The Claim

Co-ingestion of 400 mg caffeine and 5 g creatine nitrate for seven days significantly improves cognitive interference performance in resistance-trained male athletes, as measured by the Stroop Word-Color test, with a medium-to-large effect size (0.163) and a mean improvement of 7.41 correct responses compared to placebo.

Source: The Effect of Creatine Nitrate and Caffeine Individually or Combined on Exercise Performance and Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
74score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Resistance-trained male athletes who took 400 mg of caffeine and 5 g of creatine nitrate together for seven days performed 7.41 more correct responses on the Stroop Word-Color test than those who took a placebo.

See the scientific wording

Co-ingestion of 400 mg caffeine and 5 g creatine nitrate for seven days significantly improves cognitive interference performance in resistance-trained male athletes, as measured by the Stroop Word-Color test, with a medium-to-large effect size (0.163) and a mean improvement of 7.41 correct responses compared to placebo, suggesting a synergistic effect on executive attention under cognitive load.

Why this might work

Caffeine blocks a brain chemical that slows down nerve cells, making them more active. Creatine nitrate provides extra energy to brain cells and opens up blood vessels in the brain, delivering more oxygen and fuel. Together, this makes the brain's decision-making center work faster and more efficiently during tasks that require focus and ignoring distractions.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: The Effect of Creatine Nitrate and Caffeine Individually or Combined on Exercise Performance and Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

    When these athletes took caffeine and creatine nitrate together for a week, they got better at focusing and ignoring distractions on a brain test — better than when they took either one alone. No side effects happened.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

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