How creatine works, and where the evidence stops
The mechanism is well described and the performance evidence is narrow but consistent. The cognitive evidence is thinner, and the label claims are the manufacturers' own.
The mechanism is well described and the performance evidence is narrow but consistent. The cognitive evidence is thinner, and the label claims are the manufacturers' own.
Creatine is one of the most-studied supplements in sports nutrition. Here is what the research actually shows about its mechanism, its effects on strength, and where the evidence runs thin.
Large randomized trials have tested whether vitamin D prevents respiratory infections — the answer is a modest effect mostly in people who started deficient, and no demonstrated benefit against colds in the general population.
The FDA confirmed in 2024 it does not object to NAC in dietary supplements, ending a four-year limbo — but the compound's efficacy evidence remains narrow, and the policy story is the real news.