An affordable supplement, commonly recognized for enhancing muscle growth and recovery, might also aid in alleviating brain fog and enhancing overall brain health, according to experts.

Brain fog, or the clouding of consciousness, refers to a group of symptoms impacting memory, thinking and concentration. It can happen to anyone. 

Cognitive neuroscientist Lauren Dewsbury explains it as a situation occurring when the ‘demand for energy surpasses the supply’, resulting in the brain’s inability to fulfill its energy needs.

‘This condition can manifest in individuals experiencing cognitive decline, or when they are sleep-deprived, under stress, or suffering from certain inflammatory conditions,’ states Dewsbury.

But consuming creatine daily could help alleviate these symptoms. 

‘Creatine helps to bridge that energy deficit and support cellular energy production in the brain,’ Dewsbury explains.

Creatine is one of the most comprehensively researched supplements globally, particularly concerning sports performance. Numerous studies, cited by PubMed Central, confirm its effectiveness in enhancing strength and lean muscle mass during training.

Creatine is an organic compound composed of amino acids, primarily located in the body’s muscles, but it is also present in the brain.

It is produced by the liver, pancreas and kidneys, and is critical in maintaining the brain’s memory, attention span, energy production and processing speed.

The supplement is also among the cheapest on store shelves, with a 500g tub of creatine monohydrate costing $39.99 from Chemist Warehouse for 100 serves – or 39c per serve. 

Ms Dewsbury, who is a researcher at NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, emphasises that while the research is promising, creatine isn’t a universal brain-fog cure and its effectiveness depends on individual circumstances and existing cognitive stress. 

To find out if creatine is right for you, the first step is to consult your doctor or health professional. 

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU CONSUME?

It is generally recommended to consume 5g of creatine a day immediately after working out to reap the benefits and recover more quickly after training.

But the research on brain benefits suggests a much higher dosage of 20g daily is required.

‘Creatine is very easily absorbed into the muscles, but with the brain it’s a little bit different because we have this membrane called the blood-brain barrier,’ Dewsbury explains. 

This protective and selective barrier controls the passage of substances between the blood and the brain, meaning some nutrients might be blocked at the entry point or not absorbed very effectively.

‘Imagine there’s a bus that can only hold 20 people but there’s 100 people waiting in the line – 80 will be left behind and excreted from the body while the 20 will transport into the brain,’ Ms Dewsbury says.

‘So for cognitive benefits and to support brain fog, we need a much higher dose as absorption into the brain is restricted. But rather than consuming 20g in one go, it would be better to have 5g four times a day to ensure we are maximising the amount of creatine that is transported into the brain.’

As creatine lacks flavour, it can be combined into a glass of water, blended into smoothies, mixed into tea or coffee, or stirred into overnight oats for breakfast. 

WHO BENEFITS MOST? 

Despite the potential benefits, creatine may be ineffective on certain groups of people.

Ms Dewsbury says: ‘With young people and healthy older people who don’t have that element of brain energetic stress, we often see no benefit in the research. 

‘But groups including older people who have some memory loss and cognitive decline, or people with sleep deprivation, and even people with mood disorders like major depressive disorder, do see the benefit of creatine for brain function.’ 

One study in 2024 showed participants aged 65-85 who consumed 20g of creatine for seven days showed significant improvements in measures of memory and cognitive function compared with those who received a placebo.

DEMENTIA AND CREATINE

Creatine also shows promising potential to improve memory and prevent conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia is Australia’s second-leading cause of death, with an estimated 433,300 people living with the condition, according to the latest data.

‘Dementia affects women disproportionately compared to men. So for every three people with Alzheimer’s disease, two of them are women, which really caught my attention,’ Ms Dewsbury says. 

‘We think that there’s something to do with the menopause transition and oestrogen decline that impacts the brain which might increase a woman’s susceptibility to a dementia diagnosis down the track – but this is still an emerging a hypothesis that requires much more research’.

‘Oestrogen is like our master hormone. Almost every cell in our body has a oestrogen receptor – it governs absolutely everything in the body. During menopause, oestrogen in the brain starts to decrease.

‘So when oestrogen starts to go down, it wreaks havoc in the body, and that’s where we see all these menopausal symptoms come from.’ 

Ms Dewsbury adds that when oestrogen declines, it ‘changes the way the brain is able to produce energy’, meaning there is an ‘energy deficit in the brain’ – making creatine a promising therapeutic supplement.

‘In some women, after they go through menopause, they come back up to baseline. But some women don’t – and may trigger the start of this neurodegenerative process that eventually could lead to dementia,’ she says.  

‘It’s important for women to know there are many simple lifestyle modifications available, such as regular physical activity, prioritising sleep and stress management, that can also help to offset these changes happening in the brain, and mitigate symptoms of brain fog.’

While promising, more research is required to fully understand creatine’s brain benefits. Consult your doctor for more information about what’s best for you.