Table 1.
Summary of randomized clinical trials investigating the effect of creatine supplementation in conditions that are associated with cachexia, muscle wasting, or functional impairment.
| Author, year [reference number] | Population (N) | Study Design | Duration of Supplementation | Effects of Creatine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon, 1995 [26] | Chronic heart failure (N=17) | RCT | 7 days | ↑Strength ↑Endurance |
| Tarnopolsky, 1997 [25] | Mitochondrial cytopathy (N=7) | RCT, crossover | 21 days | ↑MVC, ↑Exercise output, ↓Fatigue |
| Vorgerd, 2000 [30] | McArdle disease (N=9) | RCT, crossover | 5 wks | ↑ Exercise tolerance ↑ PCr depletion during exercise |
| Walter, 2000 [28] | Muscular dystrophies (N=36) | RCT, crossover | 8 wks | ↑MVC, ↑ Physical activity |
| Hespel, 2001 [15] | Disuse atrophy model (N=22) | RCT | 10 wks + rehab exercise | ↑Muscle CSA, ↑Exercise output, ↓Fatigue |
| Walter, 2002 [33] | Myotonic dystrophy (N=34) | RCT | 8 wks | ↔ Muscle strength |
| Vorgerd, 2002 [34] | McArdle disease (N=19) | RCT, crossover | 5 wks | ↓ Exercise tolerance with high-dose creatine |
| Tarnopolsky, 2004 [31] | Myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 (N=34) | RCT, crossover | 36 wks | ↔ LBM, ↔MVC, ↔Physical activity |
| Tarnopolsky, 2004 [27] | Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (N=30) | RCT, crossover | 4 mos | ↑ Grip strength↑ LBM |
| Tarnopolsky, 2007 [29] | Adults >65 years (N=39) | RCT | 6 mos + linoleic acid & resistance exercise | ↑ LBM↑ Muscle endurance↔ Strength, ↔ Physical function |
| Johnston, 2009 [36] | Disuse atrophy model (N=7) | Randomized, single blind, crossover | 3 wks | ↑ LBM, ↑MVC, Exercise output |
| Sakkas, 2009 [8] | HIV+ men (N=40) | RCT | 14 wks + resistance exercise | ↑ BW, ↑LBM, ↔MVC↔PCr recovery |
Abbreviations: RCT, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial; CSA, cross sectional area; MVC, Maximum voluntary contraction; LBM, lean body mass; BW, body weight; PCr, phosphocreatine