Daily Value
Daily Value is a podcast that takes a deep dive into essential nutrients and dietary practices that fuel our bodies and minds. Hosted by Dr. William Wallace, a leading product developer in the Natural Health Product industry and a dedicated educator in health and nutrition, this show is your go-to resource for understanding the science behind the vitamins, minerals, and supplements that influence human health.
Each short, digestible episode unpacks the latest scientific findings, protocols, and insights into how specific nutrients contribute to overall well-being. Whether you're a health professional, nutrition enthusiast, or just curious about how what you consume affects your health, Daily Value offers evidence-based discussions to help you make informed decisions for a healthier life.
Join Dr. Wallace as he shares his expertise, developed from years of experience in product development and nutrition science, to advance your knowledge and awareness of dietary interventions for optimal health. Get your daily value and add meaningful insights to your day, one episode at a time.
DISCLAIMER: William Wallace holds a Ph.D. He is not a medical doctor. Content generated for this channel is strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. The content of this channel is not meant to substitute for standard medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your primary healthcare practitioner before beginning any nutrition-, or supplement-based protocols. This is especially important if you are under the age of 18, undergoing treatment for a medical condition, or if you are pregnant or nursing.
Daily Value
Could Creatine Boost Brain Power and Cognitive Function?
In the latest episode of Daily Value, we look at new research on creatine monohydrate's potential to enhance cognitive function, based on a recent meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition (PMID: 39070254). Traditionally used for its athletic performance benefits, creatine is now emerging as a promising supplement for brain health and cognitive enhancement.
Talking Points:
*Does creatine supplementation enhance cognitive function(s)?
*Theoretical mechanisms: creatine enhances brain ATP levels through phosphocreatine resynthesis, offers neuroprotection against oxidative stress, and may act as a neuromodulator affecting neurotransmitters like acetylcholine.
*Dosing strategies: The episode examines the complexities of optimal dosing protocols, discussing whether short-term high-dose loading or prolonged moderate dosing is more effective for increasing brain creatine concentrations.
*Target populations: gender differences and health status may matter for who will experience more pronounced cognitive benefits from creatine supplementation.
I discuss the practical implications of these findings and discuss whether creatine supplementation is right for you
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39070254/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950273X24000249
Hello everyone, welcome back to Daily Value. I'm William Wallace, and today we're diving into an interesting and growing area of supplementation research, that is, creatine monohydrate and its potential to enhance cognitive function. While creatine is widely known for its benefits in athletic performance, recent studies are shedding light on its impact on the brain, particularly in adults. Could creatine be an actual game changer for brain health? Well, let's explore the science and see what some of the recent research says. In this episode, we're going to cover the theoretical mechanisms through which creatine may be working to enhance or improve cognitive function. We're going to look at a recently published meta-analysis that included many high-quality studies looking at specific conditions creatine might boost cognitive performance and in what domains, and we will take a look at what the literature says on dosing and dosing duration to achieve these effects, if indeed they are achievable. As always, please remember that this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not substitute professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before engaging in any nutrition or supplement-based protocols that we go over here.
Speaker 1:Well, creatine is a nitrogenous compound that is formed in the body through the combination and methylation of the combination of the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. Creatine itself plays a crucial role in energy production, especially in tissues with high energy demands, like muscles and the brain. The brain, as we know, is a major consumer of energy, consuming approximately 20% of whole body energy, despite only accounting for 2% of total body weight. Creatine helps maintain a steady supply of ATP that, as we know, is the energy currency of our cells. Given the brain's high energy needs, researchers have hypothesized that creatine supplementation could enhance cognitive performance, particularly in areas like memory, attention and processing speed.
Speaker 1:You might be wondering how exactly does creatine improve cognitive function? Well, there are a few key mechanisms at play here, one being most likely, but others playing a role in theory. Firstly, creatine works by boosting the brain's energy supply, particularly in the form of phosphocreatine, which helps maintain ATP levels during tasks that require sustained cognitive effort. This is particularly important in memory and information processing, as these processes are energy intensive. Secondly, creatine may have neuroprotective properties, helping to reduce oxidative stress, or stress to cells in the brain. You see, as we've already talked about, creatine increases cellular energy reserves when the brain is undergoing energetically demanding processes. Let's say, for instance, a task that requires high amounts of processing, like solving a complex math problem and, worse yet, doing so with time constraints. Under those conditions, the brain is having to synthesize, transport and metabolize different amino acids and neurochemicals, some of which result in the buildup of byproducts that are stressful on brain cells. For brain cells to protect themselves from this stress, they need to maintain their antioxidant defense, and that requires energy, among other things. Creatine provides this neuroprotection by bolstering energy reserves, but also possibly by acting as a direct antioxidant itself. It seems creatine's neuroprotective properties may be most relevant under conditions of high cognitive load or, potentially disease conditions relevant to the brain, like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Thirdly, some research suggests creatine may act as what's called a neuromodulator, possibly by increasing the synthesis or the effectiveness of certain neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, which is critical to attention, orientation and memory formation. Creatine itself has been shown to be present in synaptic vesicles. Those are tiny sacs located in neurons that store neurotransmitters.
