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Does creatine improve memory and brain health?
Small memory gains in short trials; results differ on who benefits, and healthy young people gained little.
What you hear: “Everyone should take creatine every day, not just for muscles but to sharpen the brain and boost memory.”
What the studies found
A 2024 pooled analysis of 16 randomised trials (492 adults) found a small improvement in memory scores with creatine (standardised difference 0.31), but no change in overall thinking ability or planning skills. An earlier pooled analysis of healthy people found the memory gain was clear in adults aged 66 to 76 (0.88) but essentially zero in people aged 11 to 31 (0.03). These are short trials measuring test scores, not dementia or long-term brain health.
What you could do
Creatine did not harm the kidneys in short studies and may give a small memory boost, but it is not a must-have brain pill for everyone.
See it in the habit library, with what it means for your own longevity score.
Not medical advice. General information from published studies, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk with your doctor before starting a supplement or changing a medicine, especially if you are pregnant, take other medicines or have a health condition.
How we judged it
Partly true: Some truth, but oversold as usually said. We judge the claim as it is usually said online, not the habit itself. Trials assign people at random, so they can show cause; observed studies follow people and show a link, not proof. Last checked: October 2026.
The studies, in their own words
- Xu et al. Front Nutr 2024
Creatine supplementation showed significant positive effects on memory (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18-0.44 ... However, no significant improvements were found on overall cognitive function or executive function.
- Prokopidis et al. Nutr Rev 2023
a significant improvement in memory in older adults (66-76 years) (SMD = 0.88; 95%CI, 0.22-1.55 ...) compared with their younger counterparts (11-31 years) (SMD = 0.03; 95%CI, -0.14 to 0.20
- de Souza e Silva et al. J Ren Nutr 2019
The findings indicate that creatine supplementation does not induce renal damage in the studied amounts and durations.
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