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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Creatine vs Modafinil: Creatine has the stronger overall evidence (9.5 vs 5/10); they're alternatives for boost daily energy — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Creatine wins 3 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Likely helps
8 of 10 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
5g daily
Any time, Post-workout may have slight advantage
Monohydrate powder
Approved dosing is 200 mg once daily in the morning for narcolepsy and OSA, or 200 mg taken ~1 hour before the start of a night shift for shift-work sleep disorder. A prescription drug; off-label cognitive use is not an approved or standardized regimen.
Morning
Oral tablet (modafinil)
2-4 weeks
1-2 weeks
First week
2-4 weeks
Hours (per dose); weeks for steady benefit
Per dose (acute)
Acute
Throughout use
Risk of Adverse Outcomes in Females Taking Oral Creatine Monohydrate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2020) · Meta analysis · n=951
Six hundred and fifty-six studies were identified where creatine supplementation was the primary intervention; fifty-eight were female only studies (9%).
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2017) · Systematic review
Increases strength by 5-15%
Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength Gains in Adults <50 Years of Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2024) · Meta analysis · n=509
In comparison with a placebo, creatine supplementation combined with resistance training significantly increased upper-body (WMD = 4.43 kg, p < 0.001) and lower-body strength (WMD = 11.35 kg, p < 0.001).
Randomized trial of modafinil for the treatment of pathological somnolence in narcolepsy. US Modafinil in Narcolepsy Multicenter Study Group.
Annals of neurology (1998) · Rct · n=283
Pivotal placebo-controlled, double-blind, 18-center RCT in 283 narcolepsy patients (modafinil 200 or 400 mg vs placebo)
Randomized trial of modafinil as a treatment for the excessive daytime somnolence of narcolepsy: US Modafinil in Narcolepsy Multicenter Study Group.
Neurology (2000) · Rct · n=271
Second pivotal 9-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 21-center RCT (n=271; 200 or 400 mg vs placebo)
Modafinil for excessive sleepiness associated with shift-work sleep disorder.
The New England journal of medicine (2005) · Rct · n=209
3-month double-blind RCT of 200 mg modafinil before each night shift vs placebo in 209 shift-work-sleep-disorder patients (NEJM)
The 5 g point is a crossover trial in 123 adults taking 5 g a day for 6 weeks (PMID 37968687): the effect on backward digit span only bordered significance (p = 0.064), reasoning (Raven's matrices) did not change, and side effects were 4.25 times more common than on placebo. The 20 g point is a one-week trial of 5 g four times a day in 32 older adults, where most memory tasks improved (PMID 17828627). A meta-analysis of 10 trials found a small memory benefit (SMD 0.29), mostly in adults aged 66 to 76, with no effect of dose across 2.2 to 20 g a day (PMID 35984306), so the curve is flat. The two trials differ in age and length as well as dose. No minimum or optimal dose is established.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Creatine has a higher evidence score (9.5/10 vs 5/10) and wins in 3 of 3 categories.
For boost daily energy, Creatine has a higher relevance score (75 vs 48).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The honest tier list — proven staples vs situational vs mostly marketing. The hub the other guides feed into.
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The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.