Creatine is one of the most well-researched, evidence-backed supplements on the planet. It doesn’t just build muscle (though it does that too). It protects your brain, improves cognitive function, combats depression, helps you recover from traumatic brain injuries, supports healthy aging, and may even help you live longer.
And here’s the kicker: you’re probably not getting enough of it.
Even if you eat meat regularly, you’d need to consume multiple pounds of steak per day to reach the levels shown to provide cognitive and neuroprotective benefits. That’s simply not realistic.
So yes, you need more creatine. Let me explain why.
What Creatine Actually Is (And Why It Matters)
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. Your body produces about 1-2 grams per day, and you get small amounts from eating meat and fish.
It’s stored primarily in your muscles, but also in your liver, testes, and brain. And that last location is where things get really interesting.
As Dr. Andy Galpin, professor of kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton and performance expert, explains:
“Creatine itself is stored in muscle and used as a great fuel source, but many people don’t realize it’s actually also stored in your liver, testes, and brain… It’s stored in the brain so that it can be used as a very quick fuel source.” [^1]
Your brain is an energy-hungry organ. It represents about 2% of your body weight but consumes roughly 20% of your energy. When your brain needs rapid energy, especially during cognitive tasks or stress, creatine is one of the fastest sources available.
And when creatine stores are depleted, your brain suffers.
The Brain Benefits You’re Missing Out On
Creatine isn’t just sitting in your brain doing nothing. It’s actively supporting cognitive function, protecting neurons, and may even help you think clearer and faster.
1. Improved Cognitive Performance
Research consistently shows that creatine supplementation improves cognition, particularly in people who don’t eat much meat (and therefore have lower baseline creatine stores).
Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and professor at Stanford, takes 5 grams of creatine daily specifically for brain health:
“Creatine can actually be used as a fuel source in the brain, and there’s some evidence that it can enhance the function of certain frontal cortical circuits that feed down onto or rather connect to areas of the brain that are involved in mood regulation and motivation.” [^2]
The threshold for cognitive benefits? At least 5 grams per day.
But here’s where it gets more interesting: for maximum brain health benefits, the research suggests higher doses may be even better.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a physician specializing in muscle-centric medicine, notes:
“We know that creatine at five grams will affect skeletal muscle, but 12 grams of creatine affects brain health.” [^3]
For traumatic brain injury treatment and prevention, studies often use 20 grams per day, typically split into four 5-gram doses. [^1]
2. Protection Against Brain Injury
This is where creatine becomes truly remarkable.
Athletes, military personnel, and anyone at risk for head impacts should pay close attention: creatine protects your brain from traumatic injury and reduces damage from repeated impacts.
Studies show that creatine:
- Reduces cortical damage following TBI by 35-50% [^1]
- Protects against “second impact syndrome” (the compounding damage from repeated head blows) [^1]
- Improves recovery outcomes in children and adults with severe brain injuries [^1]
- Supports sleep, cognition, and mood after concussions [^1]
Even more striking: a study of high school and college football players found that creatine stores in the brain (specifically in the motor cortex and prefrontal cortex) decreased over the course of a season. Players with more head impacts had greater creatine depletion. [^1]
Translation: if you’re taking repeated hits to the head, your brain is burning through creatine trying to protect itself. And if those stores run low, the next impact causes exponentially more damage.
Dr. Galpin emphasizes the importance of this:
“The more creatine depletion that happens, the worse the damage in your brain that occurs after the second or repeated impact. So right there, we can see that if you’ve had an injury, making sure your creatine stores are replenished as quickly as possible is really important.” [^1]
3. Fighting Depression
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated benefits: creatine appears to help with depression.
Two randomized controlled trials found that 5 grams of creatine per day, added to standard antidepressant treatment, improved depressive symptoms. [^1]
This isn’t a replacement for professional treatment, but it’s a notable finding given creatine’s excellent safety profile.
4. Cognitive Decline and Aging
As you age, your brain’s energy systems become less efficient. Mitochondrial function declines. Neuronal damage accumulates. Cognitive performance slips.
Creatine can help offset this.
Research shows that creatine supplementation improves cognitive performance in older adults, particularly during demanding mental tasks. And because creatine provides rapid energy during low-oxygen situations (which become more common with age), it supports brain function even when other systems are struggling. [^1]
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon specifically recommends creatine for post-menopausal women and older populations, noting that they see particularly strong benefits. [^3]
You’re Not Getting Enough From Food Alone
Here’s the problem: it’s nearly impossible to get optimal creatine levels from diet alone.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon looked at the numbers:
“The amount of creatine in a pound of steak… is something like two grams.” [^3]
Let that sink in. One pound of steak contains roughly 2 grams of creatine.
If you want to hit even the minimum 5-gram threshold for cognitive benefits, you’d need to eat 2.5 pounds of steak every single day. And if you’re aiming for the higher doses shown to maximize brain health (12-20 grams), you’d need to consume absurd quantities of meat.
Eggs? They contain almost no creatine. [^3]
Fish has some, but you’d still need massive portions.
Even if you’re a committed carnivore, you’re likely underdosing compared to what the research suggests is optimal for brain and body function.
The Extraordinary Safety Profile
One of the reasons experts are so bullish on creatine is simple: it’s incredibly safe.
