Gym and sports nutrition setting, representing creatine research

Creatine's Brain Benefits Still Unproven, Review Finds

A review published in Psychology Today on 9 August 2026 has examined the growing evidence on creatine and brain function, concluding the popular sports supplement is "biologically plausible and promising in specific circumstances" but not yet a proven cognitive enhancer for healthy adults. The review draws on a 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis in Frontiers in Nutrition, which pooled 16 randomised controlled trials involving 492 participants aged 20 to 76. That analysis found creatine supplementation produced small but statistically significant improvements in memory and processing speed, with weaker evidence for attention, but no meaningful gain in overall cognitive function or executive function. The certainty of the evidence ranged from moderate for memory to low for processing speed, attention and executive function, the review's authors reported, and most trials used the standard sports nutrition dose of 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily.

What the evidence actually shows

The Frontiers in Nutrition analysis, led by researchers at Guizhou Normal University in China, found the benefit was more consistent in people over 60 and in those with a diagnosed health condition than in young, healthy adults, and that intervention duration, whether trials ran for weeks or months, made no significant difference to the outcome. Separate trials cited in the Psychology Today review reported that people who were sleep deprived showed less cognitive decline when supplementing with creatine, and that vegetarians, who typically have lower baseline creatine stores from diet, showed larger memory gains than habitual meat eaters. The reviewers note that trial duration, testing methods and participant groups varied widely between studies, that most trials lasted only days or weeks, and that the optimal dose and duration for any cognitive effect, and whether any benefit lasts into old age, remain unknown.

What this means for your supplement routine

None of this changes what creatine is authorised to say on a UK label, and the research does not show that taking creatine improves memory or grades in healthy adults with no sleep or dietary deficit. What it does show is that interest in creatine has moved well beyond the gym, with researchers now studying its effects specifically in older adults, people with diagnosed conditions and vegetarians. Anyone wanting to see how a specific product compares against the wider market, whatever the ingredient, can browse the full 1,393-product catalogue.

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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.

Sources

Originally reported by Psychology Today. This article has been reviewed by Dr Tosin.

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