How Creatine Supports Brain Health & Why You Should Pair It With Citicoline

While creatine is a beloved and effective muscle-building supplement, many people are intrigued by its brain health benefits (for good reason). In the last several years, more and more research has emerged showing that creatine does improve cognition1, memory, and overall brain function—especially with age.* So yes, there’s enough data to indicate that creatine is a brain health supplement. 

Creatine supports the body’s energy-generating systems. It does so both in the muscle (where 95% of creatine is stored) and the brain (where about 5% of the body’s creatine reserves are).  

Once creatine enters your cells in your muscles or brain, much of it is converted into phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is basically a type of energy reserve and can then be used to regenerate ATP2, the body’s main form of energy. 

So when energy demand spiks during high energy tasks like lifting weights or solving a complex problem, and ATP stores are quickly depleted, phosphocreatine steps in to rapidly restore that energy.* 

Creatine supplementation is the key to saturating (and maintain saturated) creatine stores. 

While you can start reaping creatine’s muscle health benefits at a modest daily dose of 3 grams of creatine monohydrate, aim for at least 5 (if not 10) grams of creatine monohydrate daily.* 

And while creatine is considered a brain health supplement, not all creatine supplements are truly optimized to support cognition. That’s where mindbodygreen’s new creatine brain+ comes in. 

Citicoline is a naturally occurring brain chemical that helps maintain brain cell membranes, supports metabolism and energy production in the brain, and supports other neurotransmitters.*

Eating choline-rich foods supports citicoline levels in the body, but supplementing with citicoline comes with a slew of unique benefits. Cognizin® citicoline is a rigorously studied form of the supplement. 

Creatine is a supplement for your body and brain. If you’re especially interested in reaping the brain health benefits of the compound, then choosing a formula like mindbodygreen’s creatine brain+ that includes citicoline is the way to go. Just mix it in water, coffee, smoothies, or oatmeal daily.