Creatine monohydrate: 3-5 g/day, and the cognitive evidence specifically

Creatine is the best-evidenced supplement in sport, and a smaller but real literature now covers cognition. Stating it accurately keeps it off the hype pile. What it is Creatine is a naturally occurring compound; supplementation raises phosphocreatine stores, the rapid-recharge system for ATP. The brain uses it too, which is the basis for the cognitive interest. The dosing that is actually supported - Maintenance: 3-5 g/day of creatine MONOHYDRATE. That is the form with essentially all the evidence; the exotic "advanced" forms do not outperform it and cost more. - Loading (~20 g/day split over 5-7 days) fills stores faster but is optional; it only speeds the timeline, and it is the phase most likely to cause GI upset. Steady 3-5 g gets to the same place in a few weeks. - Take it consistently; timing within the day barely matters. The cognitive evidence, honestly - Strongest signal: benefit under stress on the system — sleep deprivation and, in some studies, in vegetarians (who start with lower stores). A 2024 single-dose sleep-deprivation study (Gordji-Nejad et al.) got attention but is one study. - Meta-analyses suggest small benefits to memory in some populations (notably older adults); the effect in rested, omnivorous young adults is small or inconsistent. Safety Well tolerated at these doses in healthy people; the main real effect is a small water-weight gain. The old "kidney" worry is not supported in people with normal kidney function, but it is a reason people with kidney disease should not self-prescribe it. Detail: https://wiki.soapbox.community/wiki/Creatine