Effects of 7-Day Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function After High-Intensity Interval Training in Active Young Men (HIITCRECOG)

April 9, 2026 updated by: Gosy Endra Vigriawan, Universitas Negeri Malang

Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Preserves Cognitive Function in Student Athletes Following High Intensity Interval Training: Implications for Academic Performance

This study evaluates whether 7-day creatine monohydrate supplementation affects cognitive function after high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in active young men. Twenty participants were assigned to one of four groups: placebo plus exercise, placebo without exercise, creatine 0.1 g/KgBW/day plus exercise, or creatine 0.3 g/KgBW/day plus exercise. Cognitive performance was measured before and after the intervention using visual reaction time, go/no-go visual reaction time, and Trail Making Tests A and B.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study used a controlled pretest-posttest, four-arm interventional design to examine the effects of short-term creatine monohydrate supplementation on cognitive function after high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in active young men. Twenty participants were allocated into four groups: placebo plus exercise, placebo without exercise, creatine 0.1 g/KgBW/day plus exercise, and creatine 0.3 g/KgBW/day plus exercise. The intervention lasted 7 days.

Participants in the exercise groups completed a bodyweight HIIT protocol consisting of two rounds. Round 1 used 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest, and round 2 used 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest, with 30 seconds of rest between rounds. The session included 14 sequential movements and was preceded by a 5-minute warm-up and followed by a 5-minute cool-down.

Cognitive performance was assessed before and after the intervention using visual reaction time (VRT), go/no-go visual reaction time (GNGVRT), and Trail Making Test Parts A and B. These measures were selected to capture processing speed, inhibitory control, attention, and executive function. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Universitas Negeri Malang, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Indonesia
    • East Java
      • Malang, East Java, Indonesia, 65145
        • Laboratory Sports Science Universitas Negeri Malang

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male sport science students aged 19 to 25 years
  • Physically active and accustomed to high-intensity exercise
  • Healthy volunteers
  • Willing to participate and provide written informed consent
  • Willing to complete the 7-day intervention and cognitive testing procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cardiovascular disease
  • History of kidney disease
  • Current use of creatine supplements
  • Current use of pre-workout supplements, steroids, or diuretics
  • Any musculoskeletal, neurological, or medical condition that could interfere with exercise participation or cognitive testing
  • Refusal or inability to complete the study procedures

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo + Exercise
Participants received placebo supplementation using maltodextrin for 7 days and performed high-intensity interval training.
Drug: Placebo
Placebo supplementation for 7 days
Behavioral: High Intensity Interval Training
A bodyweight high-intensity interval training program performed in 2 rounds with 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest in round 1, and 30 seconds work and 15 seconds rest in round 2, with 30 seconds rest between rounds.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Without Exercise
Participants received placebo supplementation using maltodextrin for 7 days without exercise intervention.
Drug: Placebo
Placebo supplementation for 7 days
Experimental: Creatine 0,1 g/KgBW/day + Exercise
Participants received creatine monohydrate supplementation at 0,1 g/KgBW/day for 7 days and performed high-intensity interval training.
Behavioral: High Intensity Interval Training
A bodyweight high-intensity interval training program performed in 2 rounds with 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest in round 1, and 30 seconds work and 15 seconds rest in round 2, with 30 seconds rest between rounds.
Drug: Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate supplementation at a dose of 0,1 g/KgBW/day for 7 days.
Drug: Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate supplementation at a dose of 0,3 g/KgBW/day for 7 days.
Experimental: Creatine 0,3 g/KgBW/day + Exercise
Participants received creatine monohydrate supplementation at 0,3 g/KgBW/day for 7 days and performed high-intensity interval training.
Behavioral: High Intensity Interval Training
A bodyweight high-intensity interval training program performed in 2 rounds with 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest in round 1, and 30 seconds work and 15 seconds rest in round 2, with 30 seconds rest between rounds.
Drug: Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate supplementation at a dose of 0,1 g/KgBW/day for 7 days.
Drug: Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate supplementation at a dose of 0,3 g/KgBW/day for 7 days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time False Alarm Errors
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Number of false alarm (commission) errors recorded during the Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time test. Lower values indicate better inhibitory control.
Baseline and Day 7

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Average response time for correct go trials during the Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time test, expressed in milliseconds. Lower values indicate faster processing speed.
Baseline and Day 7
Trail Making Test Part B Completion Time
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Trail Making Test Part B Completion Time
Baseline and Day 7
Visual Reaction Time
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Simple visual reaction time measured in milliseconds. Lower values indicate faster processing speed.
Baseline and Day 7
Trail Making Test Part A Completion Time
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Trail Making Test Part A Completion Time
Baseline and Day 7

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Universitas Negeri Malang

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 7, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 14, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 14, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 12.02.01/UN32.14.2.8/LT2032
  • 4309/B3/DT.03.08/2025 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Direktorat Kelembagaan, Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi, Republik Indonesia)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

The plan for sharing individual participant data has not yet been finalized.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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