Does Creatine Loading Improve Sleep?

Creatine is one of the most effective and widely used supplements, yet there is little information published on how it affects sleep. This randomized, double-blind crossover trial tested creatine's effects on sleep, performance, cognition, and recovery during short-term creatine loading.

Overview

• What did they test? The researchers studied the effects of a seven day (20 g/day) creatine monohydrate loading protocol on sleep, physical performance, cognitive function, mood, and perceived recovery.
• What did they find? Creatine loading improved subjective sleep quality, but not sleep time or sleep efficiency. It also decreased muscle soreness and improved some aspects of physical and cognitive performance.
• What does it mean for you? A seven day creatine loading protocol can improve performance and may be useful to improve sleep quality and cognitive function. 

What’s the Problem?

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most extensively researched and effective supplements for improving strength, power, and potentially muscle recovery, with benefits largely attributed to increased phosphocreatine availability and enhanced ATP resynthesis during high-intensity exercise 1 2. 

Interestingly, creatine also plays an important role in brain energy metabolism 3. For example, high-dose creatine supplementation has been shown to attenuate declines in cognitive performance and mood following sleep deprivation 4. However, creatine uptake into the brain appears more limited than in skeletal muscle, and while benefits are most evident under stress, the effects of creatine loading on sleep and performance under normal, non-disease or sleep-deprived conditions remain largely underexplored.

Purpose

To determine whether creatine monohydrate loading alters sleep, physical performance, cognitive function, or recovery in physically active men.

Hypothesis

The authors hypothesized that a short-term creatine loading protocol (20 g/day) would improve sleep quality, exercise performance, cognitive function, and recovery compared to a placebo.

What Did They Test and How?

Participants

Fourteen physically active young men (mean age ~24 years) were recruited for the study. Participants were required to be non-smokers, free from sleep disorders and injuries, not using medications or supplements, and not consuming alcohol or high-antioxidant foods during the study. All followed an omnivorous diet without creatine supplementation and engaged in regular recreational physical activity without competitive training commitments.

Study Procedures