Your Brain On... Creatine

Your Brain On

Creatine for Alzheimer’s — let’s separate the hype from the hope.

A new study has caused a stir in June 2025, but lead researcher Matthew K. Taylor told us: “ I don’t think I can recommend it to a patient that this is going to ultimately have some sort of cognitive influence.”

We speak to Dr. Taylor and Dr. Russell Swerdlow in this episode, discussing:

• Role of creatine in your brain, and why it matters for energy metabolism

• What the 2025 study found (and why it wasn’t designed to prove effectiveness)

• How scientific nuance gets lost in supplement hype

• Why even promising early data must be handled with care

• The vital difference between hype and hope

Dr. Russell Swerdlow, MD is Director of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Dr. Matthew Taylor, PhD, RD is Associate Professor of Dietetics & Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

This is... Your Brain On Creatine.

SUPPORTED BY: NEURO World. Help your brain thrive, now and into the future: https://neuro.world/

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Creatine’ • SEASON 5 • EPISODE 8

LINKS

Dr. Taylor at the University of Kansas: https://www.kumc.edu/mtaylor3.html

Dr. Swerdlow at the University of Kansas: https://www.kumc.edu/rswerdlow.html

REFERENCES

1. Smith AN, Choi IY, Lee P, Sullivan DK, Burns JM, Swerdlow RH, Kelly E, Taylor MK. Creatine monohydrate pilot in Alzheimer's: Feasibility, brain creatine, and cognition. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. 2025 Apr;11(2):e70101.

2. Taylor MK, Burns JM, Choi IY, et al. Protocol for a single-arm, pilot trial of creatine monohydrate supplementation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Pilot Feasibility Study. 2024;10(1):42.

3. Habeck C, Risacher S, Lee GJ, et al. Relationship between baseline brain metabolism measured using [18 F]FDG PET and memory and executive function in prodromal and early Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Imaging Behav. 2012;6(4):568-83.

4. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports. Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.