Creatine powder, the supplement boosting brain function in Alzheimer’s patients (Image: Getty)
A weight-room favourite could be offering new hope to millions living with Alzheimer’s disease, say scientists and neurophysiologists. Creatine — a common supplement often dismissed as just for bodybuilders — is now attracting attention for its potential effects on brain health.
Louisa Nichola, a neurophysiologist and human performance coach, spoke out on the benefits of creatine during an apperance on The Diary of a CEO podcast in early February. She told Steve Bartlett how she believes it has « so much benefit » and that she personally gives it to her parents, aged 71, to support not just their physical but neurophysiological health.
Creatine is a naturally occuring molecule produced in the liver and also found in foods like red meat and fish. But supplementation can increase stores beyond what typical diets provide, according to researchers.
Supplementation is well known for boosting cellular energy by increasing phosphocreatine, which helps regenerate ATP, the body’s primary energy molecule, a process that can benefit both muscle and brain cells.
Verywell Health says that while creatine is famous for muscle performance, it also increases brain creatine levels by up to 15 per cent, and may enhance cognitive function, especially when under stress.
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An eight-week pilot study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions in May 2025.
In this trial, people with Alzheimer’s disease who took 20 grams of creatine monohydrate daily showed an 11 per cent increase in total brain creatine levels.
Those increase levels were then linked with measurable improvements in cognition such as working memory, attention, and executive functioning. Participants performed better on cognitive tests, including sorting and reading, after supplementation.
Nichola explained: « These patients not only preserved their cognitive functions, but they had more energy, and they were able to exercise more. It can protect your brain against a concussion, it can protect your brain against a stroke, and it can protect your brain from stress. The best thing about creatine is that it works in the background of stress. »
Researchers noted the high compliance and significant biochemical changes, suggesting that brain energy metabolism — often impaired in Alzheimer’s — might be supported by creatine.
Experts do stress, however, that these findings are still preliminary, and Dr Oracle says there is insufficient evidence to recommend creatine for outright preventing dementia or cognitive decline.
PubMed research suggests that creatine helps maintain energy balance in neurons, potentially reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress — both key components of Alzheimer’s.
While creatine won’t replace approved Alzheimer’s treatments, growing evidence suggests this affordable supplement could support brain health and may one day form part of broader therapeutic strategies.
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