Your Brain Needs More Energy Than You Think — Here’s How To Support It

Your brain may make up just a small fraction of your body weight, but it’s one of the most energy-hungry organs in the body. In fact, the brain uses roughly 20% of the oxygen you breathe1, despite accounting for only about 2% of your total body weight.

And that energy demand doesn’t disappear when you’re sitting still. Your brain is constantly working to help you think, focus, remember, regulate your mood, and respond to everything happening around you.

The brain requires a continuous supply of energy to maintain its basic functions. Neurons need energy to communicate with one another, maintain electrical gradients across their membranes, and support everything from attention and memory to movement and decision-making.

Unlike some other tissues, the brain has very little capacity to store energy2. That means it depends heavily on a steady supply of fuel from the bloodstream, primarily in the form of glucose under typical conditions.

But having fuel available isn't necessarily the same as having energy available exactly when you need it. During periods of particularly high cognitive demand, the brain has systems in place to help meet those increased energy needs.

Creatine is often (rightfully) associated with muscles, as it supports the rapid production of energy during physical activity.*

But your brain also contains creatine and uses the same energy-buffering system. Cells use a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a readily available source of energy. When ATP is used, it becomes ADP (adenosine diphosphate). Creatine can help regenerate ATP through a high-energy compound called phosphocreatine.

Phosphocreatine3 is a readily available energy reserve. When energy demands rise, it can donate a phosphate group to ADP, helping rapidly replenish ATP. This system is particularly important in tissues with high and fluctuating energy demands, including the brain.

Research has therefore explored whether increasing creatine availability through supplementation could support aspects of cognitive function, particularly during periods when the brain may be under greater metabolic stress or demand. While the research is still developing, some studies suggest potential cognitive benefits in certain populations and situations.

Citicoline (also known as CDP-choline) is a naturally occurring compound that plays a role in phospholipid metabolism and provides a source of choline, a nutrient involved in several important processes in the brain.*

Why does that matter for brain energy? The brain's ability to function efficiently isn't just about producing ATP. Neurons also need to maintain their cell membranes and communicate with one another, and citicoline is involved in pathways that support these processes.*

Citicoline contributes to the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a major component of cell membranes. It's also involved in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, attention, and other aspects of cognition.

Your brain is an energy-intensive organ that needs a constant supply of fuel to keep up with its day-to-day demands. And when those demands increase (say, during a long day of focused work, studying, or mentally taxing tasks) your brain has sophisticated systems to help maintain its energy supply.