What Creatine Does To A Sleep Deprived Brain!

Creatine is usually talked about as something for muscle, but this conversation shows why the brain is now becoming such a big part of the discussion. A healthy, well-rested brain may already produce enough creatine on its own, but a stressed brain appears to be different. When someone is sleep deprived, working night shifts, travelling across time zones, or operating under extreme pressure, the brain may start to rely more on support from diet or supplementation.

The challenge is that creatine struggles to get through the blood-brain barrier, which means the dose needed for the brain may be much higher than the dose often used for muscle. Some studies have shown that around 20 grams may have an acute effect on the brain, while one study using 30 grams in young people who were sleep deprived for 21 hours found that it increased brain creatine levels and helped offset some of the negative effects. The key point is not that everyone needs high-dose creatine every day, but that the more stressed the brain is, the more relevant creatine may become.