Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Guest Information
- Timestamps
- Related Resources
- Premium Content
- Detailed Study Notes
- Transcript
Listen Here:
For a full list of apps, go here. Or simply search “Sigma Nutrition” in your app of choice.
Or listen directly on the Sigma website here.
Introduction
Creatine is best known as a sports supplement for enhancing muscle strength and high-intensity performance. But could it also improve brain health and cognitive function? Or are such claims overhyped?
If creatine can support brain health, it could have implications for aging, neurodegenerative diseases, concussion recovery, and mental fatigue.
In this podcast episode, Professor Eric Rawson discusses what current science says about creatine’s effects on the brain, including memory, executive function, and protection against neurological stress.
Professor Rawson provides context on how creatine works in the body, why the brain might benefit, and what evidence exists so far.
Guest Information
Prof. Eric Rawson, PhD
Eric Rawson, PhD is Professor and Chair in the Department of Health, Nutrition & Exercise Science at Messiah University.
For over twenty years, his research has centered on the interplay between nutrition and skeletal muscle, notably investigating how creatine supplementation affects both muscle and brain function.
Timestamps
- [03:14] Understanding creatine: biochemistry and history
- [07:55] Creatine supplementation and muscle performance
- [09:35] Creatine and brain health: emerging research
- [14:03] Measuring brain creatine: challenges and techniques
- [19:58] Cognitive benefits of creatine supplementation
- [26:23] Evaluating the evidence: caution and promise
- [30:45] Mega dosing and brain health protocols
- [32:04] Creatine for brain health: context matters
- [38:54] Creatine for brain injury and aging
- [51:25] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)
Related Resources
- Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
- Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
- Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
- Related studies:
- Harris et al., 1992 – Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation
- Dechent et al., 1999 – Increase of total creatine in human brain after oral supplementation of creatine-monohydrate
- Roschel et al., 2021 – Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health
Premium Content
Not a Premium subscriber? Subscribe here!