Creatine
Creatine and Cardioprotection featured article
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is critical in storing and releasing cellular energy. It also participates in many biological processes driving pregnancy outcomes, maintaining bone mineral density and muscle mass in older adults, improving neurological function, and aiding the immune system to fight cancer. Creatine is best known for its widespread use as a dietary supplement to enhance physical performance.
Creatine, phosphocreatine, creatine transporters, and creatine kinase enzymes are expressed in the endothelial cells that line our blood vessels and play an integral role in delivering high-energy phosphates to ion channels that maintain vascular tone and regulate endothelial function. Creatine may positively impact vascular health through several mechanisms, including its role as an antioxidant, its effects on nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, its support of endothelium-derived hyperpolarization factors...
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses protein needs, choline in pregnancy, urolithin A, melatonin's benefits and risks, and creatine's effects on liver health.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses child nutrition, osteoporosis, cholesterol-lowering supplements, her skincare routine, and fasting versus prioritizing protein.
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Jet lag often shows up as fatigue after a long flight, reflecting a mismatch between your internal clock and the external...
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses protein needs, choline in pregnancy, urolithin A, melatonin's benefits and risks, and creatine's effects on liver health.
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Many women going through menopause describe feeling mentally slower or more fatigued, a phenomenon often called "brain fog". Researchers in Serbia explored whether small daily doses of creatine could ease these symptoms and improve brain function.
The study included 36 healthy women around 50 years old, half of whom were menopausal and half perimenopausal. Over eight weeks, participants took creatine capsules twice daily for eight weeks, totaling 750 mg or 1,500 mg of creatine hydrochloride per day, or a combination providing 400 mg of creatine hydrochloride plus 400 mg of creatine ethyl ester per day, or a placebo.
Here is what the researchers found:
- Low-dose creatine hydrochloride (750 mg/day) improved alertness, executive control, and information-processing speed. Women reacted roughly 5–6 percent faster on attention tasks compared with baseline, while the placebo group became about 1 percent slower.
- Medium-dose creatine hydrochloride (1,500 mg/day) improved reaction time by 6.6 percent from baseline, compared with a 1.2 percent change in the placebo group. It also reduced general fatigue by about 14 percent and concentration difficulties by about 48 percent, with a trend toward fewer mood swings.
- The combination of creatine hydrochloride and creatine ethyl ester (800 mg total/day) improved attention and reaction speed on a cognitive task, and uniquely lowered self-reported anxiety by about 39 percent.
- Brain scans showed that all creatine treatments increased total creatine across multiple regions, with notable increases in frontal areas, which are involved in focus and decision-making. For example, right frontal white matter creatine rose by roughly 16 percent in the medium-dose group compared with less than 1 percent in the placebo group.
Creatine helps recycle adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that powers most cellular activity. The authors suggest that menopause-related hormonal and metabolic changes might make women particularly responsive to creatine's energy-stabilizing effects. Even at these low doses, brain creatine rose measurably—possibly because of improved absorption or slower clearance during this life stage.
Although the findings point to a safe and practical way to support attention, mood, and brain creatine levels during menopause, the trial was small, lasted only eight weeks, and included brain scans from just 16 participants. Larger, longer studies are needed to confirm these results and determine how different creatine formulations and doses might best support women's brain health. Explore the optimal creatine protocol for ftrength, brain, and longevity in episode #100, featuring Darren Candow, PhD.