Creatine

It seems every week we have a new supplement or trick that is all the rage!  This one has been around for athletes but now is gaining traction for a new use; brain health.  What does creatine do? Well, it supplies ATP/energy to the tissues in your body. When you do high intensity workouts especially when you need quick bursts of energy creatine can be very helpful. How does it do this you might ask? Simply by building up your stores of ATP/energy so it is there when you need extra or in high demand scenarios.

Some well know uses are muscle strength. This is especially true for resistance training, high intensity workouts, or lifting. Also well known for enhancing exercise performance by giving muscles more energy.  What we don’t know yet is if it will help you in everyday activities such as lifting/chasing kids, carrying groceries, etc.  It can also be used for bone health.

I really want to focus on some new uses. Current studies are looking at the creatine benefits on frontal cortex cognitive function. This includes thinking, memory, attention, and possibly protection from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers. This is all done by boosting the available energy to the brain.  There is potential benefit being seen at slowing cognitive decline due to aging. Both neurodegenerative protection and slowing of cognitive decline are still early in the study process and not fully proven at this time.  Some preliminary research is also showing it can decrease depression symptoms. Mood is also in the frontal cortex region of the brain.  Your creatine levels also have been seen to vary with your hormone level fluctuation during your menstrual cycle.  What they saw was supplementation with creatine might help keep your level steady during the month. We are not sure if this flows over to post-partum or post-menopause. More research is still needed in these areas.

How to supplement… Take creatine monohydrate b/c it is the most studied form. Only use 3-5g/day and make sure the brand you choose is NSF/3^rd party tested.  Common side effects are nausea, abdomen pain, diarrhea, bloating, & kidney/liver problems. Start with a low dose, stay under 5g/d,& stay well hydrated!