Creatine is often associated with sports and muscle building. However, its functions in the body extend far beyond that. The brain and other tissues also use the creatine-phosphocreatine system to quickly provide energy.
This brings creatine increasingly into focus for research on healthy aging. How can physical performance be maintained in old age? What role does creatine play in cognitive function? And what difference might the formulation make during cellular uptake?
To understand these questions, it is worthwhile to first take a look at cellular energy metabolism.
Creatine: A building block of our energy supply
Our bodies produce creatine from amino acids. We also obtain it through our diet, particularly from meat and fish. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine is found in the muscles.¹
There, creatine is part of a system that can react quickly to increased energy demands. The readily available energy carrier in our cells is adenosine triphosphate, or ATP for short. When ATP is used to generate energy, adenosine diphosphate, or ADP for short, is produced, among other things.
Phosphocreatine can transfer a phosphate group to ADP, thereby helping to rapidly restore ATP. The creatine-phosphocreatine system thus serves as a short-term energy buffer.¹
This function is particularly relevant where energy requirements change rapidly. This includes our muscles, but also the brain.
From the gut to the cell: How creatine reaches its destination
After ingestion, creatine goes through several steps. It is released in the digestive tract, absorbed in the intestines, and transported via the bloodstream to various tissues. It then needs to reach the specific cells.
Absorption from the intestine and uptake into a cell are different processes. Creatine monohydrate has already been very well studied and is exceptionally well absorbed orally.1
Therefore, research on new formulations focuses, among other things, on the question of whether further distribution and cellular uptake can be influenced.
One approach involves phospholipid-based carrier systems, such as those used in liposomal formulations.
Liposomal creatine: What's behind the formulation
Phospholipids are natural components of our cell membranes. Their molecules possess a water-attracting and a water-repelling part. This allows them to arrange themselves into specific structures in aqueous environments.
These include liposomes: tiny vesicles whose shell consists of a phospholipid bilayer. They can enclose substances and are being researched as carrier systems to influence their uptake, distribution, and release.
Liposomal creatine formulations combine creatine with phospholipids. One example is the branded raw material PureWay® Creatine, which combines creatine monohydrate with phospholipids from sunflower lecithin.²
The main question is what influence this combination can have on the uptake of creatine into the cells.
What a laboratory study on cell uptake showed
An unpublished laboratory study from 2025, published by LEHVOSS in a product profile, compared the cellular uptake of PureWay® Creatine with conventional creatine monohydrate. Measurements were taken after one, three, six, and twelve hours.²
In the cell model studied, the phospholipid-based formulation resulted in almost twice the creatine uptake.²
In addition, the research team investigated cell viability under oxidative stress induced in the laboratory by hydrogen peroxide. The cells treated with PureWay® Creatine showed higher viability than the control group treated with conventional creatine.²
This study adds a specific question regarding formulation to creatine research. In addition, clinical studies are investigating the potential impact of creatine intake on physical and mental performance.
Creatine & Longevity: Why muscle strength means more than muscle building
When we talk about longevity, a crucial question arises: What good are additional years of life if we lack the strength to actively shape them?
Climbing stairs, hiking, or simply managing everyday life independently: all of this depends on our physical fitness. However, muscle mass and strength change with age.
Therefore, research is intensively investigating what role creatine can play in connection with strength training.
A meta-analysis from 2026 evaluated eleven randomized controlled trials with adults aged 60 and older. The combination of creatine and resistance training led, on average, to a statistically significant additional gain in muscle strength compared to resistance training alone.³
In the context of longevity, the focus is on an ability that counts in everyday life: maintaining one's own strength for as long as possible.
The brain: High energy demand in a small space
Besides physical performance, mental functions are also an important topic in healthy aging.
Our brain makes up only about 2% of our body weight, yet it accounts for about one-fifth of our resting energy consumption.⁵ To perform their diverse tasks, nerve cells require a continuous energy supply.
Here too, the creatine-phosphocreatine system is involved in the rapid replenishment of ATP. This leads to the research question of whether additional creatine intake can influence certain cognitive functions.
A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2024 evaluated 16 studies with a total of 492 participants. The researchers observed positive effects on individual measures of memory, attention, and processing speed.⁴
The results examined relate to specific cognitive tests. They do not prove that creatine generally slows down mental aging processes.
Looking at creatine from a broader perspective
Creatine connects several research areas relevant to healthy aging: cellular energy metabolism, muscle strength, and certain mental functions.
Studies on creatine in combination with strength training demonstrate why it is attracting scientific interest beyond the traditional fitness sector. At the same time, research into cognitive functions is broadening our understanding of its role in the brain.
Liposomal formulations add to this perspective by addressing the question of how creatine reaches its target cells. Studies on cellular uptake describe a different aspect than clinical studies on muscle strength or memory.
In the context of longevity, the focus is primarily on abilities that enable an active life. Creatine is being investigated in this context as a component of energy supply and as a potential supplement to measures such as strength training.
Sources
¹ Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14051035
² LEHVOSS Nutrition. PureWay® Creatine Product Profile Sheet. February 2026. Representation of an unpublished in vitro study (Perez et al., 2025). Product profile as PDF
³ Yao L et al. Effects of resistance training combined with creatine supplementation on muscle strength, physical function, and muscle mass in older adults. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1919884
⁴ The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1424972
⁵ Raichle ME, Gusnard DA. Appraising the brain's energy budget. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2002;99(16):10237–10239.