Creatine shows mixed results for depression in trials

iStock/Sidney van den Boogaard

By Olivia Bowthorpe

Taking a creatine supplement could benefit people with depression when used with standard treatment, according to a review of five international clinical trials.

Researchers found some evidence that creatine monohydrate may boost the effectiveness of antidepressants or talking therapies in people with major depressive disorder, although the findings were not consistent across the trials.

The review, published in Brain Medicine, looked at five relatively small and short randomised controlled trials, mostly lasting six to eight weeks.

Together, they involved 238 predominantly female participants with depression or bipolar disorder.

Two of the studies found that people taking creatine and having standard treatment showed greater improvements in depression symptoms than those taking a placebo supplement.

In one trial, women taking 5g of creatine a day plus the antidepressant escitalopram for eight weeks showed larger reductions in depression scores and higher remission rates.

A third study found that those on creatine plus cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) showed benefit over those receiving CBT plus placebo.