Creatine Powers Brain and Heart, Not Just Muscles: Review
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- Dr. Mehdi Boroujerdi published the Handbook of Creatine and Creatinine In Vivo Kinetics (CRC Press, May 11, 2026), offering an in-depth review of creatine's energy-producing role across muscles, the brain, and the heart.
- Creatine is naturally produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, with approximately 95% stored in skeletal muscle and smaller amounts in the brain and heart, where it converts to phosphocreatine to rapidly regenerate ATP during high-energy demand.
- Boroujerdi explicitly debunks the online misconception that creatine is a steroid, stating it 'is certainly not a substitute for steroids' and works solely to provide energy for muscle contraction and respiration.
- Standard creatine dosing involves a 20g/day loading phase (split into four doses) for 5-7 days, followed by 3-5g/day maintenance, though 3-5g/day alone can achieve similar muscle saturation in approximately 28 days.
- Creatine supplementation may support memory, mood, and processing speed, particularly in people with lower baseline levels — including older adults, vegetarians, vegans, and women, who may see greater relative improvements.
- Researchers are exploring creatine's potential therapeutic role in Parkinson's disease, depression, and menopause-related muscle and bone loss, with Boroujerdi noting its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties warrant further clinical investigation.
- Boroujerdi suggests that with sufficient evidence, creatine 'may eventually be recognized as an over-the-counter therapeutic agent rather than merely a dietary supplement,' though he cautions it is 'not a panacea' and kidney patients should consult a doctor first.
Why it matters: For the estimated tens of millions who already take creatine for fitness, Boroujerdi's handbook could expand its perceived use case from athletic performance to cognitive and clinical applications — with women, older adults, and vegetarians/vegans positioned as groups likely to see the strongest relative gains from supplementation. The researcher's framing of creatine as a future OTC therapeutic signals a potential regulatory reclassification debate, though he stresses current evidence is preliminary for conditions like Parkinson's and depression.
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