Written by Chris Shugart
Sleep deprivation, creatine, and improved cognitive function
Do you have sleepless nights? Using this popular supplement in place of caffeine will improve your mental performance the next day.
30% of people are unable to make decisions, concentrate, solve problems, or even deal with the challenges of daily life. Moreover, I feel irritable, depressed, and constantly anxious.
It sounds harsh, but it’s science. All of these negative issues are common signs that you’re not getting enough sleep (defined as less than 7 hours per night), and 30% of people are sleep deprived.
Researchers are always looking for ways to make sleep-deprived days more productive, but stimulants have limited effectiveness. But now, based on new research, we have another tool to fight off the incredible effects of bad sleep. And you probably have this “new” cognitive enhancer in your cabinet right now: creatine monohydrate. The only prey? You have to take a lot of it.
the study
The researchers took 15 well-rested people and forced them to stay awake all night. Half were then given creatine (0.35 g/kg) and the other half were given a placebo. The groggy subjects underwent a series of brain scans and cognitive tests 3, 5.5 and 7.5 hours after ingestion.
what happened?
People who received creatine performed surprisingly better than those who received a placebo. The researchers concluded that “…high single-dose creatine intake can partially reverse cognitive decline associated with metabolic changes and fatigue.” The brain-activating effects peaked after 4 hours and lasted up to 9 hours. Furthermore, reaction time was also better in the creatine group.
How this information is used
If you do the math (0.35 g/kg), you’ll see that this is a high intake of creatine. In American mathematics, that means…
- A person weighing 150 pounds would take 24 grams of creatine.
- A person weighing 190 pounds would need 30 grams.
- 215 people will receive 34 grams in one acute dose.
Most lifters consume 5 grams per day, or 20 grams over several days, as part of a traditional loading regimen.
The researchers said that while this amount of creatine was well tolerated by all subjects, they were concerned about “stress on the kidneys” and advised people not to try this at home. Anything. “Creatine kills your kidneys!” has been the watchword of anti-supplement people since the ’90s, but well, that doesn’t seem to be happening.
However, the researchers said that if they could demonstrate these positive effects at lower doses, it could be a useful tactic to combat fatigue. Considering that 69% of people are actually creatine deficient, lowering your intake may actually help.
It’s used sporadically, but I think it’s okay to use this tactic when needed. This could be especially useful for military personnel in combat zones, or even for those of us civilians who stay up too late and have a big test or headache the next day.
The only question is, will it be equally effective for lifters who are already taking creatine? It hasn’t been tested yet. If you try it, be sure to use micronized creatine monohydrate. This one (Purchased on Amazon).
One more thing
If you have regular sleep problems, start by taking care of the basics. Please note the following points: Up to 85% of people have a magnesium deficiency, and magnesium acts on your nervous system to calm you down, relax you, and help you fall asleep. In fact, insomnia is one of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency.
Therefore, cover your butt before bed and use supplements containing magnesium. Take 400 mg of the chelated version to ensure absorption. elite pro vital mineral (Purchased on Amazon) That dose is included.
reference
- Golgi Nejad et al. “A single dose of creatine improves cognitive performance and induces high-energy phosphate changes in the brain during sleep deprivation.” Scientific Reports Volume 14, Article Number: 4937 (2024).
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