Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Catabolic Effects of Creatine Supplementation: A Brief Review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing existing literature without systematic review methodology
PubMed 35276903 · doi:10.3390/nu14030544
What was done
This brief narrative review summarized the literature regarding the potential anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic properties of creatine supplementation across diverse research populations, focusing on its effects on muscle mass, bone remodeling, inflammatory markers, and exercise recovery.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical data, statistical values, or effect sizes. It qualitatively reports that creatine supplementation decreases markers of inflammation, may attenuate tumor progression, and reduces measures of muscle protein catabolism (primarily in males) and bone resorption when combined with resistance training.
Why it matters
It highlights potential therapeutic actions of creatine beyond energy metabolism, specifically its roles in mitigating inflammation and tissue breakdown.
Limits
This is a narrative review without systematic search criteria, meta-analytic pooling, or risk-of-bias assessment. The abstract reports no quantitative values or sample sizes, and notes that evidence for anti-catabolic muscle effects is primarily restricted to males.
Cited by
- context Creatine inhibits osteoclast activity and bone resorption, demonstrating anti-resorptive properties similar to bisphosphonates.