Creatine: Not Just for Strength — The Cognitive Benefits

For years, creatine monohydrate has been a staple supplement in the gym bags of powerlifters, strength athletes, and bodybuilders. It’s one of the most researched and effective supplements for increasing strength, power output, and muscle growth. But recent research is showing us that creatine’s benefits don’t stop at the barbell — higher doses may also support brain function and cognitive performance.

Why strength athletes and Bodybuilders Already Use Creatine

Creatine helps replenish ATP (the energy currency of your cells), which is essential for short bursts of high-intensity effort. Think heavy triples on squats, grinding through a deadlift 1RM attempt, or powering through accessory work. With consistent use (usually 3–5g daily), we can expect improved recovery between sets, greater training volume, and better adaptations in strength and size.

The New Research: Creatine for the Brain

Emerging studies have started to look beyond the muscle and into our brains. Your brain, just like your muscles, runs on ATP. And when cognitive demand is high (decision-making under fatigue, mental focus during training, or stress from outside the gym), creatine may play a role in keeping your brain performing at its best!

A recent wave of research suggests that higher doses of creatine - more than the typical 3–5g per day - may support:

• Improved working memory and short-term memory

  • Creatine supplementation (especially at higher doses, e.g. 15–20 g/day) has been shown to improve memory performance in healthy adults, particularly under conditions of sleep deprivation or cognitive fatigue.

  • Mechanism: By increasing brain phosphocreatine stores, creatine enhances ATP availability for synaptic activity and neurotransmission.

• Enhanced executive function

  • Some studies report improvements in tasks involving reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

  • This is especially evident under stressful or high-demand conditions where the brain’s energy demands spike.

• Neuroprotection

  • Creatine has been studied in neurological diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS) for its potential to protect neurons by stabilising ATP and buffering against energy deficits.

  • Although results are mixed, this suggests creatine helps maintain mitochondrial function and reduce oxidative stress in neurons.

• Mood and mental health benefits

  • Research indicates creatine may augment antidepressant treatments and reduce depressive symptoms, likely by supporting energy metabolism in brain regions linked to mood regulation (e.g., prefrontal cortex, hippocampus).

  • There’s also evidence that low brain creatine levels are associated with depression, particularly in women.

• Resilience to sleep deprivation

  • Supplementation has been shown to improve cognitive performance (e.g., reaction time, vigilance, memory) after periods of restricted sleep.

  • Mechanism: the brain’s reliance on phosphocreatine for ATP buffering is heightened when under stress from lack of sleep.

• Slowing cognitive decline (emerging evidence)

  • In ageing populations, creatine may support memory and processing speed by offsetting age-related declines in brain energy metabolism.

  • This area is less conclusive but promising, especially when combined with resistance training.

  
  

What This Means for Strength Athletes

For athletes who already benefit from creatine’s performance edge in training, these cognitive benefits are a huge bonus. Think about it:

• A powerlifter on competition day needs not just strength, but also focus, decision-making, and the ability to execute under pressure.

• A bodybuilder deep in prep may be dealing with fatigue, low energy, and brain fog - areas where creatine could help.

• A strength athlete balancing training with work and life stress may find extra resilience from creatine’s impact on the brain.

  
  

Dosing: What the Research Suggests

• Standard protocol: 3–5g daily (maintains muscle saturation and strength benefits)

• Cognitive-focused protocols: Some studies are exploring higher doses, around 15–20g per day, often split into multiple servings. These doses are typically safe but may cause digestive discomfort for some athletes so test with caution!

  
  

It’s worth noting that research is still ongoing. The cognitive benefits are promising, but not yet as conclusively established as creatine’s muscle performance benefits.

The Bottom Line

Creatine isn’t considered just a training supplement anymore. For powerlifters, strength athletes, and bodybuilders, it may also offer an edge in focus, mental resilience, and cognitive performance — especially when stress and fatigue are high. While 3–5g daily remains the gold standard for training, there’s growing interest in experimenting with higher doses to unlock brain benefits too.

As always, athletes should experiment cautiously and pay attention to how their body responds. But one thing’s for sure: creatine has once again proven why it deserves its reputation as one of the most effective, versatile, and exciting supplements in sports nutrition.

Would you consider trying higher doses of creatine to support your training and your mental performance? Share your thoughts with us at Unified Strength Methods — we’d love to hear how you’re using creatine both in and out of the gym.