Creatine, debunked | Vox (Nov 2026) Video

[Michael Harrop]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK_1UiwTANw

Creatine is everywhere right now. But are the claims around this classic supplement actually based in real science? Or are they just more marketing hype?

For decades, creatine has been sold to fitness buffs, as a way to build more muscle, faster. Now it’s being pitched to almost everyone, with influencers, podcasters and celebrity doctors claiming it can sharpen your mind, lift your mood, offset sleep deprivation, and even reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. And these wellness claims are driving a real surge in profit — US sales topped half a billion dollars in 2025.

So what is creatine actually doing in your body? Will it really help you build muscle, or are those dramatic before-and-after photos telling a different story? And when it comes to your brain, is there real evidence behind the claims about memory, mood, and Alzheimer’s, or is the hype getting ahead of the science?

We dug into the research on creatine, from the muscles to the mind, and spoke with exercise scientist Nick Tiller and associate professor Matthew Taylor, whose team at the University of Kansas studied creatine’s effects on people with Alzheimer’s disease.

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Summary: It will help during high-intensity exercise. The cognitive benefits are preliminary and overhyped.

 

[nelson]

Creatine 5g/day gave me a small but noticeable increase in average mood. Not an effect large enough to rave about, but enough to be worthy including in a stack. 10g/day did not result in a larger effect but did make me urinate excessively. The benefits to muscular recovery were even more noticeable and worthwhile enough on their own.