Eight weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation is associated with increased muscle strength and size in Alzheimer's disease: data from a single-arm pilot study
Smith AN, Sullivan DK, Morris JK, Carbuhn AF, Herda TJ, Taylor MK
Frontiers in nutrition · 3 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Possibly industry funded
- Nonprofit
- Alzheimer's Association
- Government
- National Institutes of Health
- Government
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Government
- NIA NIH HHS
- Grants
- Alzheimer's Association (AARG-22-924314); National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (# UL1TR002366); National Institutes of Health (UL1 TR002366); National Institutes of Health (P30AG072973); National Institutes of Health (K01AG065487)
Based on 4 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2025-09-04 · Front Nutr · vol. 12 · p. 1670641
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media
- Cited
- 3 citations · more than 81% of similar papers · 1.5× the field average
- References
- 52 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Muscle metabolism and nutrition · Nutrition and Health in Aging · Biochemical effects in animals
- Keywords
- Creatine, Creatine Monohydrate, Medicine, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Muscle strength, Physical therapy, Disease, Alzheimer's disease, Internal medicine, Pathology, Placebo
6 authors
From US
- Aaron N. Smith · correspondingUniversity of Kansas Medical Center
- Debra K. SullivanAlzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; University of Kansas Medical Center
- Jill K. MorrisAlzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; University of Kansas Medical Center
- Aaron F. CarbuhnUniversity of Kansas Medical Center
- Trent J. HerdaUniversity of Kansas
- Matthew K. TaylorAlzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; University of Kansas Medical Center
Abstract
Objective
To investigate the potential muscular benefits of an eight-week creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Methods
This single-arm pilot trial, conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, examined the intervention-associated changes in muscle strength, muscle size, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) integrity following 8 weeks of CrM supplementation (20 g/day) in 20 participants with AD. All participants completed handgrip-strength measurements on the dominant hand (highest of three trials in kg of force). Ten participants completed lower body strength assessment via leg dynamometry at three velocities (1.05 rad∙s-1, 2.10 rad∙s-1, 3.14 rad∙s-1), with peak torque (in Newton-meters) recorded over five repetitions. Eighteen participants completed muscle size assessment by ultrasound measurement of cross-sectional area (mCSA, cm2) in the rectus femoris and vastus medialis, as well as muscle thickness (cm) in the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis. NMJ integrity was assessed in 19 participants by measuring plasma C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) levels. All assessments were measured at baseline and 8 weeks.
Results
Following 8 weeks of CrM, mean hand-grip strength increased by 1.9 kg from baseline (p = 0.02). Lower leg strength did not change for any velocity among the ten participants who completed leg dynamometry. mCSA (n = 18) increased from baseline in the rectus femoris (p = 0.03) and vastus medialis (p = 0.01), but muscle thickness (n = 18) did not change in the rectus femoris (p = 0.41), vastus medialis (p = 0.37), nor vastus lateralis (p = 0.17). Subcutaneous fat (n = 18) decreased in the rectus femoris region (p = 0.006) and vastus lateralis region (p = 0.003), with no change in the vastus medialis region (p = 0.52). Mean CAF (n = 19) values did not change (p = 0.46).
Conclusion
This eight-week pilot trial suggests that 20 g/day of CrM may provide modest skeletal muscle benefits in patients with AD. These data provide preliminary evidence to warrant further investigation of the potential for CrM to prevent AD-related decline in muscle function.
Clinical trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05383833.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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