What Happens to Your Brain When You Take Creatine

When your phone’s battery runs low, you probably scramble to find a charger. But when your own ‘internal battery’ starts to feel drained, what do you do to recharge? Nutrition researchers presenting at the 2025 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) say there’s one nutrient many of us could benefit from: creatine. 

Creatine isn’t a steroid or drug, and it likely won’t make you gain weight, says Diana Nguyen M.S., RDN, LDN, CSSD, CSCS. It’s a nutrient and energy source that is naturally produced in our bodies, found in certain foods and available as a supplement. While it gained notoriety for helping athletes build muscle and strength, emerging research shows creatine may also help the brain. “It helps provide the brain the fuel that it needs to work in its most functional way,” says Nguyen.

Co-presenter Eric S. Rawson, Ph.D., FACSM, CSCS, adds, “We now have evidence that you can ingest creatine and increase the amount of creatine in your brain—just like you can with muscles—and it can provide more energy to your brain, especially during times when you need more energy.”

Below, we explore how creatine supports brain health, how much your brain may need and other tips for keeping your noggin healthy. 

How Creatine Affects Brain Health 

While creatine often gets credit for helping grow muscles, it deserves more praise for its impact on brain health. 

It Can Help the Brain Recover After a Traumatic Brain Injury 

While most of us hope to keep our brains safe, accidents from car crashes, sports injuries or military combat happen and may lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Nguyen’s go-to nutrition strategy after a TBI? Creatine. 

“Creatine helps to support the brain when the brain is under stress,” says Nguyen. “It helps to maintain that brain energy supply when the demand is elevated.” 

When a person experiences a TBI, brain creatine levels often decrease, meaning replacing those levels through food and supplementation becomes critically important. Research shows  supplementing with creatine can support recovery after injury and may even have protective effects if taken before an injury occurs. 

In studies of people with TBIs, creatine supplementation was shown to reduce hospital duration, improve overall recovery and ease symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and fatigue.

It May Help Reduce Depression Risk

Creatine may also play a role in supporting mental health. Research has shown that higher levels of creatine in the brain are associated with a lower risk of depression. For instance, a large study involving more than 22,000 adults in the U.S. found an inverse relationship between creatine content and depression scores, Nguyen explained. “So the more creatine you have in your brain, there’s less likelihood of depression.”

That said, there are many factors that influence your risk of mental health conditions like depression. And more research is need to clarify the role of creatine on depression risk and symptom management. If you or someone you know is struggling, be sure to talk to a healthcare provider to get connected to support. 

It May Boost Brain Function When Sleep Deprived

We’ve all experienced times when we’re running on less sleep than we’d like—whether it’s caring for a newborn, pulling an all-nighter before an exam or meeting a tight deadline. During these moments, our brain isn’t firing at its best—but creatine may help. 

“If we were sleep-deprived, creatine supplements could kind of ‘rescue’ your brain from the cognitive dysfunction that happens under the circumstances of sleep deprivation,” explains Dr. Rawson. One study found that a single high dose of creatine partially reversed metabolic changes in the brain and reduced mental fatigue caused by sleep deprivation.

This can be especially helpful for people who are at risk of sleep deprivation such as shift workers, first responders, military personnel or even athletes who travel frequently, says Nguyen.

It May Help With Memory in Older Adults

As we age, memory naturally declines, but creatine may help prevent cognitive decline that negatively impacts quality of life. Studies have found that supplementing with creatine can improve memory in adults, with significant improvements seen in older adults. Older adults who took 20 grams of creatine for 7 days showed significant improvements to number recall, backward and forward recall and long-term memory. More research is need to clarify these findings for longterm cognitive health, but the preliminary evidence is promising. 

How Much Creatine Do You Need?

There isn’t an established consensus or official guideline for daily creatine intake. However, what we do know is a higher dose is needed to cross that blood brain barrier, says Nguyen. She says 10 grams a day may be useful, while 20 to 30 grams a day might be beneficial for someone who is sleep deprived. Other research shows that doses of 20 grams per day showed the most consistent results in increasing brain creatine in healthy people.

“It’s really difficult to get creatine through diet, because you’d have to eat the equivalent of about three pounds of beef a day to get close to about five grams of creatine. And when your brain is under stress, your creatine dose may need to be even higher,” she adds. 

However, not all supplements are created equally. Choosing an independently-verified supplement can help you make sure you’re actually getting what’s on the label, and always talk to a healthcare professional before trying something new. If you’re just getting started, increase your intake slowly and be mindful of any symptoms you experience. Working with a registered dietitian can help you get individualized advice for incorporating creatine into a healthy eating pattern that works for you.

Other Tips for Supporting Brain Health 

While creatine shows promise for brain health, there are plenty of other strategies to support your brain health.  

• Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is critical for brain function. It helps you maintain neural pathways that support learning and forming new memories, while lack of sleep can lead to brain fog, forgetfulness and slower reaction times. Aim for 7 to 9 hours per night, and try to have a consistent bedtime routine to support better sleep hygiene. 
• Follow the MIND Diet: The MIND diet is rich in plant-based foods such as fruits, veggies, healthy fats, beans and whole grains. It’s designed to help slow cognitive decline and may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
• Load Up on Omega-3s: Omega-3s fatty acids are essential for healthy brain function. These neuroprotective fats may help improve learning and memory, increase blood flow to the brain and support cognitive well-being. They’re found in fatty fish like salmon as well as plant-based foods like walnuts and chia seeds. 
• Stay Active: Regular physical activity and short bursts of activity can help boost brain functions such as memory and thinking, and reduce risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Find a type of exercise you enjoy so you’re more likely to be consistent and stick with it over time. 

Our Expert Take 

Creatine is a nutrient that offers more than just building muscle—it may provide significant benefits for the brain. Creatine may help the brain recover from traumatic brian injury, reduce risk of depression, support brain function even when sleep deprived and may improve memory. While there isn’t a clear official dosage for brain benefits, experts and studies indicate between 10 to 20 grams per day may be most effective. But always be sure to talk to a healthcare professional before trying something new. Beyond creatine, there are plenty of other ways to support brain health: get enough sleep, follow the MIND diet, load-up on omega-3 fats and stay physically active.