Nootropic Effects of Creatine

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound comprising the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. When bound, these three amino acids become a primary contributor to ATP recycling. It is ATP that is our muscles immediate energy source for more intense activities.

Nutritional Forms of Creatine

We will find most creatine sources in animals such as cows or salmon but there are also plant based sources. In meat sources, creatine ranges are approximately 1 gram for every one to two pounds of beef or salmon.

Several plants based creatine sources are almonds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin, and walnuts. It may be harder to consume adequate creatine from plant based sources because of their macronutrient makeup.

options include seeds (pumpkin, sesame) and nuts, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts), legumes (beans, peas), and seaweed.

Insufficient Creatine Levels

Recently there has been a discussion in the inadequate levels of creatine in the brain. This may seem confusing as the meat and dairy industry is so strong and our diets contain a lot of meat.

The problem may be in cuts of the meat and our cooking processes that reduce the amount of nutritional creatine we get from these food sources.

In cow meat, for example, only a small group of people eat cheek, brain, and organ meat. These parts of the cow offer their own unique nutritional profile that having differing creatine content and creatine uptake ability.

It also appears that certain cooking processes lower the creatine content in food. With a large quantity of the foods we eat being precooked frozen foods, the second heating may reduce levels even further.

For these reasons we may need to take advantage of creatine supplements.

Creatine supplementation

The benefits of creatine supplementation date back to 1912. Harvard researchers Otto Folin and Willey Glover Denis determined that direct ingestion of creatine did not lead to a similar amount of excretion. They found out that the oral creatine led to increased skeletal muscle stores of creatine. Pretty cool right!?

The interesting thing about research is when an ingredient is first brought to the world’s attention based on an initial finding, the focus remains on that first study. The talk about creatine supplementation for increasing ATP and creatine phosphate stores in the muscle is still ongoing even after a century since the first study.

Additional Creatine Benefits

Since we understand that creatine supplementation leads to increased muscle storage, we know the following to be potential benefits:

• Increased power output
• Enhanced muscular endurance
• Anaerobic cardiovascular capacity
• Hypertrophic induced gains of muscle mass

But supplemental creatine has other potential benefits beyond just muscle performance related activities. While these uses get significantly less media attention, we should know creatine may helpful with:

• Brain degenerative diseases
• Neurological impairments
• Type 2 diabetes
• Neuromuscular disorders
• Fatty liver disease
• Cognitive decline

Cognitive Effects of Creatine

There has been a lot of discussion around creatine as a cognitive enhancer. But discussion does not always mean that there is evidence to back up the claims being made. Many studies report that increasing brain creatine levels has a positive effect on cognitive performance. However, these studies speak to a specific population type.

Age demographics, intense athletes, and certain nutrition strategies are where much of the research surrounding creatine and its effects on mental performance exists.

Does Creatine Have Nootropic Effects?

It depends. Our need to supplement creatine for mental performance or mental fatigue will be based upon several factors. As with any supplement, it is specific to the individual. Here, to determine the need to increase brain creatine stores, we base it upon a person’s:

• Age of the individual
• Nutritional intake of creatine dense sources
• Daily physical activity demands
• Daily cognitive attention demands
• Genetics

A young person who has eats meat regularly has minimal physical and mental demands may not need to supplement with creatine. However, this person is most likely not the one to seek a creatine supplement to help them perform better or to reduce brain fog.

Most creatine consumers will be those who are fighting age related brain fatigue or suffering from physical or mental energy related brain fog. For these individuals creatine is a worthwhile nootropic supplement to consider.

Who Should Use Creatine?

The following is a short list of populations who may benefit from using creatine for brain function benefits. While the accumulation of research suggests that the average individual, these are the groups that will have the highest rate of effectiveness.

• Vegans or infrequent meat eaters
• Athletes who train vigorously
• Students with demanding studies
• Professionals with cognitive demanding jobs
• Individuals heading into or past middle age

Creatine Benefits for the Sleep Deprived

There is not as much conclusive research suggesting that creatine will help boost the cognitive function of the sleep deprived. However, being sleep deprived and one of the previously mentioned populations may worsen impaired cognitive function. One study showed that creatine helped sleep deprived athletes did not suffer greatly when using a creatine monohydrate supplement.

How Long Until the Nootropic Effects work?

If you fall within the groups of people who can benefit from creatine, the results should occur within a few days. There may be some who benefit immediately but this could be a placebo effect more than anything.

How Much Creatine for Nootropic Benefits

The specific recommendation is highly individualized when using creatine as a nootropic. However, here is a statement from the ISSN (International Society of Sports Nutrition) regarding dosages.

Note: We have converted the original text from kilograms to pounds in order to make it easier to understand.

The quickest method of increasing muscle creatine stores may be to consume ~0.136 g/lb/day of creatine monohydrate for 5-7-days followed by 3-5 g/day thereafter to maintain elevated stores. Initially, ingesting smaller amounts of creatine monohydrate (e.g., 3-5 g/day) will increase muscle creatine stores over a 3-4 week period, however, the initial performance effects of this method of supplementation are less supported.

Clinical populations have been supplemented with high levels of creatine monohydrate (0.136 – 0.36 g/lb/day equivalent to 21-56 g/day for a 154 lb individual) for years with no clinically significant or serious adverse events.

Since most brands offer a 5 gram dose of creatine, this is sufficient for those suffering from minor brain function related issues. Understanding your own personal anatomy and lifestyle may recommend you adjust this to meet your needs.

A Nootropic Pre Workout Supplement

If you want to get the benefits of nootropics during your workouts then you have to check out Brains N Brawn. This pre workout includes 7 nootropics and a strength profile for increasing power output and muscular endurance.