Creatine and Brain Health: Separating the Science From the Hype

Suddenly it’s not just athletes who are talking about creatine, it’s people who are exploring it for their brain health and cognition. Creatine, a supplement once used almost exclusively by athletes, has gone mainstream. 

In recent years, creatine has gained significant attention on social media. Celebrities, physicians, personal trainers, and “fitfluencers” have long talked about creatine as an almost super-drug to get the results you want in the gym. It’s no surprise given that the dietary supplement’s market share was estimated to be $209.5 billion in 2025, a figure expected to nearly double by 2033. 

But in an ever-expanding ecosystem of supplements for brain health, why has creatine attracted so much attention?

In part, it could be because it’s one of the most-widely researched supplements, and scientists are revealing that its benefits could go beyond the gym. Research has revealed its positive impact on blood-flow, anti-inflammatory effects, and cognition and brain health.

What the research says about creatine and the brain

Creatine could offer potential benefits to women specifically, and 1,500 mg per day was shown to reduce the severity of mood swings in a study of 36 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with an average age of 50. Another study found it improves cognitive performance and processing speed in women, even partially reversing fatigue-related cognitive deterioration.

A human trial, a pilot study, involving just 19 participants, looked at creatine’s effects in people living with Alzheimer’s disease. It found positive improvements in cognition, specifically in executive function and working memory, which are domains highly affected by Alzheimer’s.

Samantha Marshall, a PhD student at Western University’s School of Kinesiology, noting a lack of “high quality literature on the topic” conducted a systematic review of current research into creatine’s impact on cognition in older adults.

While research on brain health and neurological diseases, like Alzheimer’s, is still emerging, more work has examined creatine in relation to mental health, showing that “creatine supplementation may have a positive impact on mental health,” Marshall said. “I’ve seen most studies done on depression.” 

In a study looking at 52 women with major depressive disorder, researchers found that the group who took escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly sold under the brand name Lexapro, plus creatine experienced significantly faster and greater reductions in depression. Participants saw improvements as early as by week two, and it typically takes SSRIs about 4-6 weeks to begin working.

“This study really just showed that creatine may kickstart the medication’s effects,” Marshall said. “Creatine is rarely studied as a standalone cure, but it is very compelling in the evidence to show that when it is used in combination with a drug such as a SSRI in depression, it can really amplify the benefits of the drug.”

Marshall is part of a team of researchers conducting a randomized trial with older adults with mild cognitive impairment, examining the effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training, both separately and in combination.

“We know that resistance training is excellent for cognition and brain health, so we are hypothesizing to see that with resistance training and creatine, there will be an even greater effect on cognition and brain health,” said Marshall. 

Our bodies naturally make about half the creatine we need each day for optimal health, but the rest has to come from the food we eat or supplementation. Experts recommend about 5 grams of creatine daily for most individuals. Creatine can be found in red meat, poultry, or seafood like tuna and salmon.

Who might benefit most?

Katy Bradford, 38, who lives in Tallahassee, Florida,  has been taking 5 grams of creatine monohydrate every day mixed into water, the only supplement she takes. She started taking it for muscle building, but has noticed mental benefits as well.

“I feel like my mood has become more stable,” she said. “I feel like I can focus better. I work full-time for a government organization and I feel like it’s helped me get through the day there, and I can focus and I’m not on a roller coaster of mood. It’s just stable.”

Bradford is particularly interested in creatine’s particular benefits for healthy aging.

“I’m trying to tell all of my friends and my husband, ‘You don’t have to have goals in the gym to take creatine. You just have to be alive and want to have a quality aging process.’ I think creatine can really help with that.”

Aubree Mitchell, 32, has worked as a certified personal trainer since age 18, and now has 7 years of experience working in women’s longevity. She’s been taking 10 grams of creatine HCl (hydrochloride), a form that is significantly more water-soluble than creatine monohydrate, daily for about four months now. 

Mitchell noticed significant mental benefits, describing the feeling of taking creatine similar to caffeine. “I’m so alert all day,” she said. “I have to make sure that I take it in the morning, because if I take it too late in the day, I’m just too jacked to go to bed.” 

Research suggests creatine supplementation may offer the greatest benefit to people with naturally lower creatine levels, such as vegetarians, vegans, and older adults. Aging is associated with lower creatine production, reduced protein intake, and loss of muscle mass, where creatine is primarily stored.

“The groups who do seem to benefit the most from creatine supplementation for brain related outcomes specifically are those under high metabolic stress or cognitive load,” Marshall said. “This could include people who are sleep deprived, those who are mentally fatigued, like students who are studying for a big exam, those who experience hypoxia, which is when the brain isn’t receiving enough oxygen.”