Published Dec 26, 2023

Sports supplements essentials: creatine

Tim Crowe delves into the multifaceted benefits of creatine beyond sports, highlighting its cognitive and therapeutic effects, while providing an expert guide on its applications, forms, and safety for both athletes and non-athletes alike.
Episode Highlights
Thinking Nutrition logo

Popular Clips

Episode Highlights

  • Cognitive Benefits

    Creatine's potential extends beyond physical performance, offering cognitive benefits as well. highlights research suggesting that creatine may enhance cognitive performance and reduce mental fatigue in scenarios like demanding mental tasks, sleep deprivation, and traumatic brain injuries. This supplement is also being explored for its role in improving glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes, as it aids muscle cells in glucose uptake during exercise 1.

    Creatine supplementation, together with muscle contraction from exercise, can stimulate the mechanisms that muscle cells use to take up glucose.

    ---

    These findings position creatine as a versatile supplement with applications beyond traditional sports contexts.

       

    Therapeutic Uses

    The therapeutic potential of creatine is gaining attention, particularly in treating neuromuscular diseases. discusses studies indicating that creatine supplementation may improve exercise capacity and clinical outcomes in conditions like muscular dystrophies and Parkinson's disease. This emerging research suggests that creatine could offer significant benefits for patients with these diseases 1.

    Several studies have also investigated the short and long term therapeutic benefit of creatine supplementation in children and adults with various neuromuscular diseases.

    ---

    As research continues, creatine's role in medical treatment may expand, providing new hope for those affected by these conditions.