An international team of scientists from the USA, Iran, Canada and Qatar studied the effects of a combination of creatine nitrate and caffeine on human physical and cognitive abilities. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Nutrients.
Athletes and fitness enthusiasts often use caffeine and creatine to improve their exercise performance. Caffeine is known as a nervous system stimulant. Creatine in various forms helps quickly replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a source of energy for body cells.
Despite the known benefits of these supplements individually, the effects of combining them are less researched.
The research was conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at Jacksonville State University in the United States. The experiment involved 12 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 40.
Volunteers took a five-gram creatine nitrate and 400-milligram caffeine supplement 45 minutes before resistance training.
Performance was assessed using bench press and leg press exercises, measuring the number of repetitions to failure and the weight of the lift.
Cognitive function was assessed using the Stroop Word-Color Test, which measures attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility. Participants also completed a visual analog scale to assess their work readiness and detailed questionnaires about sleep quality, caffeine tolerance and side effects.
Contrary to the researchers’ expectations, no significant improvement was observed with exercise. Bench press and leg press repetitions and volumes remained the same across all conditions.
But scientists found that the combination of creatine nitrate and caffeine significantly improved cognitive performance on the Stroop Word Color Test. This improvement was greater than that achieved by using caffeine alone.
The combined intervention showed medium to large effect sizes, indicating a strong effect on cognitive processing.
Previous scientists I learnedHe said that creatine can prevent cognitive decline in the brain due to lack of sleep.