More power to you

More power to you

Can creatine monohydrate supplements help patients with neuromuscular disorders? Possibly, says the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

That’s because the levels of phosphocreatine in muscle can be lower than normal in disorders such as mitochondrial myopathy. Creatine monohydrate supplements can boost energy stores, which in turn may improve muscle function.

However, the MDA urges caution, since long-term effects are not yet known. They also urge patients to consult their physicians before trying any new treatment.

LONG-TERM CREATINE USE

"For years the medical community has warned of possible liver or kidney damage due to long-term creatine use, although no evidence supports such a claim. Now that creatine has a substantial track record, research on its long-term use is starting to appear in the scientific literature. A research team from Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo, compared 10 people in a control group who had never used creatine to a group of 13 football players with at least two years of strength training and between three months and four years of creatine use. Blood tests showed no differences in chemical markers of kidney and liver disease and toxicity, indicating no detrimental effects as a result of long-term creatine use."

Edmund Burke, Ph.D. in Creatine Stands Its Ground

Related links:
Creatine, creatinine and confusion

Can you believe everything printed about creatine? Not exactly.

Creatine, the next supplement?
Detailed article based on scientific research.

The muscle-building secret is out of the bottle
Reliable info from NY Times columnist Jane Brody.

Questions and Answers About Creatine
MDA basic FAQs on creatine.

Creatine and Neuromuscular Disease
MDA Research Update from March 1999

For a case of CPT II deficiency where creatine levels were low in muscle, visit New! improved!

To read about a study on the effects of creatine monohydrate in neuromuscular disorders, visit Capsules.

Creatine is an amino acid made in the liver and kidneys and acquired in the diet from animal protein foods, especially meats, milk and some fish. The muscles of a 154-pound person need about 2 grams of creatine a day (more or less depending on muscle mass). Meat eaters get about half that from their diets (a half-pound of meat has about 1 gram); the rest is made in the body. As might be expected, creatine levels are lower in vegetarians.

--Jane E. Brody