Does brain creatine content rely on exogenous creatine in healthy youth? A proof-of-principle study.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized placebo-controlled trial
PubMed 28079396 · doi:10.1139/apnm-2016-0406
What was done
This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled proof-of-principle trial evaluated the effects of 7 days of creatine supplementation versus placebo in 67 healthy children aged 10 to 12 years. Cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using a battery of tests for verbal learning and executive functions. In a random subsample of participants, brain creatine concentrations were measured before and after supplementation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and occipital lobe via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values. Verbal learning and executive function test scores showed no statistically significant differences between groups at baseline or after the intervention (all p > 0.05). Similarly, 1H-MRS revealed no significant differences in creatine content between groups in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, or occipital lobe (all p > 0.05).
Why it matters
These findings suggest that healthy youth primarily rely on endogenous brain creatine synthesis rather than short-term dietary supplementation to maintain brain creatine levels and cognitive function.
Limits
The abstract provides no raw numbers, effect sizes, or exact group sizes for the imaging subsample. The intervention duration was short (7 days), the creatine dose was not specified in the abstract, and results from healthy children may not generalize to clinical populations, dietary-deficient states, or longer-term protocols.
Cited by
- contradicts Studies using a one-week creatine monohydrate loading protocol show significant increases in brain creatine concentrations.