Creatine May Help Prevent Fatigue

A recent study suggests that low doses of creatine may lessen exercise-related fatigue without increasing body weight.

Creatine is created by the body and is an important building block of muscle. Many human studies support creatine supplementation for increased lean body mass and strength. Athletes commonly take high doses of creatine after exercise to help build muscle.

Until now, most studies on creatine supplementation have used fixed doses for five days. In this recent study, the researchers used low doses of creatine based on the participants’ body weight for six weeks.

Researchers from the Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania randomly assigned 20 healthy men and women to receive either a placebo or 30 milligrams of creatine per kilogram of body weight daily for six weeks.

At the beginning and end of the study, the researchers measured the participants’ body composition, maximal strength and resistance to muscle fatigue.

Although body composition and maximal strength did not vary between the experimental and placebo groups, subjects in the creatine group had less muscle fatigue than the placebo group. The researchers also noted that body weight and water retention did not increase in the creatine group.

While these results are promising, larger studies are needed to substantiate the findings. The authors call for more research to determine the lowest effective dose of creatine.

For more information about the creatine, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

For more information about athletic performance, please visit Natural Standard's Sports Medicine database.

Comments

[herb]

I find two main things that disturb me about this study. First, the number of subjects was not large enough to make a significant impact on the outcomes of the study. Secondly, how is fatigue measured? What if members of the control group did nothing all day, but members of the creatine group worked for 8 hours outside in the hot sun then went and worked out or vice verse. I think that several more studies need to be completed to confirm these findings.

[JM]

The length of this study (six weeks) is exciting, as it can provide data that are more applicable to the population most likely to use this supplement. I would like to see more studies conducted as the author suggests to identify the least effective dose, but I’m also interested in the potential side effects resulting from long-term consumption. There has also been a dehydration risk associated with supplement use and activity outdoors in the sun, many of the athletes this supplement targets often work outside. Would they be at increased risk of dehydration? Could they effectively protect themselves?

[Catherine Niemiec]

In addition to receiving acupuncture over a longer period of time in order to prepare the body for fertilization and pregnancy, acupuncture is also effective regardless of 'sham points' being used. Meridians and points are the primary pathways of influencing the flow of Qi. However there are a multitude of additional points not regularly used that can influence Qi. Thus, studies using "sham points" can be misleading since they can be equally or more effective in some cases, and this does not mean that acupuncture is ineffective. In fact, it is quite the opposite...acupuncture is highly effective, whether using traditional or nontraditional point prescriptions.

[LP]

As is mentioned here, I think that no matter what the results of this study could have shown, it is limited greatly by the small study size. With only 12 men and 8 women, you cannot really tell if these results were from the creatine or if there were variations in these particular individuals that brought the study to these conclusions.

[husky86]

I agree that this study is too small to be conclusive. Larger studies are definitely warranted, with a diverse age range, which was not mentioned in this study. I’d also be interested to know how the researchers measure “resistance to muscle fatigue."

[Julia]

It's interesting that although maximal strength was unchanged, muscle fatigue improved in the test group. While it's true that a larger study is needed before any sort of conclusions are drawn, I wonder what the preliminary results of this study mean. It's also very important to make sure that maximal doses are established because I can see how this would get abused by people who are trying to work out more or even athletes.

[ewjrequire]

It is interesting that low doses of creatine can lessen exercise-related fatigue. It is even better because it does not increase body weight! Creatine is an important constituent in the muscle, and it breaks down as we exercise and is excreted out of the body. To me, it make sense to supplement with something that we lose while exercising.

[SportsMed]

I agree that the study size is small, but I love seeing anything positive about creatine since it is, in my opinion, a great alternative to steroids for athletes. Too many professional athletes these days have been caught using steroids. Kids look up to these athletes. So having a natural product like creatine that helps build muscle, and now may help reduce exercise-related fatigue, is fantastic. I feel like young athletes would much rather use a product like creatine than steroids, especially if creatine continues to receive good press.

[JJ]

I agree, SportsMed. Rather than taking steroids to get the body you desire, creatine gives a natural way to build muscles, prevent fatigue associated with exercise and not increase your weight (if it works). Are there any side effects associated with creatine, though? I heard that rhabdomyolysis can occur. I wonder what other side effects may occur and if they're relatively mild with recommended doses of creatin

[nc1029]

I've heard while that creatine is relatively safe, you definitely need to drink A LOT of water while consuming it. If you don't hydrate, you can experience severe cramping. Also, I've heard that if you use too much and bulk up too fast you can get stretch marks. That being said, I agree with the above comments. I hope young people who wish to increase their performance turn to something like creatine instead of steroids. School should educate students about the severe side effects of long-term steroid use in their core health and nutrition class.

[SAS]

I agree LP. In addition to a small study sample with a disproportionate ratio of males to females, I also wonder about their daily activities. For example, it mentions that the volunteers were already healthy. I'm sure that helps in reports of reduced fatigue! And, I wonder what types of exercise regimens they engaged in while participating in the study; this could affect the reports of fatigue while also taking creatine.