Creatine Supplementation on Cognition in Young and Old Active Females

Background Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) has been shown to increase brain creatine levels, which may augment brain bioenergetics and improve cognitive functioning over time. However, whether creatine-mediated cognitive benefits are age-dependent remains unclear. Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CrM on measures of cognitive functioning in young and older women. Methods Forty-eight women (26 young, 22 old) were randomly assigned to 28-day CrM supplementation (3 grams/day) or placebo. Cognitive functioning was assessed using a battery of tests before and after supplementation. Inferential and Bayesian analyses were applied for group comparisons. The between-group comparisons were carried out using a linear mixed model with groups as fixed factors and estimated daily creatine consumption as a random factor, since there were significant differences among groups in estimated daily creatine consumption at baseline. The significance level was set as p < 0.05. The Bayesian analysis checked the magnitude of the evidence. Results Across this exploratory, multi-domain battery, CrM supplementation was associated with improvements in several cognitive parameters in both age groups compared to placebo, most consistently in visual and auditory reaction times, inhibitory control, and working memory. These frequentist findings were corroborated by moderate-to-extreme Bayesian evidence in a subset of comparisons, particularly among older females, suggesting a possible role for CrM in mitigating age-related cognitive decline that warrants confirmation in future, hypothesis-driven trials. Summary These findings demonstrate the potential cognitive benefits of low-dose CrM supplementation in women across age groups and highlight the greater cognitive responses in older females.