Can Creatine Help with Recovery and Cognitive Function?

Question

Besides increasing short-term power output, does creatine have other benefits regarding recovery and cognitive function?

Answer 1

Creatine, as studies indicate, exhibits the characteristics of an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant as well possibly enhancing recovery post-exercise by lessening the amount of cell damage. It's also able to facilitate glucose absorption into skeletal muscle, thereby accelerating the recovery of glycogen stores after intense physical activity. Thus also improvement of decision making skills is possible with creatine use and this is of much help in sports involving sustained physical stress.

Comments

I take it for better recovery, less sleep requirement (sometimes it causes bad sleep quality however) and healthier overall look (you look fuller, fitter and not as dried out as other older endurance athletes) - as a pro cyclist I would not take it, as I gained about 3kgs.

---

I find that taking creatine with electrolytes, works best about an hour before race to increase plasma volume and hydration in the muscles and then also after a race for recovery. You can also take creatine before bed to improve sleep.

---

Great research Conor! I am 47 and a social rider for the last 5 yrs. I have been taking creatine for 3 months and definitely notice improvement in my sprints up to a minute. The water  retention is a good thing because my recovery times are better then in my 30s.

---

Creatine really messed with my sleep. Waking in the middle of the night, wide awake, and not able to get back to sleep. Strangely didn't feel tired during this period but didn't feel rested, if that makes sense

---

30 years ago when I was a 1st Cat for a couple of years, with a full time job, I gave Creatine a go.
I definitely had a little fluid retention, but hard training sessions felt like I could push harder, and I recovered better.
I rode an 85-mile Sunday roadrace with my usual peer group, got in the break with seven other guys, pretty well bossed it and won all three Primes without even trying that hard. It felt like the race was mine for the taking, guys were telling me I was going like a train. 10 miles from the end of the race I started getting weird sensations, it was as if there was an electrical storm in my legs, gradually worsening. 300m to go, the sprint opened up, I got out of the saddle and both my legs simply locked up. I coasted across the line, last in the group, and was screaming for folks at the finish line to catch me and hold me up. They had to lie me down on my side, still clipped in, and prise me off the bike while the cramp had me crying out in pain.
I never used it again.