, 5g per day seems like the optimal maintenance dose to take. It is best taken before your training session and again after the training session if it was a tough one. Taken 30min before a stressful exam or work situation will also help with your brain’s performance. For a more individualise guide on timing and amounts tailored to your specific needs and to purchase - send an enquiry email or head to our contact page.