Creatine supplementation: facts and myths
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2024.22.54338Keywords
creatine, body composition, long COVID-19, ageing population, professional sport, cognitive function, dermatomyositis, ischemic heart diseaseAbstract
Introduction: Creatine (N-methylguanidinoacetic acid) is a peptide built of three amino acids: glycine, arginine and methionine. Its function is to store energy. It is common practice to intake creatine as a dietary supplement. Because of that, we decided to try to answer the question if there are scientifically documented advantages of creatine supplementation.
Review method: We analyzed the newest research conducted from 2017 to 2024. The studies were searched in online databases like PubMed and Google Scholar. We focused on the impact of creatine supplementation on the ageing population, professional athletes, the course of some diseases, cognitive functions and body composition
Results: Creatine supplementation is beneficial in professional sports. There are some signals that creatine may worsen lung conditions in sportsmen. In the ageing population, creatine supplementation boosts the results of resistance training on ageing muscle performance. There are suggestions that in this population bone geometry changes due to a combination of training and creatine supplementation may be protective against hip fracture. Creatine can also enhance cognitive functions as well as lead to positive changes in body composition. Supplementation of creatine seems to reduce symptoms of long COVID-19. It may be also beneficial among children with dermatomyositis and patients with ischemic heart disease.
Conclusions: Creatine supplementation may be beneficial in some populations. It can also enhance cognitive functions as well as lead to changes in body composition. Some effects of creatine supplementation are still controversial and further investigation is needed to determine its usefulness.
Keywords: creatine, body composition, long COVID-19, ageing population, professional sport, cognitive functions, dermatomyositis, ischemic heart disease
References
Bańkowski E et al., Biochemistry. Chapters: 6.1.3; 19.5.11;21.2; 37.2.4, 4th ed. Edra Urban & Partner, Wrocław 2020.
Stolnica B et al., Laboratory diagnostics with clinical biochemistry. Chapter: Laboratory diagnostics of kidneys, 5th ed. Edra Urban & Partner, Wrocław 2022.
Yáñez-Silva A, Buzzachera CF, Piçarro IDC, Januario RSB, Ferreira LHB, McAnulty SR, Utter AC, Souza-Junior TP. Effect of low dose, short-term creatine supplementation on muscle power output in elite youth soccer players. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0162-2
da Silva Azevedo AP, Michelone Acquesta F, Lancha AH Jr, Bertuzzi R, Poortmans JR, Amadio AC, Cerca Serrão J. Creatine supplementation can improve impact control in high-intensity interval training. Nutrition. 2019;61:99-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2018.09.020
Simpson AJ, Horne S, Sharp P, Sharps R, Kippelen P. Effect of Creatine Supplementation on the Airways of Youth Elite Soccer Players. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51:1582–1590. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000001979
Fernández-Landa J, Fernández-Lázaro D, Calleja-González J, Caballero-García A, Córdova Martínez A, León-Guereño P, Mielgo-Ayuso J. Effect of Ten Weeks of Creatine Monohydrate Plus HMB Supplementation on Athletic Performance Tests in Elite Male Endurance Athletes. Nutrients. 2020;12(1):193. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010193
Zajac A, Golas A, Chycki J, Halz M, Michalczyk MM. The Effects of Long-Term Magnesium Creatine Chelate Supplementation on Repeated Sprint Ability (RAST) in Elite Soccer Players. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):2961. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102961
Kim J. Effects of Combined Creatine and Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Soccer-Specific Performance in Elite Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(13):6919. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136919
Jurado-Castro JM, Campos-Pérez J, Vilches-Redondo MÁ, Mata F, Navarrete-Pérez A, Ranchal-Sanchez A. Morning versus Evening Intake of Creatine in Elite Female Handball Players. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;19(1):393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010393
Candow DG, Forbes SC, Vogt E. Effect of pre-exercise and post-exercise creatine supplementation on bone mineral content and density in healthy aging adults. Exp Gerontol. 2019;119:89-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2019.01.025
Sales LP, Pinto AJ, Rodrigues SF, Alvarenga JC, Gonçalves N, Sampaio-Barros MM, Benatti FB, Gualano B, Rodrigues Pereira RM. Creatine Supplementation (3 g/d) and Bone Health in Older Women: A 2-Year, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020;75(5):931-938. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glz162
Chami J, Candow DG. Effect of Creatine Supplementation Dosing Strategies on Aging Muscle Performance. J Nutr Health Aging. 2019;23(3):281-285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1148-8
Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Gordon J, Vogt E, Landeryou T, Kaviani M, Paus-Jensen L. Effect of 12 months of creatine supplementation and whole-body resistance training on measures of bone, muscle and strength in older males. Nutr Health. 2021;27(2):151-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106020975247
Bernat P, Candow DG, Gryzb K, Butchart S, Schoenfeld BJ, Bruno P. Effects of high-velocity resistance training and creatine supplementation in untrained healthy aging males. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2019;44(11):1246-1253. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2019-0066
Chilibeck PD, Candow DG, Gordon JJ, Duff WRD, Mason R, Shaw K, Taylor-Gjevre R, Nair B, Zello GA. A 2-yr Randomized Controlled Trial on Creatine Supplementation during Exercise for Postmenopausal Bone Health. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023;55(10):1750-1760. https://doi.org/10.1249%2FMSS.0000000000003202
