This “Muscle Trick” Powers Up Your Brain in 8 Weeks
If you’re living with Alzheimer’s—or know someone who is—you’ve probably heard that the options are limited.
Drugs may ease symptoms for a while. But they don’t stop the disease.
So, when researchers recently discovered that a simple, everyday nutrient could help restore brainpower in Alzheimer’s patients, it made headlines.
That nutrient is creatine—something you’ve probably seen in the supplement aisle and dismissed as “just for bodybuilders.”
But in the brain, creatine may be just as powerful as it is for muscles. A recent study found that Alzheimer’s patients who took it daily improved their working memory and executive function—the very skills most affected by the disease.
Creatine doesn’t increase the size of your brain, but it does increase your brainpower.
You see, your body uses creatine when it needs a burst of energy. That’s because it helps convert glucose into ATP (adenosine triphosphate) so that your body can utilize it for energy.
And your brain uses a lot of energy.
In a recent study, 19 Alzheimer’s patients took 20 grams of creatine daily for eight weeks—a higher dose than athletes typically use, but it was safe and well-tolerated.
The research revealed two critical findings.
- First, brain creatine levels increased by 11 percent. This shows creatine can cross the blood-brain barrier.
- Second, taking the supplement improved working memory and executive function.
Working memory helps you hold onto everyday details, like why you walked into a room or what you needed at the store.
Executive function is used for tasks like planning and time management, managing feelings, being flexible, and initiating tasks.
These two critical areas of brain function allow you to successfully navigate everyday life… and they’re on the decline in Alzheimer’s.
This was just a preliminary study, but the results are encouraging.
I wouldn’t recommend taking such a high level of creatine without first talking with your doctor. But this study indicated that it could be extremely beneficial—and safe—for those with Alzheimer’s.
P.S. Top three nutrients to fight age-related muscle loss.
View Sources
Smith AN, Choi IY, Lee P, Sullivan DK, Burns JM, Swerdlow RH, Kelly E, Taylor MK. Creatine monohydrate pilot in Alzheimer’s: Feasibility, brain creatine, and cognition. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2025 May 19;11(2):e70101. doi: 10.1002/trc2.70101. PMID: 40395689; PMCID: PMC12089086.
