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Creatine supplementation boosts the oxygen consumption of brain cells. Simply put, brain cells are able to work harder in the presence of creatine.
Study
Japanese scientist have published in Neuroscience Research the results of a study in which they used 24 students aged 19 as subjects.
The scientists got the students to add up a random series of numbers for a period of 15 minutes. The Japanese used the Uchida-Kraepelin test that psychiatrists use to measure mental fatigue. The more numbers you can add up, the fitter you are. In mental terms at least.
At the end of the 15-minute exercise the students rested for five minutes. After that they had to do another 15 minutes of addition.
The researchers carried out the whole procedure twice. On one occasion the students were given 8 g of creatine monohydrate five days before the test, on the other occasion they were given a placebo.
Results
When the students had taken the creatine they were able to do more addition sums.
Using near infrared spectroscopy the researchers were able to study the composition of the blood in the brains of their subjects while they were doing the sums. They looked at the amount of oxygen that was attached to the haemoglobin molecules in the blood. The figure above shows that the blood in the brains of the subjects had more haemoglobin without oxygen [Desoxy-Hb] when the subjects had taken creatine.
The researchers also noticed that the number of haemoglobin molecules with oxygen was fewer when the subjects had taken creatine than when they had taken a placebo. That probably means that creatine supplementation boosts the oxygen consumption of the brain cells. It seems that brain cells work harder if you take creatine, the Japanese suggest.
Conclusion
"Our experiment may suggest a new line of approach to reduction of mental fatigue involving creatine", the researchers conclude.
Source:
Neurosci Res. 2012 Apr;42(4):279-85.
Creatine 600g Amazon
Study
Japanese scientist have published in Neuroscience Research the results of a study in which they used 24 students aged 19 as subjects.
The scientists got the students to add up a random series of numbers for a period of 15 minutes. The Japanese used the Uchida-Kraepelin test that psychiatrists use to measure mental fatigue. The more numbers you can add up, the fitter you are. In mental terms at least.
At the end of the 15-minute exercise the students rested for five minutes. After that they had to do another 15 minutes of addition.
The researchers carried out the whole procedure twice. On one occasion the students were given 8 g of creatine monohydrate five days before the test, on the other occasion they were given a placebo.
Results
When the students had taken the creatine they were able to do more addition sums.
Using near infrared spectroscopy the researchers were able to study the composition of the blood in the brains of their subjects while they were doing the sums. They looked at the amount of oxygen that was attached to the haemoglobin molecules in the blood. The figure above shows that the blood in the brains of the subjects had more haemoglobin without oxygen [Desoxy-Hb] when the subjects had taken creatine.
The researchers also noticed that the number of haemoglobin molecules with oxygen was fewer when the subjects had taken creatine than when they had taken a placebo. That probably means that creatine supplementation boosts the oxygen consumption of the brain cells. It seems that brain cells work harder if you take creatine, the Japanese suggest.
Conclusion
"Our experiment may suggest a new line of approach to reduction of mental fatigue involving creatine", the researchers conclude.
Source:
Neurosci Res. 2012 Apr;42(4):279-85.
Creatine 600g Amazon