Creatine as a Nootropic? 3 Ways Creatine Helps Brain Health

When you think of supplements that have been around forever and have stood up to the test of time, it’s hard to not put creatine in that conversation. But creatine for brain health?

Absolutely!

Creatine is the most well-researched supplement in all of sports nutrition and has been proven time and time again to be extremely effective and safe.

That being said, the reason you know about and perhaps even use creatine is probably drastically different from what will be covered in this article.

You’ve probably used creatine in the past (or even to this day) to help boost muscle growth. But did you know it’s also a nootropic and can help improve brain health?

While creatine is primarily stored in skeletal muscle, it also gets stored in various organs – one of which just happens to be the brain.

RELATED: Uncovering the Benefits of Creatine Monohydrate

In this article, we are going to dive deeper and unpack three ways that creatine helps brain health and how it can be considered an advantageous nootropic to toss in your supplement regimen.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements into your current regimen.

3 Ways Creatine Helps Brain Health

Below are three ways that creatine helps brain health and (yet another) reason why you should include it in your current supplement routine.

1.   Your brain needs and demands energy

Just like your muscles, your brain also needs an ample supply of energy to maintain optimal brain health and functioning. You can make the argument that your brain actually requires more energy (longer sustaining energy) than your muscles since your brain is working 24 hours a day, while your muscles get to take a break when you’re lounging, as well as while you’re asleep.

Keeping adequate concentrations of creatine in the brain is being studied more and more for the potential benefits it may have.

2.   Improve mental performance

We put a lot of demand and stress on our brains. Even just reading this article is causing your brain to work and perform in order for you to read and comprehend the words that are laid out on this page.

By having stored amounts of creatine in the brain and constantly replenishing what was used, you have a greater ability to maintain mental performance for a longer duration.

Looking at creatine supplementation, researchers have found that in as short as 2-4 weeks, you have the ability to increase the creatine concentration in your brain as much as 5-15%.

Those who supplement daily with creatine can find improvements in memory, faster information processing, and enhancements in overall brain health. So, should you consider using creatine as a nootropic? Absolutely!

3.   Creatine is a vital part of brain health for certain diets

Creatine is found naturally in animal products such as meat.

While it would be wise to also incorporate a creatine supplement into your regimen to ensure you are getting adequate amounts each day, you can get additional creatine from these specific foods (the only problem that would arise would be if you consume them in a high enough quantity to take in around 5g of creatine per day).

That being said, what if you are a vegan or vegetarian and do not consume animal products? How can you take in creatine through food sources?

Well, you can’t. Creatine is not found in plant-based foods. Not only could this negatively impact your muscular performance, but it could also affect your brain health and performance.

It has been found that plasma and muscle levels of creatine are much lower in vegans and vegetarians when compared to those who consume animal products. However, when a vegetarian supplemented with creatine, it was found that their memory and brain function were improved.

Boost Brain Health and Maximize Muscle Growth with Creatine

Whether you are an omnivore and love your meat products or you’re a vegan or vegetarian and stay away from it altogether, everyone should consider supplementing with creatine.

Not only can it help you from a fitness and exercise standpoint, but from a nootropic standpoint and brain health position, you can also gain some amazing benefits.

There is one that you should consider adding to your supplement regimen that can provide you with adequate amounts of a high-quality creatine monohydrate. That product is MuscleSport Creatine Revolution.

As you would imagine, this unflavored creatine product is a straight creatine monohydrate that provides you with five grams of creatine per serving. Mix it in your protein shake or beverage of choice to take your daily maintenance dose.

If you prefer something flavored that you can use as a standalone product, MuscleSport Creatine + Hydration is a delicious and mouthwatering creatine supplement that not only utilizes the power of creatine monohydrate but also contains beneficial electrolytes to improve hydration levels.

Creatine + Hydration comes in many flavors and includes a trademarked ElectroREVä Hydration Matrix to help optimize hydration and support your performance.

How much is your brain health worth to you? Add MuscleSport Creatine Revolution or Creatine + Hydration to your daily supplements and take your muscle-building potential and mental performance to the next level.

Author:

Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN, is the owner of Weik Fitness. He is a globally recognized and prolific writer. With a passion for creating health and fitness content, Matt’s work has been featured on thousands of websites, over 100 magazines, and he has authored more than 25 published books.