Review 1 Mention
The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Xu Chen2024
Siyuan BiWenxin Zhang
Top 2% · 98th Percentile
40 citations · Cell Biology
Open Access

TLDR

Creatine may modestly help adults remember information and complete attention and speed tasks faster. The evidence is not strong enough to show that it improves thinking overall.

Summary

1 Study Aim

The study aimed to determine whether creatine monohydrate supplementation improves adult cognitive function. The authors examined memory, executive function, attention, and information processing speed. They also explored whether health status, age, sex, or treatment length changed the effects. Creatine may help some mental abilities, but the study tested which ones benefit most.

2 Study Design

The researchers conducted a systematic review (structured evidence search) and meta-analysis (combined statistical analysis) under PRISMA 2020 guidelines. They searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (studies assigning participants by chance) published through June 5, 2024. Sixteen trials included 492 adults aged 20.8–76.4 years, including healthy people and patients with specific diseases. All used creatine monohydrate. The researchers calculated standardized mean differences, assessed bias with RoB 2.0, and rated evidence certainty using GRADE. The researchers combined results from controlled experiments to estimate creatine’s effects on thinking.

3 Findings

The meta-analysis found improvements in memory, attention-task time, and information-processing speed time. It found no significant improvement in overall cognition, executive function, attention scores, or processing-speed scores. Benefits appeared greater among people with diseases, adults aged 18–60, and females. Shorter and longer interventions produced no significant difference. Risk of bias was low to moderate, and tests found no significant publication bias. GRADE (an evidence-certainty framework) rated memory evidence as moderate, while other outcomes had low or very low certainty. The authors recommend larger, stronger trials examining populations, dosage, duration, safety, and mechanisms. Creatine may improve certain mental tasks, but better studies are needed before firm conclusions can be made.

Abstract

Background This study aimed to evaluate the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on cognitive function in adults and explore its potential role in preventing and delaying cognitive impairment-related diseases. Methods Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1993 and 2024 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42024533557). The impact of creatine supplementation on overall cognitive function, memory, executive function, attention, and information processing speed was assessed using standardized mean differences (SMD) and Hedge’s g with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Sixteen RCTs involving 492 participants aged 20.8–76.4 years, including healthy individuals and patients with specific diseases, were selected. Creatine monohydrate was the form used in all included studies. Creatine supplementation showed significant positive effects on memory (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18–0.44, Hedges’s g = 0.3003, 95% CI: 0.1778–0.4228) and attention time (SMD = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.58 to −0.03, Hedges’s g = −0.3004, 95% CI: −0.5719 to −0.0289), as well as significantly improving processing speed time (SMD = −0.51, 95% CI: −1.01 to −0.01, Hedges’s g = −0.4916, 95% CI: −0.7852 to −0.1980). However, no significant improvements were found on overall cognitive function or executive function. Subgroup analyses revealed that creatine supplementation was more beneficial in individuals with diseases, those aged 18–60 years, and females. No significant differences were found between short- (<4 weeks) and long-term (≥4 weeks) interventions for improving cognitive function. Low-to-moderate risk of bias was found, and no significant publication bias was detected. The GRADE assessment indicates that the certainty of evidence for memory function is moderate, suggesting a reasonable level of confidence in the positive effects of creatine on memory. However, the evidence for processing speed, overall cognitive function, executive function, and attention is of low certainty, indicating that further research is needed to confirm these potential benefits. Conclusion Current evidence suggests that creatine monohydrate supplementation may confer beneficial effects on cognitive function in adults, particularly in the domains of memory, attention time, and information processing speed. Larger robust clinical trials are warranted to further validate these findings. Furthermore, future research should investigate the influence of different populations and intervention durations on the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation, as well as elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying its potential cognitive-enhancing properties.

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