Amiri E, Sheikholeslami-Vatani D. The role of resistance training and creatine supplementation on oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, muscle strength, and quality of life in older adults. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1062832. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1062832
Seper V, Korovljev D, Todorovic N, Stajer V, Ostojic J, Nesic N, Ostojic SM. Guanidinoacetate-Creatine Supplementation Improves Functional Performance and Muscle and Brain Bioenergetics in the Elderly: A Pilot Study. Ann Nutr Metab. 2021;77(4):244-247. https://doi.org/10.1159/000518499
Oliveira CLP, Antunes BMM, Gomes AC, Lira FS, Pimentel GD, Boulé NG, Mota JF. Creatine supplementation does not promote additional effects on inflammation and insulin resistance in older adults: A pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020;38:94-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.05.024
Slankamenac J, Ranisavljev M, Todorovic N, Ostojic J, Stajer V, Candow DG, Ratgeber L, Betlehem J, Acs P, Ostojic SM. Eight-Week Creatine-Glucose Supplementation Alleviates Clinical Features of Long COVID. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2024;70(2):174-178. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.70.174
Parsowith EJ, Stock MS, Kocuba O, Schumpp A, Jackson K, Brooks AM, Larson A, Dixon M, Fairman CM. Impact of Short-Term Creatine Supplementation on Muscular Performance among Breast Cancer Survivors. Nutrients. 2024;16(7):979. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16070979
Domingues WJR, Ritti-Dias RM, Cucato GG, Wolosker N, Zerati AE, Puech-Leão P, Nunhes PM, Moliterno AA, Avelar A. Does Creatine Supplementation Affect Renal Function in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease? A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-controlled, Clinical Trial. Ann Vasc Surg. 2020;63:45-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2019.07.008
Domingues WJR, Ritti-Dias RM, Cucato GG, Wolosker N, Zerati AE, Puech-Leão P, Coelho DB, Nunhes PM, Moliterno AA, Avelar A. Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Functional Capacity and Muscle Oxygen Saturation in Patients with Symptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Pilot Study of a Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(1):149. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010149
Dover S, Stephens S, Schneiderman JE, Pullenayegum E, Wells GD, Levy DM, Marcuz JA, Whitney K, Schulze A, Tein I, Feldman BM. The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Muscle Function in Childhood Myositis: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Feasibility Study. J Rheumatol. 2021;48(3):434-441. https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.191375
Derosa G, Pasqualotto S, Catena G, D'Angelo A, Maggi A, Maffioli P. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Food Supplement Containing Creatine and D-Ribose Combined with a Physical Exercise Program in Increasing Stress Tolerance in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(12):3075. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11123075
Mabrey G, Koozehchian MS, Newton AT, Naderi A, Forbes SC, Haddad M. The Effect of Creatine Nitrate and Caffeine Individually or Combined on Exercise Performance and Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2024;16(6):766. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060766
VAN Cutsem J, Roelands B, Pluym B, Tassignon B, Verschueren JO, DE Pauw K, Meeusen R. Can Creatine Combat the Mental Fatigue-associated Decrease in Visuomotor Skills? Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020;52(1):120-130. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000002122
Samadi M, Askarian A, Shirvani H, Shamsoddini A, Shakibaee A, Forbes SC, Kaviani M. Effects of Four Weeks of Beta-Alanine Supplementation Combined with One Week of Creatine Loading on Physical and Cognitive Performance in Military Personnel. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(13):7992. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137992
Sandkühler JF, Kersting X, Faust A, Königs EK, Altman G, Ettinger U, Lux S, Philipsen A, Müller H, Brauner J. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance-a randomised controlled study. BMC Med. 2023;21(1):440. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-03146-5
Buck EA, Saunders MJ, Edwards ES, Womack CJ. Body composition measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance following creatine supplementation. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2023;63(11):1188-1193. https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.23.15058-4
Moore SR, Gordon AN, Cabre HE, Hackney AC, Smith-Ryan AE. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Changes in Fluid Distribution across Menstrual Phases with Creatine Supplementation. Nutrients. 2023;15(2):429. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020429
Brooks SJ, Candow DG, Roe AJ, Fehrenkamp BD, Wilk VC, Bailey JP, Krumpl L, Brown AF. Creatine monohydrate supplementation changes total body water and DXA lean mass estimates in female collegiate dancers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023;20(1):2193556. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2023.2193556
Marini ACB, Schincaglia RM, Candow DG, Pimentel GD. Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Body Composition and Malnutrition-Inflammation Score in Hemodialysis Patients: An Exploratory 1-Year, Balanced, Double-Blind Design. Nutrients. 2024; 16(5):615. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050615
Kim HJ, Kim CK, Carpentier A, Poortmans JR. Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. Amino Acids. 2011;40(5):1409-1418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0878-2
Bender A, Klopstock T. Creatine for neuroprotection in neurodegenerative disease: end of story?. Amino Acids. 2016;48(8):1929-1940. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-2165-0
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Weronika Kawecka, Paweł Zalewski, Wiktor Wróblewski, Jan Biłogras, Martyna Borowska, Jakub Wróblewski

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 345
Number of citations: 0