How Creatine Supplements Help Muscle Wasting

Athletes use it to build stronger muscles, but creatine may be useful for more than just building brawn. A study published in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care shows it could prevent the muscle wasting that’s so commonly seen with conditions such as cancer, AIDS, and some types of heart and lung disease. This wasting of muscles contributes to the fatigue and difficulty getting around that patients with chronic diseases often experience. Creatine to the rescue?

What is Creatine?

Creatine helps the muscles use energy more effectively. It’s an amino acid produced by the liver and transported to muscle tissue where it provides additional energy for the hard working muscles – keeping them from becoming fatigued – while stimulating muscle growth and repair. Because of this effect, many athletes and bodybuilders use creatine supplements in hopes of building bigger muscles. Although it does help reduce fatigue in people who do high intensity exercises that are short in duration such as weight lifting, it’s of limited benefit for people who engage in endurance exercise such as long distance running.

Is Creatine a Good Treatment for Muscle Wasting?

Muscular dystrophy patients who were given creatine supplements showed a decrease in wasting of muscle – as well as gains in muscle strength. Creatine supplements could also help patients who are confined to hospital beds for long periods of time reduce their loss of muscle mass. Immobilized rats experienced less muscle wasting when they were given creatine. Creatine shows promise as a muscle wasting treatment – although more studies are needed.

What about the Safety of Creatine for Muscle Wasting Treatment?

Some experts are concerned that creatine supplements could increase the risk of kidney disease. So far, studies have failed to show an increased risk of kidney problems as a result of creatine use – although anyone who has kidney disease should avoid it until more is known. Creatine supplements can cause muscle cramps, nausea, and weight gain – although the weight gain is mostly due to fluid retention. In most people, creatine supplements are well tolerated.

Other Benefits of Creatine

One interesting study showed that creatine supplements improved memory and thinking ability in people who followed a vegetarian diet. Another one showed that creatine significantly prolonged the lifespan of mice.

Creatine for Muscle Wasting Treatment: The Bottom Line?

Creatine supplements look promising for helping people with muscle wasting as a result of a chronic illness. More studies are still needed to prove that it’s safe to take long term, but, at least in the shorter term, it appears to be well tolerated.