Dr. Andy Galpin notes:
“It’s by far the most widely studied sports supplement and it’s not even close. It’s been studied in every population: healthy, diseased, young, old, men, women, kids… and there’s really very limited side effects, if any, that have been reported.” [^1]
A study on children (ages 1-18) with severe traumatic brain injuries gave them creatine for six months. The result? No signs of kidney, liver, or heart side effects. [^1]
Dr. Galpin, a father of two young kids himself, says:
“For me personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to give this to one of my kids… When I look at the research as a parent myself of two young kids, I would not hesitate at all to use this in my children.” [^1]
Dr. Layne Norton, nutrition researcher and physique coach, emphasizes the strength of the evidence:
“You have thousands of experiments done over decades of time in hundreds of different labs with many different funding sources in bunch of different countries under a bunch of different conditions. It works, right?” [^4]
The scientific consensus is overwhelmingly positive. When experts look at creatine on platforms like the Consensus app (which aggregates scientific literature), 92% of studies say yes: creatine works for building muscle and strength, and likely benefits cognition. [^4]
How to Use Creatine Properly
Okay, you’re convinced. Now what?
Dosing
For general health, muscle, and cognitive support:
- 5-10 grams per day of creatine monohydrate
For enhanced brain health:
- 12 grams per day (Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s recommendation for brain-specific benefits) [^3]
For brain injury prevention or treatment:
- 20 grams per day, split into four 5-gram doses [^1]
Dr. Peter Attia, longevity physician and author, takes 10 grams per day, noting:
“I take 10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day. Sometimes forget to take it. That’s why I take 10 grams. I’ll sometimes miss a day. And I certainly feel the effects of that in the gym… But there are a lot of data on creatine monohydrate for sake of either maintaining or offsetting some of the cognitive dysfunction associated with sleep deprivation, maybe aging, altitude, and some other things as well.” [^5]
Type
Creatine monohydrate is the form used in nearly all research. It’s the gold standard. Don’t waste money on fancy alternatives unless there’s strong evidence to support them (there usually isn’t).
Timing
It doesn’t really matter. Some people take it pre-workout, some post-workout, some just with breakfast. Consistency matters more than timing.
Loading Phase (Optional)
Some protocols suggest a “loading phase”: 20 grams per day for 5-7 days, then dropping to a maintenance dose of 5 grams. This saturates your creatine stores faster.
But you don’t have to load. You’ll reach saturation within a few weeks at 5 grams per day. Loading just speeds up the process.
Side Effects
The most common “side effect” is water retention. Creatine pulls water into muscle cells, which can add a few pounds to the scale. This isn’t fat. It’s intracellular water, and it’s part of how creatine works.
Some people report mild digestive discomfort at high doses. If that happens, split your dose throughout the day.
Who Benefits Most?
Literally everyone. But some populations benefit even more:
1. People Who Don’t Eat Much Meat
Vegetarians and vegans have lower baseline creatine stores because they’re not getting dietary creatine. Supplementation has been shown to significantly improve cognition in people who don’t eat meat. [^2]
But even meat-eaters benefit, because as we’ve established, you’re not eating enough meat to hit optimal levels anyway.
2. Older Adults
Muscle mass declines with age (sarcopenia). Cognitive function declines with age. Creatine helps with both.
Post-menopausal women and older populations see particularly strong benefits from creatine supplementation, according to Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. [^3]
3. Athletes and People with Physical Jobs
If you’re training hard, you’re depleting creatine stores in your muscles and brain. Replenishing those stores improves performance, recovery, and resilience.
4. Anyone at Risk for Head Impacts
Contact sport athletes, military personnel, construction workers: creatine provides neuroprotective benefits and reduces the severity of brain injuries. [^1]
5. People with Depression or Mood Disorders
Given the emerging evidence on creatine’s effects on mood and depressive symptoms, it’s worth discussing with a healthcare provider as a potential adjunct to standard treatment. [^1]
The Bottom Line
Creatine is not just a muscle-building supplement. It’s a cognitive enhancer, a neuroprotective agent, a mood stabilizer, and one of the most well-researched, safe, and effective compounds you can take.
Yet most people either:
- Don’t take it at all, or
- Take far less than the research suggests is optimal
You’re almost certainly not getting enough from food. Even if you eat meat every day, you’re getting maybe 1-2 grams. The research suggests 5-12 grams for general health and brain support, and up to 20 grams for injury prevention and treatment.
The evidence is overwhelming. The safety profile is excellent. The cost is low.
So yes, you need more creatine.
Your brain will thank you.
References
[^1]: Dr. Andy Galpin, professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton, from Huberman Lab: “Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin: Nutrition to Support Brain Health & Offset Brain Injuries”
[^2]: Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and professor at Stanford School of Medicine, from Huberman Lab: “Essentials: Food & Supplements for Brain Health & Cognitive Performance”
[^3]: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, physician specializing in muscle-centric medicine, from Huberman Lab: “Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: How to Exercise & Eat for Optimal Health & Longevity”
[^4]: Dr. Layne Norton, nutrition researcher and physique coach, from Huberman Lab: “Dr. Layne Norton: Tools for Nutrition & Fitness”
[^5]: Dr. Peter Attia, longevity physician and author, from Huberman Lab: “Dr. Peter Attia: Supplements for Longevity & Their Efficacy”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.