Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Sleep deprivation and exercise impair cognitive function.
• Creatine monohydrate is a popular supplement for athletic performance.
• The combined effects of creatine, sleep deprivation, and exercise on cognition are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood, and physiological markers during sleep deprivation with exercise.
• To determine if creatine offers benefits beyond placebo under these conditions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 5g of creatine monohydrate or placebo, four times daily for 7 days.
• Participants underwent cognitive and psychomotor tests at baseline and after 18, 24, and 36 hours of sleep deprivation with intermittent moderate-intensity exercise.
• Salivary cortisol and melatonin levels were measured.

Main Results:

• The creatine group showed significantly better performance on a central executive task at 36 hours compared to placebo.
• A significant linear improvement in central executive task performance was observed in the creatine group throughout the experiment.
• No significant differences were found between groups for other cognitive, psychomotor, mood, or hormonal measures.
• Balance performance improved linearly over time for all participants.
• Cortisol levels were higher on Day 1 than Day 2, and mood deteriorated up to 24 hours of sleep deprivation.

Conclusions:

• Creatine supplementation specifically enhances performance on complex central executive tasks during prolonged sleep deprivation combined with moderate exercise.
• Creatine does not appear to benefit other cognitive, psychomotor, or mood-related variables under these experimental conditions.
• Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms and broader applications of creatine in such scenarios.