The Muscle Mag
According to researchers, the combination of creatine nitrate and caffeine has shown to enhance cognitive function, especially in tasks involving cognitive interference, without impacting short-term exercise performance. Additionally, no negative events were reported during the study.
Published in the journal Nutrients, the study brought together researchers from Jacksonville State University (USA), Islamic Azad University (Iran), Brandon University (Canada), and Qatar University (Doha).
Synergistic supplements for performance
Athletes have long used dietary supplements to improve their performance, with caffeine and creatine being two of the most extensively studied ingredients known to enhance athletic ability.
Research has shown that caffeine can significantly benefit sporting performance by improving strength, endurance, heart rate, blood pressure, and cognitive function. Similarly, creatine is known to rapidly replenish ATP levels during anaerobic exercise, leading to improved strength, sprinting ability, and muscle mass.
However, the combined use of these supplements has not been well researched, and previous findings have been conflicting. This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeine and creatine nitrate supplementation, both individually and together, on intense intermittent exercise performance and mental focus.
Study details
For this double-blind, randomized crossover trial, 12 resistance-trained male athletes were recruited. The study lasted seven days and involved four treatments: creatine nitrate, caffeine, a combination of both, and a placebo. Supplements were administered 45 minutes before the tests, and participants completed cognitive assessments and exercise performance tests.
The researchers found that cognitive function significantly improved with co-supplementation, but there were no significant benefits to exercise performance. caffeine for sporting performance
Co-intake complexities
Even though exercise performance did not show significant improvement with co-supplementation of caffeine and creatine, researchers emphasized the intricate relationship between these supplements. They highlighted previous studies suggesting that caffeine may reduce the effectiveness of creatine, despite some performance benefits with combined use.
The researchers mentioned that the enhanced cognitive performance seen with the combination of creatine and caffeine could indicate a synergistic effect. Studies suggest that this combination may enhance cognitive benefits, potentially by increasing brain activation in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for executive functions.
Source: Nutrients
doi: 10.3390/nu16060766
“The Effect of Creatine Nitrate and Caffeine Individually or Combined on Exercise Performance and Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial”
Authors: G. Mabrey et al.
