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
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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.