Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?

Creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) is a safe and effective intervention for improving certain aspects of sport, exercise performance, and health across the lifespan. Despite its evidence-based pedigree, several questions and misconceptions about CrM remain. To initially address some of these concerns, our group published a narrative review in 2021 discussing the scientific evidence as to whether CrM leads to water retention and fat accumulation, is a steroid, causes hair loss, dehydration or muscle cramping, adversely affects renal and liver function, and if CrM is safe and/or effective for children, adolescents, biological females, and older adults.

The effects of 3-month supplementation with synbiotic on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and brain and muscle metabolism in adult patients with post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome (STOP-FATIGUE): a randomized Placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Purpose: Considering the observed gastrointestinal issues linked to post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), beneficially modulating the gut microbiota could offer a safe, cost-effective nutritional strategy. This trial aimed to evaluate the effects of medium-term synbiotic supplementation on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and tissue metabolism in patients with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS.

Methods: Between September 2022 and December 2023, we investigated the impact of 3-month supplementation with a synbiotic mixture including L.

Creatine with guanidinoacetic acid improves prefrontal brain oxygenation before, during, and after a cognitive task: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Preliminary studies suggest that creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) may function as moderate vasodilators, enhancing tissue oxygen saturation. However, the potential effects of this combination on brain oxygenation in humans remain unknown. The primary objective of this randomized controlled pilot trial was to assess cerebral blood oxygenation indices following a 7-day administration of a mixture containing creatine and GAA in healthy adults.

Creatine and sleep habits and disorders in the general population aged 16 years and over: NHANES 2007-2008.

Preclinical studies have suggested that dietary creatine may affect sleep quality yet no studies have explored the potential association between creatine consumption and sleep patterns or disorders in the general population. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the association between creatine consumption and sleep habits and disorders among individuals aged 16 years and older, using data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The analysis included 5988 individuals (50.

Dietary creatine and carcinogenic biomarkers in adult population.

Several reports suggest potential cytotoxic effects of creatine, possibly due to its role in facilitating the formation of food-borne chemical carcinogenic compounds. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationship between creatine consumption and various carcinogenic biomarkers in blood and urine among individuals aged 18 years and older, utilizing data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Daily creatine intake was assessed using the Dietary Data databases, which were compiled from individual in-person 24-h food recall interviews.

Assessing Dietary Creatine Intake in Population Studies: Challenges and Opportunities.

Limited data exist for establishing the dietary requirements for creatine in the general population. This paper delineates the challenges linked to estimating creatine intake from a typical diet, and explores opportunities to improve the assessment of population-wide creatine intake. Conducting additional food chemistry studies with creatine as a standard analyte, labeling the creatine content in common foods, generating more diverse data from population-based studies, and validating new biomarkers could facilitate the establishment of nutrient reference values for this conditionally essential nutrient.

The Impact of Short-Term Supplementation With Guanidinoacetic Acid and Creatine Versus Creatine Alone on Body Composition Indices in Healthy Men and Women: Creatine-Guanidinoacetic Acid Affects Body Composition.

The main objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of short-term supplementation with a mixture containing creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) versus creatine alone on body composition indices in men and women. Twenty-three apparently healthy young adults (mean age: 21.4 ± 0.

The relationship between perceived school stress and satisfaction with life among Norwegian school-based adolescents and the moderating role of perceived teacher care: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Perceived stress from schoolwork and perceived teacher care are shown to influence adolescents' life satisfaction. However, there is a need to further explore how levels of perceived school stress affect life satisfaction of Norwegian adolescents across gender and school levels using nationwide data, and whether this association is moderated by perceived teacher care. Hence, this paper sought to: (1) describe perceived school stress, perceived teacher care and satisfaction with life in Norwegian adolescents stratified by gender and school level, (2) examine the association between perceived school stress and satisfaction with life by testing perceived teacher care as a possible moderator and (3) explore the association between perceived teacher care and adolescents' satisfaction with life.

Establishing Reference Intakes for Creatine in Infants Aged 0 to 12 Months.

Creatine is recognized as a conditionally essential nutrient in certain populations; however, there is a lack of established reference values across different life stages. Infants rely exclusively on dietary creatine from human milk for their first 6 months; evaluating creatine adequacy in this population can be estimated based on preliminary data regarding the intake needed to promote optimal growth. This special article explores creatine requirements for infants aged 0 to 12 months, presents a summary of creatine content in human milk, and proposes reference intakes for creatine in this population.

Food-sourced guanidinoacetic acid and methylation cycle biomarkers in individuals aged one year and older: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Several preliminary studies suggest dietary guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) might impact methyl group availability and/or methylation biomarkers, fueling ongoing debates. This study aimed to explore the relationship between dietary GAA intake and plasma indicators of the methylation cycle in individuals aged one year and older, using data from the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods: Dietary information was obtained from individuals who completed a 24-hour Dietary Recall, with total daily intake of GAA calculated by aggregating all relevant food items.

