Relationship Found Between Creatine in the Brain and Recovery From Traumatic Stress

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

creatine brain benefits

Story at-a-glance

  • While creatine is well-known for its benefits in physical performance and muscle health, its potential advantages for brain health are becoming increasingly recognized
  • Creatine, which is naturally found in muscle cells and the brain, may assist in recovery from the stress of traumatic experiences
  • Creatine is used by your body to convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the main energy currency of cells — and may be a neurobiological marker of stress reactivity and recovery
  • Veterans with higher levels of creatine in the anterior cingulate cortex — a brain region involved in processing negative emotional states — had greater reductions in stress since their last traumatic experience
  • Creatine is found only in animal-based food — not plants — as well as in supplement form; grass fed meats are among the best sources of creatine, but avoid pork and chicken, as they typically have high levels of linoleic acid

Creatine is a substance naturally found in muscle cells and the brain. It helps your muscles produce energy during high-intensity exercise or heavy lifting. Most of the body's creatine is stored in muscles, where it’s used for quick bursts of energy.

As such, creatine is commonly used by athletes to improve performance, as it's immediately used by your body to convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the main energy currency of cells — and supply energy muscles need for contraction. However, creatine also helps provide energy to your brain and research suggests it may play an important role in recovery from traumatic stress.

Unraveling the Neurobiological Reasons Why Some Develop PTSD — and Others Don’t

While creatine is well-known for its benefits in physical performance and muscle health, its potential advantages for brain health are becoming increasingly recognized. In a study involving U.S. veterans, researchers with the University of Utah School of Medicine revealed the compound may assist in recovery from the stress of traumatic experiences.

“There is emerging preclinical evidence that creatine (Cr), a molecule critical to brain bioenergetics, may be a neurobiological marker of stress reactivity and recovery,” the scientists wrote in the Journal of Affective Disorders.1 They noted that little is known about why some individuals recover from traumatic events while others develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological conditions.

The symptoms of PTSD can be categorized into four main types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. These symptoms can vary over time and differ from person to person.

According to the study, about 70% of adults worldwide have experienced at least one traumatic life event. Yet, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is 6.1%, “implying that most individuals exhibit robust recovery from traumatic life events.” The researchers explain:2

“This line of research suggests that individual differences in the stress recovery process may be involved in the pathogenesis of PTSD. Thus, understanding factors associated with recovery from traumatic life events may provide novel insights into the assessment, prevention and treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related conditions.”

While early childhood experiences, individual personality and the number of traumatic experiences a person has likely play a role, neurobiological factors may also be involved. Toward this end, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a brain region involved in processing negative emotional states.3 Located in the frontal lobe, the ACC plays a critical role in various cognitive and emotional processes.

The ACC is particularly active during experiences of negative emotions, such as pain, sadness and fear. It’s also involved in the regulation of emotional responses, decision-making and the anticipation of adverse outcomes. The researchers wondered if neurochemical factors were also involved, leading them to creatine:4

“Existing research suggests that Cr concentrations in the ACC are indicative of stress-related mental health conditions, which are often precipitated by traumatic life events. Moreover, preclinical models in animals indicate exposure to traumatic stress reduces ACC Cr levels. Nevertheless, it remains unclear to what extent traumatic life events in humans are associated with Cr concentrations in the brain.”

Creatine May Help Recovery From Traumatic Stress

To help reveal the relationship between creatine concentrations in the ACC and stress related to traumatic life events, the researchers conducted brain scans on 25 U.S. veterans and collected data on their mental health status and history of traumatic events.

Veterans with higher levels of creatine in the ACC had greater reductions in stress in the time since their last traumatic experience.5 “ACC concentrations of Cr may be an important neurochemical factor related to stress recovery. Future work should investigate Cr as a possible protective factor against the effects of traumatic stress,” the study concluded.6

Again, creatine enables ATP regeneration, which plays a crucial role in cellular function. And, as PsyPost noted, “The researchers hypothesized that creatine levels in the brain could influence an individual’s ability to recover from trauma by affecting the energy availability in critical brain regions.”7

This is an example of why you need ample cellular energy for optimal brain function. Your brain, being the most energy-dependent organ, makes up only about 2% of your bodyweight yet consumes 20% of the energy used by your entire body.8 Therefore, a surplus of cellular energy creation is necessary to have the ability to allow your brain to work optimally.

Without enough cellular energy, not only is your ability to think and make good decisions compromised, but mental health is subsequently compromised as well.

