Honors Program Theses

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Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)

First Advisor

Terence Moriarty

Abstract

Although the role of creatine in improving exercise performance has been well documented, much less is known regarding creatine supplementation and cognitive function. Since creatine is found in the skeletal muscles and brain and also used as an energy source for adenosine triphosphate synthesis, it would seem logical that it may have an impact on cognitive performance of mentally arduous tasks. That said, any further information on the optimal dose and changes in cognition remains unknown. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study, we found that 6 weeks of creatine (either 10 or 20 per day) or placebo (10 g per day) supplementation had no impact on the cognitive performance of young adults (N=30) when participants performed three simple cognitive tasks. Although not statistically significant, we did find that there was a trend toward decreased oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex oxygenation during two of the three cognitive tasks. Future research is warranted to further understand the optimal dosing for cognitive improvements in those neurocognitive disorders (e.g., Parkinson's Disease) as well as relationships between changes in brain creatine, cognitive processing, and brain hemodynamics following creatine supplementation.

Year of Submission

2023

Department

Department of Kinesiology

University Honors Designation

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation University Honors

Date Original

5-2023

Object Description

1 PDF file (16 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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