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

As a type 2 diabetic it has been transformational in resensitising my muscles to insulin and pulling fuel out of the blood into cells. A game changer if you are a diabetic athlete

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I have notice, and tested this 5 times, when I start taking Creatine that I get more cramping issues unless I increase my potassium, sodium and magnesium intake.  Then I don't have the cramping issues.  It 100% does help with my fitness though, both in my riding and recovery times.  Being I am 56, that is really helpful for me.

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I have been taking creatine on and off. I don't take it for a performance point of view but to help with cognitive function. I would not recommend taking to much though. I do consume 3g everyday. I don't suffer from weight gain or water retention on creatine, not sure why. I actually lost weight after I started taking creatine but it could be due to a number of factors. All in all my experience with creatine is a positive one.

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As I understand it creatine constitutes 5% of your energy source and is positioned at the top end of the effort level. Our body produces creatine phosphate and supplements are based on creatine mono hydrate which needs to converted into creatine phosphate by the body using water and wasting 60 - 80% of what is initially supplemented. The storage reserves of the body are very small and mostly can be topped out with normal, healthy, targeted diet.
An interesting idea is that it improves the recovery of the ATP molecule - if it accelerates the conversion from ADP to ATP then its worth can be very interesting!
Great content Connor - thank you.

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Creatine is the number one supplement because it is almost universally accepted as being effective. There are many, many studies proving so. For me, I found it effective but I only use 2g/day which helps limit fluid retention.

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had a full physiological body shutdown, given 12hrs to live, long story, but I know Creatine has assisted immeasurably with recovery of brain and muscle function (within the wider context of a loving environment, strict diet, and structural integration/Rolfing). just fyi. :]

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The most tested supplement ever. For cycling it works great after a training or a ride to speed up recovery

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Conor's too young for the reason I have begun taking it - and that is to combat / slow down muscle wasting as I age. Passing sixty this year I have noticed a decline in strength - and not just a lower power (slightly) on the bike but in general overall. Hopefully this supplement will counter that aspect of aging...

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I'm 57 and have been taking Creatine and Beta Alanine for 2 months. Game changer. Beta-Alanine has benefits for shuttling lactate so you don't get the burn on efforts so much and Creatine for an increase in power.

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Creatine used to make me sleep. I've stopped and started creatine several times in the last 30 years. I no longer have to sleep extra while taking it. I've never noticed any negative effects from creatine usage. ✌

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5g creatine / 5g l glutamine  / 30g whey protein.. recovery stack post ride

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Connor you didn't mention differences if any to your recovery at all. Dr Sam Shepard better recovery as one of the effects.

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I'm curious Conor, after training did you feel less tired for the rest of the day while using creatine? It's the potential benefit that most interests me.

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I use it. I take half as much as mentioned along with citruline and it has improved my recovery after short sprints. It does also help clear my thinking. I am hoping that on my next pulmonary function test i will do a tad better.

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As a 55yr old male going to the gym for the last 2 years I found that creatine didnt appear to help with strength but made a big difference with recovery after a workout.
Weight gain and bloating only happened during the loading phase and settled very quickly afterwards.
There is a lot of evidence that it helps against Alzheimer's which is an added  bonus.
just my pennies worth. :)

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I’m taking 5g creatine everyday, 2.5g with each meal. It hasn’t been 30 days yet but I’ve noticed some cognitive improvements. I’d recommend magnesium + creatine they help the body in many ways, but most noticeable lay with brain function, I’ve have no brain fog when taking these.

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You haven't taken it long enough yet to experience a key benefit, which is that it allows you to train harder. I took it for 6 months, stopped for 8 months, then started again about 4 months ago. I stopped due to weight gain (about 5 kg), but started again for the power gains. My max efforts are about 100-150W higher when taking it, but I agree with your finding that it doesn't seem to help with longer efforts. It definitely improves my sprints and I do notice some cognitive benefits, though they're hard to quantify.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.