Creatine: For More Than Muscle
- Joseph Caligiuri
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Science of Performance, Brain Health, and Cognitive Protection
Few supplements in the history of sports science have been studied as extensively as creatine.
And fewer still have demonstrated such consistent, measurable benefits.
Most people associate creatine with muscle growth and strength gains. That’s accurate — but incomplete. What we now understand is that creatine is not just a performance supplement.
It is a cellular energy supplement.
And that distinction changes everything.
What Creatine Actually Is
Creatine is a naturally occurring molecule synthesized primarily in the liver, kidneys, and to a lesser extent the brain. The body produces approximately 2–3 grams per day, and we obtain additional amounts from dietary sources like red meat and fish.
Inside the body, creatine plays a critical role in regenerating ATP (adenosine triphosphate) — the primary energy currency of cells.
ATP fuels:
Muscle contraction
Neural signaling
Cellular repair
Cognitive processing
Without adequate ATP availability, performance declines — physically and neurologically.
While endogenous production supports baseline function, it does not saturate tissues for optimal performance or resilience. That’s where supplementation becomes meaningful.
The Standard Dose: 5 Grams Per Day
For decades, the commonly recommended dose of creatine monohydrate has been 5 grams per day.
At this dosage:
Skeletal muscle creatine stores become saturated
Strength output improves
Lean mass increases
High-intensity performance improves
This has been consistently demonstrated across hundreds of studies.
However, an important nuance has emerged.
Muscle tissue is metabolically demanding and effectively “takes priority” when creatine is supplemented. In other words, skeletal muscle absorbs much of the available creatine first.
This leaves limited surplus available for other tissues — including the brain.
Creatine and the Brain: An Energetic Perspective
The brain represents only about 2% of body weight, yet consumes roughly 20% of total energy expenditure at rest.
Neurons rely heavily on ATP to:
Maintain membrane potential
Support neurotransmitter release
Drive cognitive processing
Protect against metabolic stress
Creatine crosses the blood-brain barrier, but not with perfect efficiency. Some bioavailability is lost in transport.
This has led researchers to question whether traditional 5-gram dosing is sufficient to meaningfully elevate cerebral creatine stores.
Recent evidence suggests it may not be.
High-Dose Creatine and Alzheimer’s Disease
One of the more compelling developments in recent literature is the exploration of higher-dose creatine supplementation — particularly in populations experiencing neurological energetic crisis.
In a pilot study involving Alzheimer’s disease patients, researchers administered 20 grams per day of creatine.
These patients represent a population with:
Impaired glucose metabolism in the brain
Disrupted ATP production
Progressive cognitive decline
Reduced functional capacity
The findings were notable:
Cognitive function was preserved
Energy levels improved
Exercise capacity increased
While this was an early-stage study and larger trials are needed, it reinforces a powerful concept:
When the brain is under metabolic stress, increasing cellular energy availability may offer protective benefits.
Creatine as a Neuroprotective Agent
Beyond Alzheimer’s disease, creatine has demonstrated potential protective effects in several contexts.
These Include:
Traumatic brain injury (including concussions)
Ischemic stroke
Sleep deprivation
Chronic stress exposure
Neurodegenerative disorders
Mechanically, creatine functions as an energy buffer. During periods of stress — whether mechanical, metabolic, or psychological — ATP demand spikes. If supply cannot meet demand, cells become vulnerable.
Creatine works in the background, helping stabilize energy turnover and maintain cellular integrity.
In this sense, creatine is not a stimulant.
It is not performance hype.
It is energetic insurance.
Optimal Dosing: Muscle vs. Brain
The traditional 5-gram recommendation remains effective for muscle saturation in healthy individuals.
However, emerging evidence suggests:
5 grams/day → sufficient for muscular benefits
Higher doses (up to 20 grams/day) → may be necessary to meaningfully impact brain creatine stores, particularly in clinical populations.
Important considerations:
Higher dosing protocols should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
Gastrointestinal tolerance varies.
Gradual titration may improve compliance.
Long-term safety data remains strongest at moderate doses, though creatine monohydrate has an excellent safety profile overall.
For healthy individuals seeking both physical and cognitive benefits, a middle-ground strategy (e.g., 5–10 grams daily) may offer dual benefits, though research is ongoing.
Why This Matters for Athletes and Aging Populations
For athletes:
Enhanced ATP regeneration
Improved strength and power
Potential protection against concussion-related metabolic disruption
Support during periods of intense stress
For aging adults:
Preservation of muscle mass
Improved functional capacity
Potential cognitive support
Improved resilience against neurological stress
Creatine is inexpensive, widely available, and one of the most thoroughly researched supplements in human performance science. Few interventions offer such a favorable cost-to-benefit ratio.
Key Takeaways
• Creatine is a naturally produced molecule, but supplementation enhances tissue saturation.
• 5 grams per day effectively saturates muscle but may not fully support brain optimization.
• Higher doses (up to 20 grams/day in research settings) show promise in neurological populations.
• Creatine supports both physical performance and neuroprotection.
• Performance and brain health are energetically linked.
Final Perspective
Creatine is not just a muscle supplement. It is a cellular energy compound that supports systems under stress.
Whether that stress is:
Heavy lifting
Repeated sprinting
Aging
Cognitive decline
Neurological injury
The common denominator is ATP demand.
And creatine helps meet that demand.
As the research continues to evolve, one conclusion remains clear:
Strength and cognition are not separate domains.
They are both dependent on energy.
And creatine sits at the center of that equation.
A Quick Note Before You Go…
I’ve been rereading some of my older blogs and realized something:
I use words that absolutely no one understands.
That might be because I’m on the spectrum.
It might also be because I spend most of my time reading scientific literature.
Either way — if I’m going to talk about bioenergetics and neurometabolic resilience, I owe you a translation.
So from now on, every blog will end with a short glossary.
Here’s today’s.
Glossary: Creatine & Brain Health
1. ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): The body’s primary energy molecule. Every movement, thought, and muscle contraction runs on ATP.
2. Bioavailability: How much of a substance (like creatine) actually gets absorbed and used by the body.
3. Blood-Brain Barrier: A protective filtering system that controls what substances can enter the brain from the bloodstream.
4. Neurological Energetic Crisis: A state where the brain cannot produce enough energy to meet its demands, often seen in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
5. Glucose Metabolism: How the body (or brain) uses sugar to create energy.
6. Neuroprotection: The ability to protect brain cells from injury, degeneration, or stress.
7. Cognitive Function: Mental processes such as memory, focus, attention, and decision-making.
8. Cellular Energy Buffer: A system (like creatine) that helps maintain energy supply when demand suddenly increases.
9. Supplementation: Adding a nutrient externally (like creatine powder) to increase levels beyond what the body naturally produces.
10. Tissue Saturation: The point at which muscles or organs are “full” of a compound like creatine and cannot store much more.
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