An overwhelming amount of research indicates that
creatine supplementation improves exercise performance and muscle mass — now researchers are showing potential benefits on cognitive function. Research suggests that in addition to creatine accumulation in skeletal muscle, the brain may also take up creatine. This study had healthy men and women load with 20 g creatine per day or placebo for one week. After this supplementation period, subjects were tested intermittently over a 24 hour period that involved exercise and sleep deprivation on a variety of cognitive tests. At 24 hr, the group that supplemented with
creatine had significantly better performance in respect to random movement generation, choice reaction time, balance and mood state. Thus, the results indicate that
creatine supplementation would limit the negative effects of 24 hours of sleep deprivation on cognitive and psychomotor performance and mood state.
Creatine not only aids muscles, it may also overcome brain fatigue.
McMorris T, Harris RC, Swain J, Corbett J, Collard K, Dyson RJ, Dye L, Hodgson C, Draper N. Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Jan 17;:1-11 [Epub ahead of print]
