Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high-energy phosphates during sleep deprivation
Gordji-Nejad, Matusch, Kleedorfer, Jayeshkumar Patel, Drzezga, Elmenhorst, Binkofski & Bauer (2024) · Scientific Reports (Nature)
Topics: Brain & Cognition, Sleep & Fatigue
- Study type: Randomized trial
- Population: Sleep-deprived healthy adults
- Sample: n=15
- Dose: Single high dose (~0.35 g/kg)
- Duration: Overnight sleep deprivation session
- Published: 2024
What the study found
A 2024 study showed that even a single high dose of creatine raised brain phosphocreatine and measurably improved cognition and processing speed in people kept awake overnight — direct evidence that creatine helps fuel the sleep-deprived brain when energy demand spikes.
Key findings
- A single high dose measurably improved cognitive performance during sleep deprivation.
- Brain high-energy phosphate levels (phosphocreatine) rose, showing a real neurometabolic mechanism.
- Challenges the old assumption that only prolonged loading changes brain creatine.
The practical takeaway
Under acute stress like sleep loss, creatine may support brain energy — though everyday cognitive benefits still favour consistent daily use.