Speaker 1:Now, all of these fancy mechanisms sound very nice, but how does creatine supplementation play out in practice when given to people for short or extended periods of time? Well, a high-quality meta-analysis published very recently in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition wanted answers to these questions. The study reviewed 16 randomized controlled trials, 13 of which looked at adults ages 18 to 59 years old, and three had participants that were 60 years and older. The results themselves were promising, but they were also nuanced. Let's start with the positives. The meta-analysis found that creatine supplementation significantly improved memory performance. Specifically, the study showed a positive effect on memory tasks, with an overall improvement in memory function. This finding is particularly exciting as it suggests that creatine might help boost cognitive performance in tasks that demand high cognitive control. Cognitive performance in tasks that demand high cognitive control.
Speaker 1:Creatine supplementation also showed a positive effect on processing speed time, so tasks that require rapid information processing. This means that individuals taking creatine were able to reduce the time it took to complete processing speed tasks. The effect here was moderate, but it was notable In theory that would be beneficial for students, professionals and even aging adults experiencing cognitive slowdown. While creatine appears to enhance memory and processing speed, the effects on executive function, which includes skills like decision making, problem solving and multitasking, were less clear. The meta-analysis found no significant improvement in this domain, suggesting that while creatine might sharpen certain aspects of cognitive performance, it may not impact all cognitive areas equally. Interestingly, attention was another area where the results were mixed. While creatine significantly reduced the time required to complete attention tasks, there was no significant improvement in overall attention scores. So this suggests that creatine might help speed up your ability to focus on tasks, but may not necessarily enhance your overall attention span or focus capacity.
Speaker 1:The next important question to address is who benefits the most from creatine supplementation. The research showed some intriguing differences based on age, health status and even gender. As it comes to age, creatine seemed to have a stronger effect on individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 compared to those over 60 years of age. One theory here was that physiological changes with age that affect how the body metabolizes creatine, or it could be that younger adults have a higher cognitive demand, where creatine's effects are more noticeable, but it's not entirely known why that was the finding here. Regarding health status, individuals with certain health conditions like mild cognitive impairment or chronic illnesses showed more pronounced cognitive benefits compared to healthy individuals. This suggests that creatine might serve as a valuable adjunct therapy for those facing cognitive challenges due to disease or illness. Regarding gender, one interesting finding here was that women in particular seemed to benefit more from creatine supplementation, especially in terms of processing speed. This could be related to hormonal differences or how creatine is utilized in the female brain, but certainly that's an area that warrants more research to understand Regarding the duration of creatine supplementation.
Speaker 1:Understand. Regarding the duration of creatine supplementation, this research found no difference in cognitive outcomes if creatine was taken for less than four weeks or for greater than four weeks. What this likely means is that, depending on the dose used, the effects of creatine on cognitive function likely reach a saturation point where extending supplementation beyond this period may maintain effects but not provide additional effects. As it comes to dosing, accumulating data on creatine continues to point to different creatine supplementation protocols being needed to produce tissue-specific responses. For instance, it's generally well known and suggested that three to five grams a day of creatine is needed to sufficiently produce skeletal muscle benefits. However, studies finding a positive impact of creatine supplementation on brain function generally use creatine in upwards of 20 grams a day, while some use 300 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day for five to seven days at a time, with some studies using these doses for up to four to six weeks at a time. There is evidence to suggest a dose this high is needed for five to seven days to increase brain creatine concentrations, while other research suggests that over four grams a day, taken consistently for months at a time, is enough to raise brain creatine concentrations. So it's very possible that these positive functional outcomes of creatine supplementation would be dependent on raising neural levels of creatine. Of course, the optimal dosage and duration of creatine to yield cognitive effects is still overall unclear, and there is likely to be a high degree of variability from person to person when getting specific about the exact intended benefit.
Speaker 1:So should you start taking creatine for cognitive health? Well, the evidence is promising. It's important to remember that creatine's effects can vary depending on your age, health status and individual needs. For healthy adults, especially those between 18 and 60, supplementing with 4-5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate consistently for months could possibly provide a boost in memory and processing speed, particularly for tasks requiring high cognitive demand. For older adults or those with specific health conditions, creatine may that's an emphasis on may offer benefits potentially enhancing memory performance in more complex tasks.
Speaker 1:In conclusion, while creatine supplementation has long been a staple in the athletic world, its potential for cognitive enhancement is gaining attention, with promising results in areas like memory and processing speed. Creatine may have a role to play in supporting brain health, particularly for those looking to boost cognitive performance or slow age-related decline. As always, consult with a trusted and knowledgeable I might add healthcare provider to see if creatine is a good fit for your personal needs. Thank you for tuning in to Daily Value. If you found today's episode insightful, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit. As always, take care of your mind and body, stay informed and stay healthy.
