Creatine has been a buzzword in sports for many years, and it is commonly used to enhance athletic performance. Researchers have also theorised that it might be able to improve brain function, but what does the evidence say?
What is it?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys, but is also present in some of the foods we eat. It plays an important role in energy production in the body. But to understand this, we first need to understand how energy in the body works:
ATP is the body’s energy currency and releases a phosphate group when energy is required. The bonds between the phosphate groups are unstable, and when these bonds break, energy is released.
Creatine acts as a delivery molecule and can transfer a phosphate group to ADP molecules to form ATP. When there is an abundance of creatine, the supply of ATP is increased, and the muscles have access to more energy (1).
When you exercise, the energy demand of the muscles increases, and creatine can supply this energy quickly. This increased energy results in improved athletic performance.
Creatine in the brain
In the same way that your muscles need energy, your brain also needs energy (ATP) to function. Increasing the amount of creatine available to the brain might, in theory, improve this function.
But can it?
The brain prefers to use the creatine that has been naturally produced in the body rather than from food or supplements. But there has been some evidence that creatine from the diet can increase the available energy in the brain (1, 2).
Benefits of creatine
So, we know that dietary sources of creatine can increase energy in the brain, but does this mean that they can improve brain function?
The current evidence is conflicting, and more research is needed, but here’s what we know:
- The benefits are different for people of different ages and health status
- It is generally agreed that creatine can improve short-term memory in older adults (aged over 65 years) (3, 4)
- It does not improve brain function for ‘healthy’ young adults (aged 18-25 years)(5, 6)
Dietary sources
For most people, consuming creatine from food is an effective way of meeting exogenous (dietary) needs and supplementation isn’t necessary. Here are some ways to get creatine into your diet.
Plant Sources |
Animal Sources |
|---|---|
| Soy protein | Beef |
| Pumpkin seeds | Veal |
| Peanuts | Octopus |
| Sunflower seeds | Anchoy |
| Mustard seeds | Pork |
| Brazil nuts | Salmon |
| Chia seeds | Turkey |
For meal and snack recipes that include these foods, check our sister-brand Ayla Health. It includes dietitian-designed recipes and practical meal planning tools!
Should you take a supplement?
Creatine supplements are everywhere, mostly used for sports and exercise performance. With their wide availability, supplementation seems like a no-brainer. However, these are some things to consider:
- Talk to your doctor or dietician to see if supplementation might benefit you. While supplementation is safe, there is no clear protocol to follow, so talk to your GP or dietician if you are interested in taking supplements
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach for supplementation; consuming a creatine-rich diet may be a simpler way to increase creatine
- If you are a young adult, creatine may provide more physical performance benefits than mental.
- Vegetarian and vegan diets generally have lower creatine intakes and may benefit from creatine supplementation
If you are looking for more guidance on how creatine fits into your diet, The Healthy Eating Clinic is here to help.
Book a consultation today
References
- McMorris T, Hale BJ, Pine BS, Williams TB. Creatine supplementation research fails to support the theoretical basis for an effect on cognition: Evidence from a systematic review. Behavioural brain research. 2024;466:114982.
- Candow DG, Pratt J, Fabiano N, Gordji-Nejad A, Smith A, Rawson ES, et al. Creatine Supplementation and the Brain: Have We Put the Cart Before the Horse? Journal of dietary supplements. 2026;23(2):175-204.
- Zuzanna K, Hanna A, Maciej K, Olga K, Marcelina R, Artur S. Creatine supplementation and cognitive function across different populations: A narrative review. Journal of education, health and sport. 2026;88.
- Ostojic SM, Korovljev D, Stajer V. Dietary creatine and cognitive function in U.S. adults aged 60 years and over. Aging clinical and experimental research. 2021;33(12):3269-74.
- Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental gerontology. 2018;108:166-73.
- Moriarty T, Bourbeau K, Dorman K, Runyon L, Glaser N, Brandt J, et al. Dose–Response of Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Healthy Young Adults. Brain sciences. 2023;13(9):1276.