How to Increase Cellular Energy

Avoiding dietary pitfalls like excess linoleic acid (LA), in the form of vegetable and seed oils, is instrumental in optimizing mitochondrial function and increasing cellular energy. Factors like estrogen and endotoxins can also deplete your cellular energy. Meanwhile, improving your mitochondrial energy production can also help bring you joy, which is essential for mental health.

Creatine, however, is also important. By supporting ATP regeneration, creatine helps improve the efficiency of energy utilization in cells. Creatine may also support mitochondrial function by enhancing the availability of ATP, improving overall cellular energy metabolism.

The following are key concepts that need to be integrated to improve all cellular energy, and certainly energy produced for your brain. They all revolve around improving mitochondrial function:

  • Lower LA as much as possible — This is the single most important mitochondrial poison. Since there’s no downside to limiting your LA, you’ll want to keep it as low as possible, which you do by avoiding high-LA foods, including vegetable and seed oils found in most ultraprocessed foods.
  • Lower estrogen excess Estrogen, even bioidentical, is nearly as dangerous as LA in destroying mitochondrial function. Aside from avoiding all estrogen supplements and plastics, as they are potent sources of xenoestrogens, you can take trans mucosal progesterone, not oral or transdermal, as it is a potent estrogen blocker.
  • Make sure your thyroid is working well — Thyroid function is absolutely essential to make sure you have a high metabolic rate and produce plenty of ATP. If you are going to do a thyroid test, it is important your TSH be well-suppressed and below 0.5. You can also confirm by taking your temperature first thing in the morning and two hours after meals. Low temperatures indicate low thyroid activity.
  • Optimize your microbiome — This is also key, as not only are 95% of people metabolically inflexible, but because of mitochondrial poisons their microbiome is out of balance with a preponderance of pathogenic endotoxin-producing bacteria, another potent mitochondrial poison.

Creatine’s Many Brain Benefits

Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., is a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada. He's an expert in growing and maintaining muscle mass as you age. In an interview with Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.,9 he commented on using creatine regularly, “You know, the stuff now with creatine that they're uncovering that makes me think, ‘Maybe this should be part of my regular routine.’ Actually [it] has less to do with the muscle and more to do with the brain and cognitive performance.”

In fact, creatine monohydrate is one supplement that Phillips said makes his short list for its benefits for muscle growth and brain health. “Its effects are pretty mild on muscle, but they're there. They're potent. They last. Now the brain and the cognitive side of things … the evidence is growing in that area too.”10

Research has demonstrated that creatine plays a critical role in the function of the brain and other tissues that have high energy demand.11 Children who have genetic errors of creatine synthesis present with severe neurological symptoms and patients with other neurodegenerative diseases benefit from creatine supplements. Other research suggests reduced creatine is associated with depression and anxiety.12

Creatine also has demonstrated beneficial effects in mice with Parkinson's-like disease.13 It prevented 90% of the typical drop in dopamine levels that are associated with several of the serious symptoms, including loss of muscle function and speech impairment.

In an experimental model mimicking the effects of a mild traumatic brain injury, one research team even found supplementing with creatine helped cognitive processing during oxygen deprivation.14 They concluded, “This is the first demonstration of creatine's utility as a neuroprotective supplement when cellular energy provision is compromised.”

Other research, published in Nutrition Reviews, found creatine supplementation enhanced memory performance in healthy adults, particularly those aged 66 to 76 years.15 The study concluded:16

“These beneficial effects from creatine supplementation on memory performance may be related to creatine’s ability to influence brain bioenergetics. For example, creatine elevates phosphocreatine and ATP levels and increases oxidative phosphorylation in synaptosomes and isolated brain mitochondria. In hippocampal neuron cultures, creatine stimulates mitochondrial activity.”

The Best Sources of Creatine

For individuals looking to increase their creatine intake through diet, including a variety of creatine-rich foods can be beneficial. Creatine is found only in animal-based food — not plants. Grass fed meats are among the best sources of creatine. Avoid pork and chicken, as they typically have high levels of LA.

While grass fed meats can contribute to creatine intake, they may not provide the same high doses that can be achieved through creatine supplementation. Of the different formulations of creatine on the market, creatine monohydrate is the one that has been studied most frequently and therefore has the strongest evidence of health benefits.

It’s important to choose creatine from a reputable manufacturer. Clinical trials that have lasted up to five years have reported no adverse effects in healthy individuals.17 However, it is important to stay within the recommended dose.

Some people are sensitive to using creatine and feel bloated if they don't drink enough water with the supplement. However, most of the time it goes away in just a few hours. Factors that affect bloating include how much water you drink, the intensity of your workouts and your diet.

If you're a vegan or a vegetarian, you might consider using creatine to help protect brain health. Research suggests creatine supplements may boost cognitive function in vegetarians.18

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