Hi Confuused,

You are quite right about the effect on the brain of trauma causing metabolic cascades and calcium influx into cells. This puts brain cells into an energy deficit, basically their fuel runs out. ATP is the body's primary energy fuel and if this get used up in brain cells, they will struggle and eventually die.

Creatine is made naturally in brain, heart and muscle cells and acts as an energy buffer. In times of plenty a phosphate group is removed from the ATP, inactivating it as a fuel, and the phosphate is put onto creatine, storing it. In times of need, the phosphate is put back. So the creatine acts like a battery that can be charged up and then used when necessary.

As creatine is made naturally, there is no need for most people to take it as a supplement. Body builders take it to bulk up. Presumably if the muscle batteries are topped up then they will be able to release more energy in workouts and thus be able to bulk up more quickly.

The reason for its neuroprotective function, however, is not because it helps us to bulk up. The batteries in brain cells might also benefit from being topped up, especially if there is damage in that department due to injury. Effects have been seen on laboratory rodents. Creatine has also been trialed on humans. I believe it was about 4 grams per day or more. There was a study done for the American military the effects of nutrition on so-called "mild" traumatic brain injury, and the conclusions were basically that it might have possible benefits but more study needs to be done.

I have tried taking creatine and found that it tastes pretty disgusting and is also pretty insoluble, so it is difficult to take in sufficient quantities on a regular basis over a period of time. So, I can't tell you what the beneficial effects, if any, might be. However, I certainly think that it is a possibility and I might try taking it regularly if I can find a suitable form that isn't too disgusting to drink.

There are formulations of it made for body builders that are powder mixed with flavouring. It might be worth looking into. I think that if you were using it anyway as a body builder then there might be a benefit to brain energy but that would be because of a separate function creatine has in the brain not merely because of your increased bulk.

Concussed Scientist