Neuroscientist Says Creatine Could Ease Brain Fog by Boosting Brain Energy

A growing number of researchers say the inexpensive supplement creatine, long used to improve muscle strength and recovery, may also help reduce brain fog by supporting cellular energy production in the brain.

Cognitive neuroscientist Lauren Dewsbury described brain fog as "a symptom we experience when the demand for energy is greater than the supply," saying it occurs when "the brain is not able to meet its energy demands." She told reporters that brain fog — a cluster of symptoms that can impair memory, thinking and concentration — can arise in people with cognitive decline and in otherwise healthy individuals who are sleep deprived, stressed or living with certain inflammatory conditions. "Creatine helps to bridge that energy deficit and support cellular energy production in the brain," Dewsbury said, and consuming creatine daily could help alleviate these symptoms.

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied supplements for sports performance, with hundreds of trials and reviews showing benefits for strength and lean body mass when combined with training, according to scientific literature indexed on PubMed Central. The compound, normally found in muscle tissue, is an organic molecule formed from amino acids and is involved in cellular energy transfer.

Researchers exploring creatine's effects on the brain point to its role in energy buffering inside cells. Brain cells rely on rapid replenishment of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to maintain neural activity, and proponents say creatine can help shuttle and regenerate ATP during periods of increased demand. That mechanism has prompted renewed interest in whether creatine supplementation could mitigate transient or chronic cognitive symptoms tied to energy deficits.

Clinical evidence specifically testing creatine for brain fog or broader cognitive outcomes is more limited than the large body of work on physical performance. Small trials and animal studies have examined creatine's potential in conditions ranging from sleep deprivation to neurodegenerative disease, but researchers emphasize that larger, well-controlled human studies are needed to establish efficacy, optimal dosing, duration of use and which populations would benefit most.

Clinicians and researchers also note variability in how individuals respond to supplements. Factors such as baseline dietary creatine intake, muscle and brain creatine stores, age, health status and concurrent medications can influence outcomes. Because creatine is widely available over the counter and relatively inexpensive, some people have begun using it off-label for cognition, a trend that has drawn attention from scientists studying its potential benefits and limitations.

Medical professionals generally recommend discussing supplement use with a healthcare provider, particularly for people with kidney disease, those taking other medications, pregnant or breastfeeding people, and those considering long-term use. Experts say a clinician can help weigh potential benefits, monitor for side effects and advise on interactions with existing treatments.

Although creatine's popularity in sports nutrition provides a strong safety record in many contexts, the evidence base for its routine use to treat brain fog remains under development. Researchers call for randomized clinical trials focusing on cognitive symptoms, standardized dosing protocols and comparative studies that examine creatine alongside other interventions for sleep, stress management and inflammatory conditions known to contribute to cognitive difficulties.

For now, scientists say creatine offers a biologically plausible approach to addressing some forms of brain fog by targeting cellular energy shortages, but they caution that more rigorous research is required before broad clinical recommendations can be made.