The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
PubMed 21118604 · doi:10.1017/S0007114510004733
What was done
In a double-blind, randomized design, 128 young adult females categorized as either vegetarian or omnivorous consumed either 20 g/day of creatine supplementation or a placebo for 5 days. Cognitive performance was evaluated across measures of verbal fluency, vigilance, memory, and a choice reaction-time task.
What was found
Creatine supplementation showed no effect on verbal fluency or vigilance. Memory performance improved after creatine supplementation specifically in vegetarians compared to omnivores. Creatine also reduced response variability on the choice reaction-time task across both dietary groups. The abstract reports directional findings without specific numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values.
Why it matters
Because vegetarians typically have lower baseline muscle and tissue creatine stores, these findings indicate that short-term creatine loading may provide selective cognitive benefits, particularly for memory, when baseline dietary intake is absent.
Limits
The study included only young adult females over a short 5-day supplementation period, limiting generalizability to males, older populations, and longer durations. Baseline tissue creatine levels were not directly measured, and the abstract omits quantitative effect sizes and statistical indices.
Cited by
- supports Studies demonstrate that giving creatine supplements to vegans and vegetarians improves their cognitive function.