Creatine supplementation and healthy ageing

With growing age muscle power, lean/muscle mass and useful capacity decline. That is generally known as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia decreases the flexibility to carry out actions of day by day dwelling (1). It is usually related to reductions in bone mass/power and cognitive operate (2). Creatine has been proposed as a potential countermeasure of sarcopenia. Accumulating analysis over the previous few a long time reveals that creatine supplementation, primarily when mixed with resistance-type actions, has some helpful results for older adults. 

Creatine is a nitrogen-containing compound derived from reactions involving the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine within the liver and mind (see blogs A and B). Alternatively, creatine might be consumed within the ordinary food plan (primarily from purple meat and seafood; 1 kg of meat = ~ 5 grams of creatine) or by commercially manufactured merchandise containing creatine. The overwhelming majority of creatine merchandise are within the type of creatine monohydrate.   Whereas skeletal muscle doesn’t synthesize creatine, it homes roughly 95% of whole physique creatine shops (3). Subsequently, ≤ 5% of creatine shops are situated in different tissues reminiscent of bone and the mind. Contained in the cell, creatine turns into sure to phosphate and saved as phosphocreatine (PCr). Following formation of PCr, creatine is non-enzymatically degraded to creatinine (metabolic by-product) which is excreted in urine (3). Creatine performs a pivotal function within the upkeep of the ATP/ADP ratio by its involvement within the PCr power system (3).

The overwhelming majority of analysis involving creatine supplementation in older grownup populations has targeted on adjustments in lean tissue mass and muscle efficiency (i.e. power) in response to resistance coaching. Collectively, outcomes throughout research present that the creatine-resistance coaching ≤ 2 years combo will increase whole-body lean tissue mass by about 1.4 kg over time (4). There’s minimal proof that creatine supplementation with out train produces muscle advantages in older adults. Whereas lean tissue mass just isn’t muscle mass, a latest randomized managed trial utilizing a way known as peripheral quantitive computed tomography (pQCT) in older adults confirmed that creatine supplementation (0.1 grams/kg/day) with supervised whole-body resistance coaching for 1 yr weeks considerably improved decrease leg muscle density in comparison with placebo (5).

Muscle density is an impartial danger issue for incapacity and falls in older adults. The mixture of creatine supplementation and resistance coaching additionally will increase upper- and lower-body power (4) and useful capacity (6) and reduces fats mass and physique fats share in older adults (7). These advantages could also be associated to creatine supplementation influencing mobile hydration standing, power expenditure, myogenic transcription issue and satellite tv for pc cell exercise, muscle protein kinetics and irritation and oxidative stress (4, 6).  Importantly, the overwhelming majority of those mechanistic and/or mobile results from creatine supplementation haven’t been verified in older adults.

Along with muscle, there’s a small physique of analysis which has targeted on creatine supplementation and measures of bone biology in older adults. Creatine is taken up by bone and performs a vital function in bone power metabolism (8). Creatine will increase the metabolic exercise and differentiation of cells concerned in bone formation (osteoblasts). Thus, creatine supplementation has been recommended to reinforce the bone transforming course of in favor of bone formation and function an efficient intervention to keep up or enhance bone mass and power in older adults. Nonetheless, just a few research have proven favorable results on measures of lower-body bone upkeep or power in older adults from creatine supplementation and resistance coaching (9). The overwhelming majority of analysis reveals no bone advantages over time.

Along with results on muscle and bone, extra lately research have began to investigare the results of creatine on the mind. There’s rising analysis demonstrating that creatine supplementation can enhance indices of cognition and reminiscence in older adults (10).

In abstract, the mixture of creatine supplementation and resistance coaching will increase lean tissue mass, muscle power and measures of useful capacity in wholesome older adults. Whereas there may be some proof that creatine and train can protect regional bone construction, creatine doesn’t enhance bone mineral density in older adults. From a mind well being perspective, creatine supplementation reveals promise for bettering measures of cognition/reminiscence in wholesome older adults.

1. Kirk B, Phu S, Brennan-Olsen SL, Bani H E, Duque G. Associations between osteoporosis, the severity of sarcopenia and fragility fractures in community-dwelling older adults. Eur Geriatr Med. 2020;11:443–50.

2. Arosio B, Calvani R, Ferri E,  Coelho-Junior HJ, Carandina A, Campanelli F, et al. Sarcopenia and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Concentrating on the Muscle-Mind Axis. Vitamins. 2023;15:1853.

3. Wyss M, Kaddurah-Daouk R.  Creatine and creatinine metabolism. Physiol Rev. 2000; 80:1107-1213.

4. Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Impact of creatine supplementation throughout resistance coaching on lean tissue mass and muscular power in older adults: A meta-analysis. Open Entry J Sports activities Med. 2017; 8:213-26.

5. Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Gordon JJ,  Kontulainen S. Efficacy of creatine supplementation and supervised resistance coaching on space and density of bone and muscle in older adults. Med  Sci Sports activities  Exerc. 2021;53:2388-95.

6. Candow DG, Forbes SC, Chilibeck PD, Cornish SM, Antonio J, Kreider RB. Effectiveness of creatine supplementation on getting old muscle and bone: Deal with falls prevention and irritation. J Clin Med. 2019;8: 488-502.

7. Forbes SC, Candow DG, Krentz JR, Roberts MD, Younger KC. Changes in Fat Mass Following CreatineSupplementation and Resistance Training in Adults > 50 Years of Age: A Meta-Analysis.  J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2019;4(3):62.

8. Wallimann T, Hemmer W. Creatine kinase in non-muscle tissues and cells.  Mol Cell Biochem. 1994;133-134:193–220.

9. Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Forbes SC, Fairman CM, Gualano B, Roschel H. Creatine supplementation for older adults: Deal with sarcopenia, osteoporosis, frailty and cachexia. Bone. 2022;162:116467.

10. 10.  Candow DG, Forbes SC, Ostojic SM, Prokopidis Ok, Inventory MS,  Harmon KK, et al.  “Heads-Up” for Creatine Supplementation and Its Potential Functions for Mind Well being and Operate. Sports activities Med. 2023;53:49-65.