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 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.
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- Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
- Rawson ES, Stec MJ, Frederickson SJ, et al. Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain. Nutr. 2010 Jun 29. View Abstract
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