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

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: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise Ergogenics; Creatine Supplementation
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo; Behavioral: High Intensity Interval Training; Drug: Creatine Monohydrate; Drug: Creatine Monohydrate

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: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

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

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time False Alarm Errors	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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Go/No-Go Visual Reaction Time	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	Trail Making Test Part B Completion Time	Baseline and Day 7
Visual Reaction Time	Simple visual reaction time measured in milliseconds. Lower values indicate faster processing speed.	Baseline and Day 7
Trail Making Test Part A Completion Time	Trail Making Test Part A Completion Time	Baseline and Day 7

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitas Negeri Malang

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 7, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 14, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): February 14, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Executive Function; Cognitive; High Intensity Interval Training; Reaction Time; creatine monohydrate
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Organic Chemicals; Amino Acids; Physical Conditioning, Human; Guanidines; Amidines; Exercise; High-Intensity Interval Training; Creatine
• Other Study ID 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