More Plates More Dates Why Dr. Rhonda Patrick Started Taking 10-20 Grams Of Creatine Per Day
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Jan 23, 2026 
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a biomedical scientist specializing in nutrition and aging, discusses her personal experience with creatine supplementation. She reveals that taking 10-20 grams daily can enhance cognitive function, especially during stressful situations. Rhonda explains how creatine helps improve brain energy levels and reduce afternoon fatigue. She also highlights the benefits for vegetarians and addresses common concerns about water weight. Their conversation dives into the science behind creatine's health benefits and its broader implications for well-being.
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Creatine Saturation: Muscle First, Brain Second
- Muscles greedily store creatine as creatine phosphate, making it central to energy production and indirect brain benefits.
- Supplementing ~5 g/day saturates muscle, while higher doses allow excess to reach and benefit the brain.
Use 10 g/day For Cognitive Gains
- Take about 10 g/day to target cognitive benefits and raise brain creatine in human studies.
- Use 5 g/day for muscle saturation, then increase to 10 g/day when seeking brain effects.
Creatine Helps Under Cognitive Stress
- Creatine shows stronger cognitive effects when the brain is stressed, e.g., sleep deprivation or exams.
- High acute doses (20–25 g) can attenuate cognitive deficits after total sleep loss in studies.