The effect of creatine on sleep

Creatine has been known for years as one of the most researched supplements for improving strength, explosiveness, and muscle growth. In recent years, however, scientists have increasingly looked beyond just athletic performance. For example, research is being conducted into the possible influence of creatine on the brain, cognitive performance, recovery, and even sleep.

A recent scientific study among women who engaged in strength training showed a striking finding: participants who used creatine slept longer on training days than women who received a placebo, on average.

But what exactly does this mean? And can we already draw conclusions from this?

Creatine: more than just a sports supplement

Creatine is an endogenous substance primarily stored in muscles. It plays an important role in the production of ATP, the body's main energy source during short, intense efforts.

Therefore, many athletes use creatine to:

• Develop more strength.
• Train more intensely.
• Support recovery between efforts.
• Build muscle mass in the long term.

Because creatine is also found in brain cells, scientists are now investigating whether the supplement may also have effects outside the gym.

Why did scientists investigate sleep?

Sleep is one of the most important components of recovery after strength training. During sleep, various recovery processes occur that contribute to muscle repair, hormone balance, and overall health.

The researchers therefore wanted to know if creatine use could influence the sleep patterns of women who regularly engage in strength training.

How was the study conducted?

For this study, young, healthy women were selected who had not previously participated in a strength training program.

For six weeks:

• All participants followed a supervised strength training program;
• One group received 5 grams of creatine daily;
• The other group received a placebo.

The researchers then monitored sleep duration and sleep quality, among other things.

What did the researchers discover?

At the end of the study, the researchers observed some interesting differences.

1. The creatine group slept longer on training days

The women who used creatine spent more time sleeping on average on days they had trained than the placebo group.

This difference was not found on rest days.

2. Sleep quality did not change

Although sleep duration increased, the researchers found no clear improvement in overall sleep quality.

This means that the participants did not necessarily sleep better, but they did sleep longer.

3. Possible link to recovery

The researchers suspect that creatine may indirectly influence recovery processes after strength training. This could lead to the body needing more sleep on training days.

However, this is currently still a hypothesis and not a proven explanation.

What do these results mean?

The results are interesting, but it is important to place them in the correct context.

This study does not show that creatine is a means to sleep better or longer.

The results apply exclusively to:

• Young women;
• Who participated in a strength training program;
• During a six-week study period.

It is therefore too early to draw general conclusions.

Why is follow-up research important?

Scientific research is built step by step.

To be certain whether creatine actually influences sleep, larger studies are needed, among other things, involving:

• Men and women;
• Different age groups;
• Recreational and enthusiastic athletes;
• Longer study periods.

Only when multiple independent studies show the same results can scientists draw stronger conclusions.

The science surrounding creatine continues to evolve

Although creatine has been studied for decades, new studies are still emerging.

In addition to athletic performance, topics such as the following are now also being examined:

• Recovery after training;
• Cognitive performance;
• Brain health;
• Aging;
• Hormonal changes in women.

As a result, more and more insight is gained into the different roles creatine may play within the body.

Conclusion

A recent study shows that women who used 5 grams of creatine daily for six weeks during a strength training program slept longer on average on training days than women who received a placebo.

However, the researchers found no improvement in overall sleep quality and themselves emphasize that follow-up research is necessary.

These results should therefore primarily be seen as an interesting first step in a research area that is still developing.

Source

Riediger, N.D. et al. (2024). The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Sleep in Females Following Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 16(16), 2772.