Creatine for Brains: The New Cognitive Resilience Tool

The Longevity Podcast: Optimizing HealthSpan & MindSpan

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Creatine isn’t just for muscle—it’s a rapid ATP buffer for stressed brains, with dosing strategies that finally unlock real cognitive benefits.

In this episode, we flip the creatine story from gym supplement to cognitive stabilizer. We explain the phosphocreatine system and how creatine serves as a rapid ATP buffer for neurons under stress, keeping brain cells online when energy demand spikes. You’ll learn why most cognition studies underdelivered: they relied on standard five-gram doses that mostly topped off muscles, leaving the brain under-fueled.

We review cognitive tests that actually capture creatine’s benefits in speed, accuracy, and task performance, especially under conditions of sleep deprivation, aging, and disease, when energy stress is highest. We also highlight emerging pilot data in Alzheimer’s disease, where higher dosing paired with exercise shows intriguing signals.

From there, we lay out a practical, safe dosing framework: split dosing strategies to reach a 10-gram daily baseline, short-term higher intake for jet lag or acute cognitive load, and GI comfort tactics to keep things tolerable. We also discuss timing earlier in the day to better match peak cognitive demand.

The episode closes by reframing creatine as a modern tool for cognitive resilience, not just muscle performance.

Listener Takeaways:
• How creatine buffers ATP for neurons under stress
• Why five grams often fails for brain benefits
• Where cognition gains show up in speed and accuracy
• Safe, practical dosing strategies up to ~10g per day
• Using creatine to support modern cognitive demands

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This podcast is created by Ai for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional medical or health advice. Please talk to your healthcare team for medical advice.

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Kapitler

1. Creatine Beyond The Gym (00:00:00)

2. The Five Gram Problem (00:00:52)

3. Energy Buffer Inside The Brain (00:02:20)

4. How Labs Measure Cognitive Gains (00:03:15)

5. Aging, Disease, And Early Evidence (00:04:05)

6. Safety, Dosing, And Timing (00:05:04)

7. Acute Stress Protocols (00:08:06)

8. The Paradigm Shift And Takeaway (00:08:54)