For many, getting a good night’s sleep remains a top health goal that’s every bit as important as sticking to an exercise routine and establishing the right dietary habits. But even if you’ve put your phone down early enough and hit the sheets at a decent hour, it’s all too common to get robbed of the restful slumber you need. Normally, this all but assures the following day will be a sluggish, groggy slog towards your next bedtime. But what if you could somehow make up for a bad night’s sleep with a simple supplement? Research now suggests it might work in a pinch.
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Creatine could help you stay focused after a restless night.
In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, a team of scientists recruited 15 participants. Each was called into a laboratory on two separate occasions, at least five days apart. At that point, they were given either a significant dose of creatine or a placebo measured out to 0.35 grams per kilogram of body weight (or about 20 to 30 grams altogether).
The researchers then had each participant stay up overnight while completing tests and tasks to gauge the strength of their cognitive abilities. These included everything from memory and language tests to number problems and logic-based multiple-choice exams. They also monitored each participant’s brain chemistry over the course of the night.
Results found that taking the creatine dose helped boost brain performance for up to nine hours after it was administered, with the ultimate peak arriving after about four hours. The team also observed a positive shift in brain chemistry that signified increased metabolism, which can help enhance cognitive function.
What does creatine do to the body?
Most people who are accustomed to packing some creatine into their gym bags might not be surprised to learn of the results. Even though it’s already produced naturally in the body, supplemental doses are usually taken orally to help fuel muscle recovery and provide a performance boost during physical activity and workouts, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Muscles break down creatine to ultimately create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides easily accessible energy for the body during activity. This boost can help keep them flexing and moving efficiently.
However, its effects may not be limited to physical ones. Just as it aids your muscles, creatine can be broken down into compounds in the brain that can also help improve memory and brain function. One study even found that it can be especially helpful with age-related cognitive diseases.
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More research is needed to fully understand the benefits.
The findings of the latest study seem to imply that taking some creatine can help make up for missed sleep. However, it might not be as simple as that in practice.
"The dose in our study was very high (more than 20 grams). Taking it is not recommended because of the strain on the kidneys," Ali Gordji-Nejad, PhD, one of the study’s authors from the Jülich Research Centre in Germany, told Medical News Today.
Therefore, the authors stress that more research is needed before people swap in creatine for their typical cup of coffee.
"Only if future studies show the same cognitive improvement effect at significantly lower doses (around 5 grams) could creatine be considered for long work nights," Gordji-Nejad told the outlet.
The takeaway:
A new study found that participants who received a very large dose of creatine performed better on cognitive tests when they were kept up all night than those who received a placebo. The naturally occurring compound is popular with athletes and regular gym-goers as a supplement to help increase energy, muscle function, and muscle repair.
However, the study's authors said that despite the findings, the abnormally heavy dose might be too much of a strain on the body. They emphasize that more research is needed to quantify how much creatine people can safely take for its brain-boosting purposes.
