Consuming creatine (8 g/day for 5 days for demanding tasks, or 5 g 4 times a day to cope with 36 hours of sleep deprivation) helps reduce mental fatigue and preserve your cognitive abilities.

noli's read

This recommendation is based on particularly solid and well-targeted scientific data. For fatigue related to intellectual effort, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by Watanabe et al. (2002) confirms that 8 g of creatine per day for 5 days significantly reduces mental fatigue during repetitive logic tasks. Regarding sleep deprivation, another RCT led by McMorris et al. (2007) shows that 20 g of creatine per day (divided into 4 doses) protects mental agility after 36 hours of wakefulness. Furthermore, a recent clinical trial by Gordji-Nejad et al. (2024) reinforces these conclusions by revealing that a high single dose of creatine temporarily supports mental alertness by recharging the brain's energy reserves. However, these encouraging results come from studies on small groups of volunteers and focus on specific brain exercises, without eliminating the physical sensation of drowsiness. Additionally, ingesting such doses of creatine over short periods can sometimes cause mild digestive discomfort depending on individual sensitivity. Finally, this method should be viewed as an occasional emergency aid for your mental performance, as it is by no means a substitute for a restful night's sleep.

the sources

1. 1NIH Office of Dietary Supplements 2026
2. 2Manson JE et al. 2019
3. 3foundmyfitness.com/topics