The Creatine Gap… Why Athletes Might Underdose Their Brains

The Creatine Gap… Why Athletes Might Underdose Their Brains

Creatine used to be simple. Five grams per day was the universal recommendation. Enough to saturate your muscles and help you train harder. But as the research evolves, and as we learn more about how the brain and body both use creatine, it has become clear that 5 grams may be the minimum, not the optimal.

At Rollfast Coaching, we care about building athletes who are fast, strong and built for the long haul. And for that kind of athlete, 10 grams per day is becoming the new standard.

Here is why.

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Creatine Is Not Just for Muscle. It Is a Full-System Performance Booster

Creatine increases phosphocreatine availability, which improves ATP regeneration. Stronger reps, higher training volume, quicker recovery. That part is well established.

But what gets missed is this. Your brain uses creatine too. Memory, decision making, working memory under stress. It all relies on the same ATP buffering system that muscles do. When creatine stores are low, cognitive performance declines, especially when tired, stressed, or deep into a training block.

So when we talk about creatine, we are talking about the whole athlete.

Strength. Speed. Longevity.
All three pillars.

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Why 10 Grams Makes More Sense Than 5

The growing perspective from respected experts like Peter Attia and Rhonda Patrick is that active people burn through creatine far faster than sedentary individuals. Hard training rapidly pulls creatine into muscle tissue. If you are lifting several days a week, training on the bike, and living a high-output lifestyle, your turnover is simply higher.

Which leads to the core point.

Five grams is enough to saturate muscle. It is not always enough to support the brain as well.

Athletes who train hard should not be operating with a creatine deficit in the tissue that controls memory, skill acquisition, reaction time and stress resilience.

Ten grams ensures plenty for both systems.

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The Cognitive Research Points the Same Direction

Several key studies suggest that individuals with lower baseline creatine availability show the biggest improvements in cognition after supplementation. This includes:

• Benton & Donohoe, British Journal of Nutrition… vegetarians improved memory after creatine; omnivores did not

• Avgerinos et al., 2018 meta analysis… cognitive effects depend on baseline creatine levels and overall demand

• Studies showing improved working memory and intelligence test performance after supplementation when baseline stores were low

Here is the important translation for Rollfast athletes. If you train hard, your baseline stores are lower. You use more. You need more.

That means the athlete most likely to benefit from 10 grams is not the sedentary person. it is you.

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Why Rollfast Now Recommends 10 Grams

We want our athletes to be strong, sharp and durable. And creatine supports all three pillars:

1. Strength

More stored phosphocreatine means more power output, more training volume and better lean mass retention especially for Masters athletes.

2. Speed

Not just on the bike, but speed of thinking, speed of decision making, and speed of cognitive recovery between tasks.

3. Longevity

Creatine improves muscle retention as we age, supports brain health, and may help maintain metabolic function. And given the extremely safe profile of creatine, the upside is large while the downside is almost nonexistent.

Five grams keeps you sufficient.
Ten grams moves you toward optimal.

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Practical Daily Protocol

All Rollfast athletes can follow this simple routine:

• 5 grams in the morning with breakfast

• 5 grams later in the day with a meal or shake

Creatine monohydrate is best. Drink plenty of water. No cycling needed. No loading phase needed. Split dosing improves digestion.

That is it. Easy, inexpensive and high impact.

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The Rollfast Bottom Line

Creatine used to be a strength supplement. Today, it is a whole-athlete supplement. And for athletes who train frequently, lift regularly, and want the cognitive resilience to keep performing in life and sport, 10 grams is becoming the standard.

Five grams is fine for the average person.
But Rollfast athletes are not average.

Ten grams per day supports stronger training, sharper thinking and longer, healthier athletic lives. Exactly what we are building here.