By Robert Firpo-Cappiello
September 2, 2026
Creatine supplements have been a fixture in gym bags for 30 years thanks to their proven ability to boost energy and strength. But lately, creatine has also been the subject of clinical research about memory, mental clarity, and even Alzheimer’s disease. The research is still new, but it’s important to understand how creatine impacts the body and what creatine supplements can—and can’t—do for your brain.
“Creatine is a compound that our bodies naturally produce to help store, transport, and produce energy,” says Matthew Taylor, PhD, RD, director of the Brain Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“Energy” in this context means a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which works like a rechargeable battery to power every cell in your body, including organs, muscles, and the brain. Creatine holds the chemical components needed to recharge that battery quickly when demand spikes, such as during a sprint or difficult mental tasks.
Your body gets creatine three ways: It manufactures it (mostly in the kidneys and liver), you eat it (fish and meat are the richest sources, at roughly 0.25 to 0.5 grams per 3-ounce serving), or you supplement it. A typical diet supplies about 1 gram a day, Dr. Taylor says, though that can vary widely.
Your muscles absorb creatine from food or supplements readily. But your brain does not.
“Supplementation increases brain creatine levels by only 8% to 9%, and most brain creatine is produced by the brain itself,” says Karima Benameur, MD, FAAN, a neurologist at Emory University. A 1999 study found that four weeks of 20 grams of creatine supplement daily raised total brain creatine by only 8.7%—roughly half the creatine increase typically seen in muscle. This is due to the blood-brain barrier, which filters what reaches the brain.
The strongest brain-related creatine findings come from small studies of sleep deprivation. In a 2024 study, 15 healthy adults kept awake overnight performed better on processing speed and memory tasks after a single large dose of creatine than after a placebo (dosage was roughly 20 grams or more, depending on the participant’s body weight). Creatine acts as an energy buffer, Dr. Benameur explains, and sleep deprivation is a major metabolic stress on the brain—the kind of condition where a creatine reserve may matter most.
A 2022 study pooled eight randomized trials and found a small overall improvement in memory among healthy people taking creatine, with a larger effect in adults ages 66 to 76 than in younger people.
Dr. Taylor’s team ran the first trial of creatine in people with Alzheimer's disease, published in 2025. Twenty participants took 20 grams of creatine monohydrate (supplement) daily for eight weeks. Brain creatine increased 11% on average, and several cognitive scores improved.
“While these results are encouraging, we need to be cautious,” Dr. Taylor says. Everyone in the study received creatine. Typically one group receives placebo (no active drug), and one group receives the study drug, though neither group is aware of what they are receiving. By comparing the results from both groups, researchers can state with more accuracy whether the drug was truly effective. “This was not a definitive study,” Dr. Taylor notes. “We need appropriately powered, randomized controlled trials to know if creatine monohydrate is actually helpful for Alzheimer’s disease.”
In Parkinson’s disease, a five year-trial of over 1,700 patients was stopped early because creatine wasn't slowing decline. In Huntington’s disease, the CREST-E trial of 553 patients was stopped for the same reason; decline was slightly faster in the creatine group. A study of three amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) trials found no effect on survival or progression.
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While both Dr. Taylor and Dr. Benameur advise that nutrients should ideally come from diet rather than supplementation, the standard 3- to 5-gram dose of creatine for healthy adults is nearly impossible to obtain from diet alone.
“Consuming that much creatine from food could require well over a pound of meat or fish each day,” Dr. Taylor says. For strength training, he says, creatine monohydrate is the most studied form of supplement, inexpensive, and effective.
But for the brain, there is no established dose. “Higher or longer dosing may be necessary to meaningfully raise brain creatine levels, but that remains an active research question, and we still don’t know whether it truly improves brain health,” Dr. Taylor says.
Creatine is generally well tolerated. The most common side effects are modest weight gain from water retention, mild muscle cramps, and stomach upset—usually eased by drinking plenty of water.
However, people with kidney problems should not take creatine supplements without medical guidance. Creatine raises blood creatinine, a lab value doctors use to assess kidney function, which can look alarming on a routine panel—so tell your doctor you’re taking a creatine supplement. Because supplements aren’t FDA-reviewed before sale, always look for third-party testing, such as United States Pharmacopeia, on the label.
Talk with your doctor before starting creatine supplements, especially if you have a neurological condition, kidney disease, or take medications that affect the kidneys.
