Michelle Dang

Yes. Scientists are getting excited here. Whoa. Yeah.

Yes. Scientists are getting excited here. Whoa. Yeah.

Yeah. Now, this idea isn't totally wild. Remember how creatine works to help you build muscle because you're better at recycling that fuel, ATP? Yeah.

Yeah. Now, this idea isn't totally wild. Remember how creatine works to help you build muscle because you're better at recycling that fuel, ATP? Yeah.

Yeah. Well, the brain also uses ATP. So Ali Gorjanejan, a physicist from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Germany, figured... We thought, okay, when that is working for the muscles, why not for the brain? So Ali wanted to know if creatine could really boost your brain power. And for this study, he wanted to get the brain when it's at its worst and really needs that fuel.

Yeah. Well, the brain also uses ATP. So Ali Gorjanejan, a physicist from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Germany, figured... We thought, okay, when that is working for the muscles, why not for the brain? So Ali wanted to know if creatine could really boost your brain power. And for this study, he wanted to get the brain when it's at its worst and really needs that fuel.

And the totally exhausted, totally stressed state that he studied was the sleep deprived brain.

And the totally exhausted, totally stressed state that he studied was the sleep deprived brain.

Uh-huh. And so one evening, Ali brought 15 people into the lab and ran a bunch of tests on them. In one of these tests, he's looking at reaction times. So a green dot lights up on a screen, and you have to press a clicker as soon as you see it. But you get tired and more tired and you get really crappy at this.

Uh-huh. And so one evening, Ali brought 15 people into the lab and ran a bunch of tests on them. In one of these tests, he's looking at reaction times. So a green dot lights up on a screen, and you have to press a clicker as soon as you see it. But you get tired and more tired and you get really crappy at this.

So there's also memory tests he did, stuff like that. And then Ali had to make sure that these folks didn't sleep. And for those who were struggling to stay awake, he had a cheeky trick.

So there's also memory tests he did, stuff like that. And then Ali had to make sure that these folks didn't sleep. And for those who were struggling to stay awake, he had a cheeky trick.

You debated about politics.

You debated about politics.

On top of the annoying chats throughout the night, Ollie's taking MRI scans and repeating those cognitive tests once at midnight, at 2 a.m. and at 4 a.m. And, you know, these people are really dedicated to They all came into the lab to do this on a second night again. So each person got one night on creatine, another on placebo. They didn't know which they were getting each time.

On top of the annoying chats throughout the night, Ollie's taking MRI scans and repeating those cognitive tests once at midnight, at 2 a.m. and at 4 a.m. And, you know, these people are really dedicated to They all came into the lab to do this on a second night again. So each person got one night on creatine, another on placebo. They didn't know which they were getting each time.

Well, very on theme, it was late at night when Ali tallied up the results and he got so excited. Creatine was actually doing something.

Well, very on theme, it was late at night when Ali tallied up the results and he got so excited. Creatine was actually doing something.

Those taking creatine on average did significantly better at both the memory test and the clicker test.

Those taking creatine on average did significantly better at both the memory test and the clicker test.