Associations between levels of physical activity and satisfaction with life among Norwegian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: A robust association between physical activity (PA) and satisfaction with life (SWL) has been established, wherein self-efficacy has been identified as a mediator across different populations. However, there is a need to further examine the relationship between PA and SWL and whether self-efficacy act a as mediator within different levels of PA among Norwegian adolescents. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore the relationship between levels of PA and SWL by testing for self-efficacy as a possible mediator.

Post-marketing surveilance study of creatine-guanidinoacetic acid safety in healthy adults.

A post-marketing surveillance study assessed the adverse events and possible risk of elevated homocysteine levels after the supplementation with creatine-guanidinoacetic acid mixture in apparently healthy adults. The participants were recruited through social media platforms and online discussion boards, with side effects and total plasma homocysteine (T-Hcy) levels evaluated regularly during a supplementation period of 6 months. Thirthy eight individuals ( = 38, 34.

Molecular Hydrogen for Outpatients with COVID-19 (Hydro-COVID): A Phase 3 Randomised, Triple-Blinded, Pragmatic, Placebo-Controlled, Multicentre Trial.

. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis, and anti-fatigue properties, molecular hydrogen (H) is potentially a novel therapeutic nutrient for patients with coronavirus acute disease 2019 (COVID-19). We determined the efficacy and safety profile of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 progression.

Decreased Cerebral Creatine and N-Acetyl Aspartate Concentrations after Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate brain metabolism using MR spectroscopy (MRS) after recovery from Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to test the impact of disease severity on brain metabolites. We performed MRS on 81 individuals (45 males, 36 females, aged 40-60), who had normal MRI findings and had recovered from COVID-19, classifying them into mild (17), moderate (36), and severe (28) groups based on disease severity during the acute phase. The study employed two-dimensional spectroscopic imaging above the corpus callosum, focusing on choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA).

Association between dietary intake of creatine and female reproductive health: Evidence from NHANES 2017-2020.

The hormonal changes in women influence creatine dynamics, emphasizing its potential importance during menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and postmenopause. Yet, limited research explores creatine's impact on female reproductive health at the population level. Our study investigated the relationship between dietary creatine intake and reproductive health indices in US women using data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Hydrogen as an innovative nootropic in health and disease.

Molecular hydrogen (H, dihydrogen) is an antioxidant and signaling molecule with potent antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the growing interest in H2 as a potential therapeutic agent, the evidence regarding its potential as a nootropic remains limited. Only a handful of studies on the human population have evaluated its effects, although there are suggestive indications of its efficacy.

The impact of six-week dihydrogen-pyrroloquinoline quinone supplementation on mitochondrial biomarkers, brain metabolism, and cognition in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the impact of medium-term supplementation with dihydrogen and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on mitochondrial biomarkers, brain metabolism, and cognition in elderly individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment.

Design: A parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind experimental design, maintaining a 1:1 allocation ratio between the experimental group (receiving the dihydrogen-producing minerals and PQQ) and the control group (receiving the placebo) throughout the trial.

Setting And Participants: Thirty-four elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (mean age 71.

Dietary creatine is associated with lower serum neurofilament light chain levels.

Low creatine availability may be linked to an elevated risk of neuronal damage, yet this association remains inadequately explored at the population level. Utilizing 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, the current study found a negative correlation between dietary creatine intake and serum levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL; a biomarker for neuronal damage) in a cohort of 1912 individuals (52.2% females) aged 20-75 years.

Adherence to sleep recommendations is associated with higher satisfaction with life among Norwegian adolescents.

Background: Sleep plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of adolescents; however, inadequate sleep is frequently reported in numerous countries. This current paper aimed to describe sleep duration, factors impacting sleep, consequences of insufficient sleep and satisfaction with life in Norwegian adolescents, stratified by sex and by adherence to the 8-hour sleep recommendation, and to examine potential associations between adherence to the 8-hours sleep recommendation and satisfaction with life.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Norwegian Ungdata Survey, collected in 2021.

Eight-Week Creatine-Glucose Supplementation Alleviates Clinical Features of Long COVID.

Preliminary studies demonstrated beneficial effects of dietary creatine across different post-viral fatigue syndromes. Creatine is often co-administered with glucose to improve its potency yet whether glucose boost the efficacy of creatine in long COVID remains currently unknown. In this report, we investigate the effects of 8-wk creatine intake with and without glucose on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and tissue creatine levels in patients with long COVID.

Community-based interventions targeting multiple forms of malnutrition among adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries: protocol for a scoping review.

Background: Adolescent malnutrition is a significant public health challenge in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), with long-term consequences for health and development. Community-based interventions have the potential to address multiple forms of malnutrition and improve the health outcomes of adolescents. However, there is a limited understanding of the content, implementation and effectiveness of these interventions.

Effects of HMB on Endurance Performance in a Healthy Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Fernández-Landa, J, Todorovic, N, Santibañez-Gutierrez, A, Ostojic, SM, Calleja-González, J, Sekulic, D, and Mielgo-Ayuso, J. Effects of HMB on endurance performance in a healthy population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 38(4): e202-e210, 2024-β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) has been used extensively as a dietary supplement for athletes and physically active people.