Creatine and Neuromuscular Diseases (2004 article)

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Creatine and Neuromuscular Diseases June 2004

Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine

at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is well known

for his research work with creatine and neuromuscular diseases. His

most result study reported an increase in grip strength improvement

His most recent results are form a study he and his research team

administered in which 30 boys (10 years of age) with Duchenne

muscular dystrophy (DMD) took the dietary supplement creatine at a

dose of 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for four months.

Fifteen of the trial participants were given creatine for four

months, followed by at least six weeks without treatment, and were

then switched to a placebo. The other 15 started in a placebo group

and were switched to creatine. The researchers and participants were

not aware of which group was getting creatine until after the study

was completed.

Grip strength in the dominant hand and fat-free body mass (made

mostly of muscle) increased. Pulmonary function, activities of daily

living, and the ability to perform functional tasks such as climbing

stairs or cutting a piece of paper with scissors didn't show

improvement, but a biochemical marker of bone degeneration was

reduced.

" This study was only four months long, so perhaps longer studies are

needed to see if creatine has an effect on the functional variables, "

Tarnopolsky said.

Other studies of creatine in various neuromuscular disorders such as

that of Dr. Tarnopolsky's previous CMT study in 2002 shown mixed

results. However few studies used a placebo group as a comparison

making it hard to draw concise conclusions.

A 2003 Belgian study of creatine versus a placebo in 15 boys with

Duchenne or the closely related disorder Becker muscular dystrophy,

found that the creatine group had less joint stiffness, better

strength on one measure, better resistance to fatigue and for those

still walking, improved bone densities.

Dr. Tarnopolsky noted that his present study confirms and strengthens

the findings of previous studies that have been carefully

conducted. " In addition, the evidence from basic science and animal

studies are also supportive of a beneficial effect for creatine, " he

said.

Earlier this year, Tarnopolsky's group showed that the supplement was

not helpful in type 1 myotonic dystrophy. " Tests showed that muscle

from patients with myotonic dystrophy did not take up creatine and

this could be the likely reason for the lack of efficacy " he said.

(MDA research grant update: Medical News: 2004)