When most people hear the word creatine, they think of bodybuilders, protein shakers, and heavy lifting. And fair enough, creatine has been a staple in the fitness world for decades, and for good reason. But what excites me most about creatine right now isn't what it does for your muscles. It's what it does for your brain, your sleep, and your overall resilience, and the research is genuinely fascinating.
As a naturopath, I'm always looking at the evidence behind the tools I recommend. Creatine is one of the most extensively studied supplements in existence, with a strong safety profile and an expanding body of research that's starting to capture the attention of clinicians well beyond the sports science world. So let's talk about what the science is actually showing us.
So, what is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made up of three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. Your body produces it (primarily in the liver and kidneys), and you also get it through dietary sources like red meat and fish. It's stored mostly in skeletal muscle, but also in the brain, heart, and other tissues with high energy demands. Its primary role is to help regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule your cells use for energy. Think of it as your body's rapid energy recycling system.
Creatine and the brain
This is where the research gets really interesting. Your brain is one of the most metabolically active organs in your body. It accounts for roughly 20% of your total energy expenditure despite being only about 2% of your body weight. It relies heavily on ATP, and creatine plays a crucial role in maintaining that energy supply.
A pilot study published in 2025 by Smith and colleagues at the University of Kansas investigated creatine supplementation in patients with Alzheimer's disease, the first clinical trial of its kind. Twenty patients took 20 grams of creatine monohydrate daily for eight weeks. The results were striking: brain creatine levels increased by 11%, and participants showed improvements in global cognition, fluid cognition, list sorting, oral reading, and attention tasks. While this was a small pilot study without a control group, it provides compelling preliminary evidence that creatine supplementation is both feasible and potentially beneficial for neurodegenerative conditions where brain energy metabolism is impaired (Smith et al., 2025, Alzheimers Dement).
This builds on earlier research showing that creatine supplementation can buffer cognitive decline during periods of stress. A 2006 study by McMorris and colleagues found that after 24 hours of sleep deprivation combined with exercise, participants who had supplemented with creatine for seven days showed significantly better performance on complex cognitive tasks, specifically those engaging the prefrontal cortex, compared to placebo. Creatine also had a positive effect on mood state under these conditions (McMorris et al., 2006, Psychopharmacology).
More recently, a 2024 study published in Scientific Reports demonstrated that even a single high dose of creatine could partially reverse the metabolic changes and cognitive deterioration caused by sleep deprivation, with effects measurable within hours (Gordji-Nejad et al., 2024). The takeaway? When the brain is under stress, whether from poor sleep, mental fatigue, or neurodegeneration, creatine helps maintain the energy supply it needs to function.
Creatine and sleep
Sleep is foundational to health, and it's an area where creatine research is gaining momentum, particularly for women. A 2024 randomised controlled trial by Cruz and colleagues looked at naturally menstruating females who supplemented with 5 grams of creatine daily for six weeks while completing a resistance training program. Compared to the placebo group, the creatine group experienced significantly increased total sleep duration on training days (Cruz et al., 2024, Nutrients).
This is especially relevant given that women historically experience more sleep disturbances than men, and hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle can further impact sleep quality. The researchers proposed that creatine's role in reducing oxidative stress, lowering inflammation, and improving brain bioenergetics may contribute to these sleep improvements, and that the effects likely build over time as creatine stores become saturated.
A separate cross-sectional analysis of over 5,900 individuals from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) also found that participants meeting recommended dietary creatine intake levels had a significantly lower risk of experiencing sleep disturbances compared to those with suboptimal intake (Ostojic et al., 2024).
Beyond the brain: what else does creatine support?
The broader evidence base for creatine is substantial. Research supports its benefits for muscle strength and exercise performance (this is well established), bone health in postmenopausal women when combined with resistance training, recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage, mood and symptoms of depression, and potentially pregnancy outcomes, though human data here is still emerging.
A comprehensive 2025 narrative review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition highlighted creatine's potential applications across the female lifespan, from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause, noting that hormonal fluctuations influence creatine metabolism and that women may particularly benefit from supplementation (Brown et al., 2025).
What I recommend in clinic
I'm not someone who throws supplements at every situation. But creatine is one I find myself reaching for more and more, especially for clients dealing with fatigue, poor sleep, cognitive sluggishness, or those going through perimenopause. The standard recommended dose is 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day. It doesn't need to be cycled, and it doesn't need to be taken at a specific time. Consistency is what matters. Creatine monohydrate is the most researched form and the one I recommend. It's affordable, well-tolerated, and effective.
It's worth noting that people who consume less meat and fish (vegetarians, vegans, and those with lower dietary protein intake) tend to have lower baseline creatine stores and may therefore see more pronounced benefits from supplementation. If you follow a predominantly plant-based diet, this is especially worth considering.
A note on safety
Creatine monohydrate has been extensively studied and consistently shown to be safe for long-term use in healthy populations at recommended doses. The most commonly reported side effect is mild water retention during the initial loading phase, which typically resolves. As with any supplement, if you have pre-existing kidney conditions or are pregnant, it's important to discuss with your healthcare provider before starting supplementation.
The research on creatine is evolving rapidly, and I find it genuinely exciting. What was once considered purely a sports supplement is now being explored as a tool for neuroprotection, sleep support, mood regulation, and healthy ageing. I'll continue to watch this space closely, and if creatine is something that might benefit you, I'd love to chat about how it fits into your broader health picture.
Curious whether creatine could support your health goals?