guides
Evidence
Mixed evidence
Creatine Before or After a Workout: Does Timing Matter?
What the five studies that actually tested creatine before versus after training found, and why the answer is less exciting than the marketing.
The library
Learn
Research informed reading on creatine and the brain. Clear, sourced, and written for people who actually read the studies.
-
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
How Creatine Works: The Creatine Kinase System Explained
How creatine works in the body: the creatine kinase and phosphocreatine system explained by Theo Wallimann, with the research on muscle, mitochondria and brain.
- guides Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine Myths: What the Research Actually Shows
Creatine myths on kidneys, steroids, weight gain, fat, and the brain, checked against the actual studies, including the ones that found nothing.
-
Best Time to Take Creatine for Cognitive Performance
The best time to take creatine for cognitive performance, according to the trials: why daily timing barely matters and what sleep deprivation studies used.
-
Creatine After a Bad Night's Sleep: Does It Help?
What the sleep deprivation trials on creatine actually found, which doses they used, and why a normal daily scoop is not the same thing.
- comparisons Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine HCl vs Monohydrate: Which One Has the Research?
A study by study look at creatine HCl versus creatine monohydrate, covering the head to head trials, the origin of the solubility claim, safety, price and what remains untested.
- comparisons Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine vs Alpha GPC
Creatine vs alpha GPC for focus and memory: what the human trials found, the replication that fell short, the regulator that said no, and the stroke question.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
How Creatine Works in Your Cells: A Systems Biology View
How does creatine work inside your cells? A plain English look at the gene networks, kinases and transporter controls behind creatine, and what the evidence really shows.
-
Creatine and Memory: What Human Studies Actually Measured
Creatine and memory: what human trials measured, which results held up after a correction, and where the evidence is still thin for everyday doses.
- aging Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine Dosage for Older Adults: What the Research Shows
How much creatine should older adults take? A clear look at the research on dosage, loading, and training day only creatine for muscle and strength after 50.
- comparisons Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine Monohydrate vs Other Forms: Is Anything Better?
Creatine monohydrate vs other forms: Dr. Ralf Jäger explains why buffered, liquid, salt and HCl creatine have not beaten monohydrate in the research.
-
Creatine for Brain Health: What Top Researchers Really Say
Top researchers explain creatine for brain health: what the evidence shows for memory, concussion protection, and dosing, plus where the science is still early.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and Kidney Disease: The Hidden Deficiency
Creatine and kidney disease explained: why dialysis patients become creatine deficient, what the research shows, and whether creatine could safely help them.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and the Immune System: What Science Shows So Far
Does creatine affect the immune system? A clear look at the research on creatine, inflammation, TNF alpha, and macrophages, and what the evidence really shows.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and Heart Health: What the Science Really Shows
Creatine powers every heartbeat. See what research really shows about creatine and heart health, from heart failure and safety to chemotherapy protection.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and IBD: What the Science Says So Far
Creatine and IBD: how gut cells use creatine to power the intestinal barrier, what mouse colitis studies show, and where the human evidence stands so far.
-
Creatine and Vascular Health: What Science Shows So Far
Creatine and vascular health: what early research shows about blood flow, cholesterol, inflammation, and aging arteries, and how strong the evidence is.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and Blood Sugar: Can It Help Type 2 Diabetes?
Can creatine help blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes? What a randomized trial found, how GLUT4 and AMPK may explain it, and where the evidence stands.
-
Creatine for Brain Health: How Much Do You Actually Need?
Creatine for brain health explained: what studies show about dosing, memory, sleep deprivation, and Alzheimer's research, and why brain doses may top 5 grams.
-
How Much Creatine for Brain Health? The Dosing Dilemma
How much creatine for brain health? A leading researcher's doses for muscle, bone and brain, checked against the latest trials and the safety evidence.
-
Planning a Pregnancy? Creatine Considerations Recommendations before and during pregnancy.
Planning a pregnancy and taking creatine? See what human trials actually exist, what the animal research shows, and what remains unproven.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and the Immune System. Beyond Muscle: Immune Function, the Gut Brain Axis, Plus Safety and Dosage
What the research actually shows about creatine and immune cells, the gut brain axis, and what 685 clinical trials found about safety and dosing.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine for Endurance Runners
What the research actually shows about creatine for endurance runners, including the null results, the recovery data, and who the findings apply to.
- brain Evidence Strong evidence
Does Creatine Cross the Blood Brain Barrier?
What the research actually shows about how creatine gets into the brain, how much oral supplementation changes brain levels, and where the evidence is still thin.
- aging Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine Loading After 50: Does Megadosing Really Work?
Does creatine loading work after 50? What studies show about megadosing creatine for muscle, memory, kidney labs, and who should skip the loading phase.
- comparisons Evidence Emerging evidence
Is Creatine a Nootropic? A Different Kind of Cognitive Supplement
What the research actually says about creatine and cognition, and why it does not fit neatly into the nootropic category.
- guides Evidence Emerging evidence
Creatine and Teenagers: What the Research Actually Says
What studies and pediatric guidance actually say about creatine use in teenagers, including the safety data, the gaps, and the body image research.
- guides Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine and Water Retention: What Does the Evidence Tell Us
A close look at what the research actually shows about creatine and water retention, including where the water goes, how long it lasts, and how the picture differs for women.
-
Creatine for Sleep Deprivation: The Brain Fuel You Need
What the research actually shows about creatine and mental performance when you have not slept, including doses, timelines, and the studies that found nothing.
-
Creatine and Pregnancy: The Basics
What creatine is, why pregnancy researchers are studying it, and what the animal and early human evidence does and does not show.
- vegan Evidence Strong evidence
Creatine for Vegans and Vegetarians: What the Science Says
Do vegans and vegetarians need creatine? See what studies show about lower creatine stores on plant based diets, dosing, brain benefits, and safety.
-
Creatine and Cancer: What the Research Actually Shows
A close look at the preclinical research on creatine and cancer, including the findings that cut both ways and the human trials that came up empty.
-
Creatine Brain Benefits: What the Research Shows and What It Does Not
A close reading of the actual research on creatine and the brain, including the corrections, null results, and regulatory rulings most articles skip.
-
Does Creatine Actually Help Your Brain? What 16 Trials Found
A close reading of the 16 trial meta analysis on creatine and cognition, the statistical error critics found in it, and what regulators concluded.