Unlocking Creatine’s Potential: A Supplement for Sharper Thinking and Healthy Aging

Creatine, the popular supplement among athletes, has long been recognized for its benefits in building strength and power. However, its usefulness extends far beyond the gym, according to Dr. Richard Kreider, a renowned expert on exercise and sport nutrition.

As the director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University, Kreider has spent over 30 years studying the effects of creatine. He explains that this naturally occurring compound, stored in muscle cells, is essential for cellular energy when the body is stressed, such as during exercise or under metabolic conditions like certain diseases.

“When the body is stressed, like in exercise or under metabolic conditions like some diseases, creatine phosphate is needed to maintain energy in the cell,” Kreider said. “Therefore, it has a lot of protective and health benefits, in addition to the exercise performance effects that have been seen.”

How Much Creatine Do We Need?

Our bodies naturally create about one gram of creatine per day, but research suggests that consuming two to four grams per day, depending on muscle mass and activity levels, is recommended. Unfortunately, most people fall short of getting enough creatine from their diet alone.

The best sources of creatine in the diet are meat and fish, particularly red meat or fish like salmon, which contain about one gram of creatine per pound. However, as Kreider points out, “You only get about a gram of creatine per pound of red meat or fish, so it’s expensive and takes a lot of calories to get a gram.”

This is why supplementation matters, especially for vegetarians or vegans who do not consume enough creatine in their diet. For athletes with performance-related goals, Kreider recommends supplementing with 5 grams, four times a day for a week, which helps load the muscle up with more energy and supports improved high-intensity exercise, recovery, and even cognitive function.

Beyond Boosting Athletic Performance

Creatine is important for everyone as they age throughout their lives. It can help older adults who lose muscle mass and cognitive function as they age, Kreider said. In adolescents, low dietary creatine intake is associated with slower growth, less muscle mass, and higher body fat.

Is Creatine Safe?

In a comprehensive review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Kreider and colleagues analyzed 685 clinical trials on creatine supplementation to assess its safety and the frequency of reported side effects. The analysis showed there were no significant differences in the rate of side effects for participants taking a placebo and those taking creatine.

Anecdotal concerns like bloating or cramping do not hold up under scrutiny, and studies have shown that creatine can actually prevent cramping because it helps the body retain more fluid.

Despite the strong evidence base, Kreider said creatine has long been the subject of misconceptions and misinformation. He’s among the members of the International Society of Sports Nutrition who recently issued a letter affirming the safety and efficacy of creatine, urging lobbyists and policymakers not to restrict access to it.

“There’s absolutely no data supporting any negative side effect anecdotally reported about creatine on the internet and in the media,” he said. “Creatine is safe, and it’s important for everybody, not just bodybuilders and athletes.”

Revolutionizing STI Diagnostics: A 5-Minute Test for the Future

A groundbreaking innovation in sexual health diagnostics has emerged, poised to transform the way we diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Birmingham spin-out Linear Diagnostics has been awarded £1m funding to finalize the development of a rapid test for STIs, in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation and the North East Innovation Lab.

The innovative platform, developed using Linear’s Exponential Amplification (EXPAR) technology, can detect bacterial DNA using an extremely fast method for amplifying the signal. This cutting-edge technique has been shown to detect bacterial STIs, urinary tract infections, and viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, in as little as 5 minutes.

The new funding will enable Linear to finalize the design of a cartridge and reader design platform and validate the platform. The HRC, hosted by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Newcastle University, will help evaluate the technology.

According to Dr. Jean-Louis Duprey, Head of Research and Development at Linear Diagnostics, “The most difficult criteria to achieve in diagnostic testing is combining rapidity with accuracy.” He emphasized that while current tests may be easy to use with minimal training, existing technologies have been unable to meet the target of 20 minutes from sample to results.

This revolutionary technology has the potential to stop the chain of transmission by diagnosing and treating patients within one clinic visit. The new funding will enable Linear to finalize the design of a cartridge and reader design platform and validate the platform.

Dr. Jana Suklan, Senior Methodologist at the HRC, highlighted that “The NIHR HRC in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation is delighted to be collaborating with the North East Innovation Lab to support Linear Diagnostics with their exciting technology.” She emphasized that through reviewing clinical guidelines and speaking with healthcare professionals as well as patients and the public, they will pinpoint how the platform can be developed and used so it can improve patient care.

The development of this 5-minute STI test has the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat STIs. With its rapid results, high accuracy, and ease of use, this innovative technology is poised to transform sexual health diagnostics for good.

The article begins by introducing Werner syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder causing accelerated aging. Patients develop age-related conditions from their twenties, including gray hair, hair loss, cataracts, diabetes, severe skin ulcers, and early death from cardiovascular diseases or cancer. The condition affects approximately nine per million people in Japan and lacks effective treatment options.

Interestingly, a study found that patients with WS model systems and patients had decreased levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), crucial for cellular energy production, DNA repair, and various metabolic processes. This suggested that NAD+ depletion may contribute to the progression of the disease. While direct NAD+ supplementation isn’t feasible in mammals, using its precursor – nicotinamide riboside (NR) from Niagen Bioscience – has shown promising results in animal studies.

A recent study by a research team led by Associate Professor Masaya Koshizaka conducted the world’s first rigorous clinical trial of NR in patients with WS. The paper was co-authored by University President Koutaro Yokote, Assistant Professor Hisaya Kato, Associate Professor Yoshiro Maezawa, and Assistant Professor Mayumi Shoji, all from Chiba University, along with Affiliate Professor Vilhelm Bohr from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The study involved a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of NR supplementation. Researchers tracked NAD+ blood levels, skin ulcer size, arterial stiffness, and kidney function. NR supplementation significantly increased NAD+ levels in patient blood compared to placebo, improved arterial stiffness, reduced skin ulcer area, and appeared to slow the progression of kidney dysfunction – all without any serious side effects.

The results suggest that NR may help protect kidney function, addressing another serious complication of WS. Dr. Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie commented on the study, stating it represents a significant step forward in understanding how NAD+ restoration with NR may help address the underlying biology of WS.

Dr. Koshizaka concluded by saying that their findings suggest NR could serve as a valuable treatment option for two major symptoms – arteriosclerosis and skin ulcers – as well as for preventing kidney function decline. The results are particularly significant given that untreatable skin ulcers affect well over 70% of patients with WS, often leading to amputation, while cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of early mortality in this population.

Larger studies are needed to extend these findings, but the pioneering research offers new hope for patients with WS who have long lacked effective treatment options. Beyond its immediate implications for this rare condition, the study also provides valuable insights into the biology of aging and potential interventions to address age-related decline more broadly.