The amino acid creatine is essential for muscle and brain health, and people commonly use creatine supplements to improve exercise performance and increase muscle mass. Results from a recent clinical trial published in Food Science & Nutrition indicate that dietary creatine may also benefit individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome (also known as long COVID).
In the trial, 12 people with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome were randomized to take a placebo or 4 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for 6 months. Creatine intake caused a significant increase in creatine levels in leg muscles and across the brain at both 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. Creatine supplementation also led to a significant reduction in general fatigue after 3 months of intake, and it significantly improved scores for several post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome–related symptoms—including loss of taste, breathing difficulties, body aches, headaches, and difficulties concentrating—at the 6-month follow up.
“Endorsing creatine might be of great importance in tackling this prevalent condition, but additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings in various post-COVID-19 cohorts,” said corresponding author Sergej M. Ostojic, MD, PhD, of the University of Novi Sad, in Serbia.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.3597
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JOURNAL
Food Science & Nutrition
DOI
ARTICLE TITLE
Effects of six-month creatine supplementation on patient- and clinician-reported outcomes, and tissue creatine levels in patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
20-Sep-2023
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1001659