Andy Galpin | Use Creatine to Protect Your Brain From Head Injuries @drandygalpin | Uploaded August 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Repeated head injuries can lead to second-impact syndrome, where a subsequent injury before full recovery causes rapid and potentially permanent brain damage. This is a significant risk for athletes, military, or anyone prone to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussions.
But here's the good news: research has shown that creatine supplementation can help mitigate the damage caused by second-impact syndrome. In fact, studies have found that creatine depletion prior to additional impacts can worsen the damage to your brain.
So, what should you do?
If you do experience a head injury, it's essential to replenish your creatine stores as quickly as possible. Creatine monohydrate is a good option, as it's the most researched and widely used form in studies, and it's also one of the most affordable and available options.
Creating a regular creatine supplementation routine can be beneficial for overall health and wellness, regardless of your risk level for head injuries.
You can obtain creatine through both food sources and supplements. While it is possible to get creatine from food, particularly from meat sources (which contain around 400-600mg of creatine per 100g or 3.5oz serving), it can be challenging to achieve the high dosages needed through diet alone.
Most studies on creatine monohydrate for brain injuries have used high dosages of around 20g per day, which is significantly higher than the typical dosages used for performance benefits. As a preventative measure, a daily dose of 5-10g may be sufficient for most people. However, if you know you'll be at risk of exposure to head impacts, you may want to increase your dosage to 20-30g per day for a week, split into multiple doses.
Remember, the primary goal should always be to minimize the number of head impacts and injuries in the first place.
Repeated head injuries can lead to second-impact syndrome, where a subsequent injury before full recovery causes rapid and potentially permanent brain damage. This is a significant risk for athletes, military, or anyone prone to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussions.
But here's the good news: research has shown that creatine supplementation can help mitigate the damage caused by second-impact syndrome. In fact, studies have found that creatine depletion prior to additional impacts can worsen the damage to your brain.
So, what should you do?
If you do experience a head injury, it's essential to replenish your creatine stores as quickly as possible. Creatine monohydrate is a good option, as it's the most researched and widely used form in studies, and it's also one of the most affordable and available options.
Creating a regular creatine supplementation routine can be beneficial for overall health and wellness, regardless of your risk level for head injuries.
You can obtain creatine through both food sources and supplements. While it is possible to get creatine from food, particularly from meat sources (which contain around 400-600mg of creatine per 100g or 3.5oz serving), it can be challenging to achieve the high dosages needed through diet alone.
Most studies on creatine monohydrate for brain injuries have used high dosages of around 20g per day, which is significantly higher than the typical dosages used for performance benefits. As a preventative measure, a daily dose of 5-10g may be sufficient for most people. However, if you know you'll be at risk of exposure to head impacts, you may want to increase your dosage to 20-30g per day for a week, split into multiple doses.
Remember, the primary goal should always be to minimize the number of head impacts and injuries in the first place.
