#73 - Creatine in 2025: More Than Just a Muscle Supplement
For years, creatine had a reputation as the “gym bro supplement.” You know — the one for guys wanting to bulk up, add muscle, and crush PRs.
But here’s the thing: in the last 3–4 years, research has completely shifted how we understand creatine. It’s no longer just about muscles. Now, it’s being studied for brain health, recovery, cardiovascular function, immunity, and even healthy aging.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some of the latest findings, what they could mean in real life, and how you might consider using creatine in your own routine. And if you want the full conversation, you can listen to Episode 73 of the Building Thriving Lifestyles Podcast.
What Creatine Actually Is (Quick Refresher)
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound stored mostly in your muscles and brain. Its job is to help recycle ATP — the primary energy currency your body runs on.
When you sprint, lift, or even just need a burst of focus, creatine helps keep the energy flowing. While your body produces some creatine on its own and you can get a bit through food (especially meat and fish), supplementation boosts those stores beyond what diet alone can provide.
👉 Related reading: Top 4 Nutrition Supplements for CrossFitters — Backed Up By Science
👉 Related reading: Beginner’s Guide to Creatine — When & How to Use It for Best Results
That’s why creatine has been consistently shown to:
Increase strength and power output
Support lean muscle growth (paired with resistance training)
Improve training recovery and tolerance
That’s the “classic” creatine story. But let’s dig into what’s new.
1. Creatine for Longevity, Immunity & Recovery
A 2025 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition pooled together dozens of studies and found creatine seems to support more than just gym performance. The review highlighted benefits for:
Immune health
Cardiovascular function
Rehabilitation after illness or injury
Why? Because creatine supports cellular energy production. When your cells have more energy available, they repair, regenerate, and defend themselves more effectively.
💡 Practical takeaway: Imagine you’ve had knee surgery, or you’re coming back after a nasty flu. Your body is in “repair mode” and demands energy. Supplementing with creatine may act like a backup generator for your cells, helping recovery happen more efficiently.
2. Brain Health & Cognition
In 2024, a systematic review looked at creatine’s impact on the brain. It found supplementation improved:
Memory
Attention
Mental processing speed
These benefits showed up especially in older adults and under stressful conditions like sleep deprivation.
Think of creatine here as a “battery backup” for your brain. Just like muscles fatigue without enough fuel, so does your mind.
💡 Practical takeaway: Whether you’re a firefighter working a long shift, a parent running on broken sleep, or a student cramming late at night, creatine may help keep your brain sharper and steadier.
3. The German Sleep Deprivation Study
One of the most fascinating new studies came out of Germany in 2024 (Gordji-Nejad et al.). Researchers kept healthy young adults awake for 21 hours, then gave them a single high dose of creatine:
0.35 g/kg bodyweight → ~24–25 grams for a 70 kg adult
The results were striking:
Improved short-term memory and processing speed
Stabilized brain energy metabolism
Benefits appearing within 3 hours and lasting up to 9 hours
💡 Practical takeaway: Think about new parents up all night, a shift worker, or someone traveling through time zones. Your brain feels like sludge. This study suggests creatine could act like a temporary power bank for your mind during those unavoidable stretches of fatigue.
⚠️ Important note: This was a single acute high-dose trial, not a daily protocol. It’s exciting, but not something to replicate without medical supervision.
Special Populations Who May Benefit
Some groups respond particularly well to creatine:
Vegetarians & Vegans: Because creatine comes mainly from animal foods, plant-based eaters often have lower baseline levels. Supplementation makes a big difference.
Women: Early studies suggest creatine may buffer fatigue linked to hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and perimenopause.
Older Adults: Perhaps the most exciting. Research shows creatine may slow age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and help maintain independence later in life.
Conflicting Evidence
Of course, not every study paints creatine as a miracle. A 2025 trial out of UNSW in Australia found no significant difference in muscle gain between creatine users and a training-only group over 12 weeks.
Does that mean creatine doesn’t work? Not exactly. Context matters:
Were participants already eating a high-meat diet?
Was the training program intense enough to need the extra energy buffer?
Were they beginners, who often make gains regardless of supplementation?
The consensus is clear: creatine isn’t a magic pill. But used consistently, it provides a reliable 2–5% edge — which, over months and years, adds up.
Key Takeaways
Creatine isn’t just for gym performance anymore — it’s being studied for recovery, immunity, cardiovascular health, and healthy aging.
It also shows promising effects for brain health, especially under stress or fatigue.
Special populations like vegans, women, and older adults may see outsized benefits.
It’s not a miracle cure — but it’s safe, affordable, and one of the most well-researched supplements available.
Practical Use
If you’re considering creatine, here’s a simple protocol:
Stick with creatine monohydrate (the gold standard).
Dose: 3–5 grams daily. You can “load” (20g/day for a week) if you want faster results, but it’s not necessary.
Timing: Anytime, but with a meal is ideal.
Buy from a trusted, third-party verified source if you compete in tested sports.
Stay hydrated. Creatine works in part by drawing water into your muscle cells.
Resources & Links
Frontiers in Nutrition 2025 Review
Systematic Review on Cognition & Creatine (2024, PubMed)
Gordji-Nejad et al., 2024 — German High-Dose Study
UNSW Creatine Trial, 2025
Previous blog posts:
If you’d like help creating a supplement, training, and lifestyle plan that’s aligned with your goals, I offer 1:1 Clarity Sessions where we map it all out together. You can book one here.
