PlainPill

Caffeine vs Creatine for focus

Short answer: For focus, more users report improvement with Creatine — 92% of 210 reports, versus 79% of 365 for Caffeine.

Caffeine has 680 meta-analyses and 2,072 randomized trials on PubMed; Creatine has 763 and 2,794.

Based on 1,592 reports about Caffeine and 1,547 about Creatine. Not medical advice.

Caffeine
Substance
Creatine
Supplement
User score4952
Verdict
Mixed
Mostly positive
Positive
of reports that state an outcome
42%69%
Reports1,5921,547
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs680 / 2,072763 / 2,794
Mainly used for
Weight loss
% reporting improvement
90% (10)82% (11)
Appetite
% reporting improvement
67% (6)67% (3)
Focus
% reporting improvement
79% (365)92% (210)
Energy
% reporting improvement
78% (535)97% (205)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
14% (110)28% (71)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
16% (208)68% (22)
Mood
% reporting improvement
73% (108)85% (103)
Memory
% reporting improvement
53% (19)91% (70)
Performance
% reporting improvement
91% (35)97% (316)
Recovery
% reporting improvement
—98% (62)
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
40% (5)50% (4)
Digestion
% reporting improvement
29% (7)0% (6)
Libido
% reporting improvement
0% (2)82% (11)
Hormones
% reporting improvement
25% (4)75% (12)
Blood sugar
% reporting improvement
—100% (3)
Heart & lipids
% reporting improvement
8% (12)67% (6)
Skin & hair
% reporting improvement
—17% (12)
Longevity
% reporting improvement
—100% (4)
Common side effectsjitteriness, anxiety, insomnia, headachehair loss, stomach issues, insomnia, water retention
Typical dose reported100-150 mg / dailydaily
Caffeine
Latest review conclusion

To avoid reductions in total sleep time, coffee (107 mg per 250 mL) should be consumed at least 8.8 h prior to bedtime and a standard serve of pre-workout supplement (217.5 mg) should be consumed at least 13.2 h prior to bedtime. The results of the present study provide evidence-based guidance for the appropriate consumption of caffeine to mitigate the deleterious effects on sleep.

Sleep Med Rev, 2023 ↗
What a user said
“For me (210lbs), 100-150mg. IMO above 200mg js too much.”
Full Caffeine profile →
Creatine
Latest review conclusion

The results of the meta-analysis suggest that creatine supplementation did not significantly alter serum creatinine levels (standardized mean difference = 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.73, P = .001, I2 = 22%), and did not alter plasma urea values (standardized mean difference = 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.34-1.85, P = .004, I2 = 28%). The findings indicate that creatine supplementation does not induce renal damage in the studied amounts and durations.

J Ren Nutr, 2019 ↗
What a user said
“Creatine - mental and physical performance enhancement”
Full Creatine profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate