Brawn for the Brain

Research finds creatine can improve memory retention and problem-solving skills.

By Richard A. Lovett, published on January 01, 2004 - last reviewed on August 08, 2005

Students cramming for exams and others seeking a boost in short-term mental acuity might benefit from an energy supplement favored by weight lifters. Creatine is an amino acid found in muscle cells. Because it plays a role in providing bursts of strength, creatine might also boost brainpower for quick thinking, speculated an Australian research team led by researcher Caroline Rae at the University of Sydney.

In a recent study, Rae gave 45 vegetarians five grams of creatine per day or a placebo, then compared their before-and-after scores on memory and intelligence tests. After six weeks, the creatine group was better able to repeat long sequences of numbers backward, and fared better on problem-solving tests performed under time constraints. The study used vegetarians because creatine is a component of meat, and Rae wanted everyone to get the same dose. That dose, comparable to the amount used by bodybuilders, is equivalent to eating about four pounds of meat daily.

Creatine may also help protect the brain from injury. In another study, Stephen Scheff, professor of neurobiology at the University of Kentucky, fed creatine to mice and rats before subjecting them to head injuries mimicking human concussions. The longer the animals had been taking creatine, the less brain damage they suffered.

How creatine impacts the brain isn’t yet clear. It has no effect on Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a team of Dutch researchers reported last year. And a study conducted four years ago at the University of New Mexico found no correlation between creatine and IQ.

Rae is not surprised. People could have high brain creatine levels, and still do badly on tests, she says. “But if they increased their [natural] level, they would do better.”