Creatine has been used for decades to help athletes build strength, but researchers are now exploring whether this familiar supplement might also support brain health.
A new review led by scientists at the University of Ottawa examined whether creatine could reduce symptoms of depression. Published in Brain Medicine, the review found reasons for optimism, but it also concluded that much more research is needed before creatine can be recommended for people with depression.
The brain uses large amounts of energy every day. Every thought, memory, and emotion depends on brain cells producing enough energy to communicate with each other.
Creatine is known for helping muscles quickly generate energy during exercise, and scientists believe it may perform a similar role in the brain. This has led researchers to wonder whether improving the brain’s energy supply could help some people with mood disorders.
To answer this question, the research team reviewed five randomized controlled trials involving 238 participants from South Korea, the United States, Brazil, Israel, and India. Most participants were women, and the studies included people with major depressive disorder as well as people with bipolar depression.
Two studies produced encouraging findings. Women who received creatine together with an antidepressant or cognitive behavioural therapy showed greater improvements in depression symptoms than participants receiving standard treatment with a placebo.
These results suggested that creatine might work best as an additional treatment rather than replacing existing therapies.
The remaining studies did not find significant improvements. One study involving treatment-resistant depression found no benefit from either low or higher doses of creatine.
Another involving teenage girls also found no clear improvement. A trial involving bipolar disorder showed no overall benefit and reported two cases of hypomania or mania among participants taking creatine.
Scientists think creatine may influence mood in several ways. Besides improving cellular energy production, it may affect neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. These brain chemicals help regulate mood and are already targeted by many antidepressant medicines. However, researchers emphasize that these biological theories have not yet been proven.
The authors noted several weaknesses in the available evidence. The studies were relatively small, many lasted only eight weeks, and the treatment methods varied considerably.
Because of these differences, it was impossible to combine all the results into one overall statistical analysis. Future studies should include larger numbers of participants, longer follow-up periods, both men and women, and different creatine doses.
This review highlights an interesting scientific question rather than providing a final answer. The strongest positive findings came from studies involving women with major depressive disorder, while other studies showed little or no benefit.
The mixed results suggest that creatine may help certain groups of patients but not others. More high-quality clinical trials are needed before healthcare professionals can determine whether creatine has a role in depression treatment.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health.
For more mental health information, please see recent studies about top foods to tame your stress, and Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
Source: University of Ottawa.
