The 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
This study tested if two supplements made athletes think better or lift heavier, and found that together, they helped a little with a brain test — but didn’t help with lifting or sprinting. It’s like trying two different snacks to see which one helps you focus during homework — only one snack worked a little, and only for one kind of task.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if mixing a caffeine pill with a special kind of creatine helps athletes think faster under pressure, like when they have to ignore distractions.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 574 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — getting 7 more correct answers on a test that measures focus under distraction is a meaningful improvement for tasks requiring quick decisions, like sports or driving.
- 2When athletes took both caffeine (400 mg) and creatine nitrate (5 g) together for 7 days, they got 7.41 more correct answers on a tricky brain test.
- 3Neither supplement alone helped.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2024
Authors
Gina Mabrey, Majid S. Koozehchian, Andrew T Newton, A. Naderi, Scott C. Forbes, M. Haddad
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking creatine supplements improves cognitive performance in healthy adults.
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.
Taking 400 mg of caffeine, 5 g of creatine nitrate, or both for seven days does not improve strength or short-burst power in trained male athletes, based on measurements from bench press, leg press, and Wingate tests.
Taking 400 mg of caffeine and 5 g of creatine nitrate together for seven days does not change resting heart rate, blood pressure, or levels of liver, kidney, or metabolic markers in male athletes who train with weights.
Taking 5 grams of creatine nitrate daily for 7 days does not improve mental focus during conflicting tasks or physical performance in trained male athletes.
Taking 400 mg of caffeine daily for seven days does not improve the ability to ignore distractions during cognitive tasks in male athletes who train with weights, and it performs worse than when caffeine is taken with creatine nitrate.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.