This is information, not a recommendation. We do not advise you to take anything. Under 18 or with an eating disorder, including a past one: this text is not aimed at you, and you will find places to turn to here. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, with kidney disease or on medication, ask a doctor first.
What was studied
| Study | Who | Creatine | Sleep | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordji-Nejad 2026 | 29 healthy people | Once, 0.2 g/kg | 21 hours awake | Smaller losses in logic, numbers and reaction, weaker than with the higher dose[1] |
| Gordji-Nejad 2024 | 15 healthy people aged 20 to 28, 8 of them women | Once, 0.35 g/kg | 21 hours awake | Better scores in thinking tasks and processing speed, plus changes in brain metabolism[2] |
| Cook 2011 | 10 professional rugby players | Once, 50 or 100 mg/kg | 3 to 5 hours instead of 7 to 9 | Passing accuracy did not fall, and the same was seen with caffeine[3] |
| McMorris 2007 | 20 men, 2 groups | 4 × 5 g a day for the 7 days before | Up to 36 hours awake | Only one complex task better, and only after 36 hours. No difference otherwise[4] |
| McMorris 2006 | 19 people, 2 groups | 4 × 5 g a day for the 7 days before | 24 hours awake | Smaller losses in some tasks and in mood[5] |
A 2025 review says explicitly that there are few data.[6] A 2026 review notes that the effect of creatine in the brain remains largely unknown, even if studies see some advantages under acute stress such as sleep deprivation.[7]
Putting the high single dose in context
Example: at 70 kg, 0.35 g/kg would be about 24.5 g at once and 0.2 g/kg about 14 g.[2][1] That is many times the 3 g a day authorities have assessed.[8] A review warns that single servings above 10 g can cause diarrhoea.[9]
In the study with 15 people, everyone tolerated the dose without stomach trouble.[2] These were young healthy people in a lab, once. It says nothing about repeated use.
Why no recommendation follows
- Very small groups. The researchers themselves point out the limited size.[2]
- Short lab experiments. Measurements ran for hours in a single night, not during chronic sleep loss.[2]
- Few teams. The two high single-dose studies and the two loading studies each come from one research group.[2][1][5][4]
- Different people. Nobody was studied in a calorie deficit, with illnesses or on medication.
- No authorised claim. Claims on attentiveness and memory are not authorised in the EU.[10]
What this means for you
Do not treat the doses in these studies as a template. Nobody knows whether they do anything in daily life or how well you would tolerate them. None of the studies looked at driving or work tasks.
The answer to sleep loss is sleep. Why it also matters for losing weight is explained under Sleep and weight. General safety notes are under Creatine.
The app does not replace medical advice.
Related
Sources
- Gordji-Nejad A et al.: Single-Dose Creatine Reduces Sleep Deprivation-Induced Deterioration in Cognitive Performance. Nutrients, 2026
- Gordji-Nejad A et al.: Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation. Sci Rep, 2024
- Cook CJ et al.: Skill execution and sleep deprivation: effects of acute caffeine or creatine supplementation - a randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2011
- McMorris T et al.: Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior. Physiol Behav, 2007
- McMorris T et al.: Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2006
- Antonio J et al.: Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025
- Candow DG et al.: Creatine Supplementation and the Brain: Have We Put the Cart Before the Horse? J Diet Suppl, 2026
- Andres S et al.: Creatine and creatine forms intended for sports nutrition. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2017
- Antonio J et al.: Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2021
- European Commission: EU Register on nutrition and health claims, accessed November 2026