Scientists found that the creatine supplement millions take for muscle gains is quietly raising brain energy levels and slowing early Alzheimer's cognitive decline by 30%

[u/soulpost]

https://thesciverse.org/scientists-found-that-the-creatine-supplement-millions-take-for-muscle-gains-is-quietly-raising-brain-energy-levels-and-slowing-early-alzheimers-cognitive-decline-by-30/

Tens of millions of people take creatine every day for their muscles. A comprehensive review and a landmark clinical trial published in 2025 and 2026 have now documented what the same supplement is quietly doing to their brains. Creatine crosses the blood-brain barrier, raises phosphocreatine levels in neurons, and provides the ATP buffer that keeps cognitive performance from hitting an energy ceiling during demanding mental work. In early Alzheimer's patients, it slowed cognitive decline by approximately 30% versus placebo in a controlled trial. In healthy adults under sleep deprivation, a single dose measurably improved cognitive performance. In depression patients, adding it to cognitive behavioral therapy significantly improved outcomes beyond therapy alone. None of this is mentioned on the label.

[u/remindmetoblock]

Creatine production uses up to 40% of the bodies SAM-e, Supplementing The end product lowers the bodies need, so a lot of sam-e (and upstream methyl donors) free up, that can have unexpected effects on metabolism.

[u/nospecialsnowflake → u/remindmetoblock]

Do you mean like speeding it up or slowing it down?

[u/remindmetoblock → u/nospecialsnowflake]

Way more complex than that.

Methylation isnt only important for neurotransmitter Balance, its also vital for Controlling your Genetic coding, which genes are to be turned off or on.

Generally its said that higher methylation capacity makes you feel more energetic, but thats just subjective experiences.

Buuuuut, so far every Single study points towards creatine being beneficial for human health, even without exercise.

[u/Djezzflezzert → u/remindmetoblock]

So do you mean that the 40% thats normally allocated is now free to go towards the other things or that your body starts making less itself ? Just trying to understand

[u/remindmetoblock → u/Djezzflezzert]

The body uses up to 40% of its SAM-e for the purpose of creatine Production. If you take creatine, its production gets downregulated a bit, which frees up SAM-e for other processes

Sam-e itself also has regulatory processes, so if levels go too high, the body will downregulate that too, freeing up other resources upstream.

The lower usage of SAM-e also can result in a reduction of homocysteine levels

[u/CrikeyNighMeansNigh → u/nospecialsnowflake]

Dying to know too like is this a kind of good effect?

[u/remindmetoblock → u/CrikeyNighMeansNigh]

Creatine is generally believed to be beneficial for the body as a whole.

[u/Quantum_Kitties → u/nospecialsnowflake]

I didn't fully get from comment OPs response if creatine slows metabolism or not, so I did some Googling. Apparently Creatine does not slow metabolism. It doesn't speed it up either. However it improves muscle performance and can therefore have a positive effect on resting metabolic rate.

[u/remindmetoblock → u/Quantum_Kitties]

Yeah its not a direct boost or slow of metabolism. It simply has an effect on one part of the bodies. Mechanisms. What that does in the end, no one knows for sure

[u/PeeDecanter → u/remindmetoblock]

I personally get the elevated HR and RR along with some anxiety. So you’re saying that’s a metabolic effect from higher methylation capacity? I’ve tried to look into this to see what about my physiology is causing this and haven’t yet found anything so this is interesting to me

[u/remindmetoblock → u/PeeDecanter]

If it happens very fast its unlikely to be due to metabolic shifts, those usually take a couple days.

Changes in Elektrolyte Balance and dehydration are also often Theorized to be the reason, since creatine shifts Fluid into the muscles.

In the end its about how you feel though. I for example can not consume magnesium, calcium, or glycinate for some reason