Creatine

ID: creatine

Aliases: creatine monohydrate, creatine supplement, phosphocreatine precursor

Type: compound

Route/form: oral supplement; sleep-deprivation studies used high single oral doses

Status: supplement

Evidence level: human RCT

Best data tier: human controlled/review

Support scope: human, review/regulatory

Source types: human_rct, meta_analysis, review, systematic_review

Linked sources: 5

Broad outcomes: Brain / mood / sleep, Longevity / mitochondrial / redox, Muscle growth / performance / recovery

Reading note: These are curation notes anchored to linked sources, not a clinical recommendation or protocol.

Targets / mechanism

• phosphocreatine energy buffer
• ATP regeneration
• brain high-energy phosphate support under stress

Optimization domains

• exercise performance
• muscle
• cognition
• sleep deprivation
• brain
• fatigue
• aging

Research basis

• Creatine monohydrate has a broad human exercise/safety evidence base and newer sleep-deprivation studies report acute cognitive-protection signals at high single doses.
• A 2026 randomized crossover study suggests 0.2 g/kg can modestly reduce cognitive deterioration during total sleep deprivation, extending the earlier 0.35 g/kg MRS/cognition work.

Limits, risks, and missing evidence

• The acute sleep-deprivation doses are high and should not be collapsed into routine 3-5 g/day supplement claims.
• Cognition effects are context-dependent, with mixed systematic-review conclusions outside sleep deprivation, aging, vegetarian/low-creatine, or clinical-stress contexts.

Risk flags

• dose context
• renal disease context
• sleep deprivation doses high
• water weight possible

Linked papers, labels, and reviews

1. Single-Dose Creatine Reduces Sleep Deprivation-Induced Deterioration in Cognitive Performance
   human_rct / mdpi_creatine_sleep_deprivation_2026
   Randomized controlled double-blind crossover study using a single 0.2 g/kg oral creatine dose during total sleep deprivation.
2. Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation
   human_rct / nature_creatine_sleep_deprivation_2024
   Scientific Reports crossover study using 0.35 g/kg oral creatine with 31P/1H MRS and cognitive testing during sleep deprivation.
3. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
   meta_analysis / pubmed_creatine_cognition_meta_2024
   Adult cognitive-function meta-analysis for creatine supplementation; useful broad context beyond sleep deprivation.
4. Creatine supplementation research fails to support the theoretical basis for an effect on cognition: Evidence from a systematic review
   systematic_review / pubmed_creatine_cognition_negative_review_2024
   Skeptical cognition review; helps avoid overstating creatine as a general nootropic in unstressed healthy adults.
5. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine
   review / pubmed_issn_creatine_position_2017
   ISSN position stand summarizing creatine safety, exercise, sport, and medical-use evidence.