ARTICLE: Creatine Found To Improve Working Memory And General Intelligence

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

ScienceDaily Magazine
Contact: editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Source:
The Royal Society


Date:  2003-08-13

Boost Your Brain Power: Creatine, A Compound Found In Muscle Tissue, Found To 
Improve Working Memory And General
Intelligence

Research undertaken by scientists at the University of Sydney and Macquarie 
University in Australia has shown that
taking creatine, a compound found in muscle tissue, as a dietary supplement can 
give a significant boost to both
working memory and general intelligence. The work, to be published in a 
forthcoming Proceedings B, a learned journal
published by the Royal Society, monitored the effect of creatine 
supplementation on 45 young adult vegetarian subjects
in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment.

"The level of creatine supplementation chosen was 5g per day as this is a level 
that has previously been shown to
increase brain creatine levels. This level is comparable to that taken to boost 
sports fitness," explains Dr. Caroline
Rae who led the research. "Vegetarians or vegans were chosen for the study as 
carnivores and omnivores obtain a
variable level of creatine depending on the amount and type of meat they eat - 
although to reach the level of
supplementation in this experiment would involve eating around 2 kg of meat a 
day!"

Creatine power

Athletes and fitness fanatics have known that creatine supplementation can 
increase sports performance and the compound
- a close relative of the amino acids - has also been trialed successfully in 
the treatment of neurological,
neuromuscular and atherosclerotic disease. "We know that creatine plays a 
pivotal role in maintaining energy levels in
the brain," says Dr. Rae. "So it was a reasonable hypothesis that supplementing 
a diet with creatine could assist brain
function."

The experiment tested this hypothesis by giving the one group of subjects a 
creatine supplement and a second group a
placebo for six weeks, followed by a six week period with no intake and a final 
six week period when the control and
placebo group were swapped. Intelligence and memory were tested at four points: 
the start of the trial; the end of the
first six week period; and the start and endpoint of the final six week period.

Testing tasks

The effect on working memory was tested using a backward digit span test in 
which the subject has to repeat in reverse
order progressively longer verbal random number sequences. Intelligence was 
tested using Ravens Advanced Progressive
Matrices - a methodology commonly used for IQ assessment involving completion 
of pattern sequences. The test is a well
validated measure of general ability with minimal dependence on cultural 
factors. "Both of these tests require fast
brain power and the Raven's task was conducted under time pressure," says Dr. 
Rae. "The results were clear with both
our experimental groups and in both test scenarios: creatine supplementation 
gave a significant measurable boost to
brain power. For example in the digit span test subjects ability to remember 
long numbers, like telephone numbers,
improved from a number length of about 7 to an average of 8.5 digits."

The study shows that increased creatine intake results in improved brain 
function, similar to effects shown previously
in muscle and heart. The results agree with previous observations showing that 
brain creatine levels correlate with
improved recognition memory and reduce mental fatigue. "These findings 
underline a dynamic and significant role of
brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance," says Dr. Rae. 
"Increasing the energy available for computation
increases the power of the brain and this is reflected directly in improved 
general ability."

A short term boost?

Long term supplementation with creatine has yet to be declared truly safe as 
there have been reported effects on
glucose homeostasis (the regulation of blood sugar levels) and potential 
subjects with a medical history of diabetes
were excluded from the experiment. In addition taking the supplement can have 
some antisocial effects. "To be frank
taking the supplement can make you a considerably less 'fragrant' person," says 
Dr. Rae. "However creatine
supplementation may be of use to those requiring boosted mental performance in 
the short term - for example university
students."

This story has been adapted from a news release issued by The Royal Society.

Reference:

The Royal Society



For further information contact:
Tim Reynolds
tel: or +44 (0) 7711 942974 or +32 (0)2640 3226,
email: tim.reynolds@xxxxxxxxxxx or timjreynolds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

SOURCE: ScienceDaily Magazine


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