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Sports Supplement May Protect Against Brain Damage
A recent animal study published in the Annals of Neurology suggests that the sports supplement creatine might protect against secondary damage caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the randomized, controlled study, mice and rats underwent experimental TBI after pretreatment with either creatine or a control formula. Protection from TBI was measured by brain lesion volume. In mice, 3 days of creatine pretreatment reduced brain damage by 21 percent, while 5 days of pretreatment reduced damage by 36 percent. In rats, there was a 50 percent reduction in brain damage after 4 weeks of pretreatment. The investigators suggest that creatine works by helping to maintain mitochondrial bioenergetics and ATP levels. They also note that because athletes are at an increased risk for head injuries, they "may be afforded neuroprotective benefit, inadvertently, through the chronic ingestion of creatine." At this time, however, this is not enough reason to start taking creatine.
A recent animal study published in the Annals of Neurology suggests that the sports supplement creatine might protect against secondary damage caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the randomized, controlled study, mice and rats underwent experimental TBI after pretreatment with either creatine or a control formula. Protection from TBI was measured by brain lesion volume. In mice, 3 days of creatine pretreatment reduced brain damage by 21 percent, while 5 days of pretreatment reduced damage by 36 percent. In rats, there was a 50 percent reduction in brain damage after 4 weeks of pretreatment. The investigators suggest that creatine works by helping to maintain mitochondrial bioenergetics and ATP levels. They also note that because athletes are at an increased risk for head injuries, they "may be afforded neuroprotective benefit, inadvertently, through the chronic ingestion of creatine." At this time, however, this is not enough reason to start taking creatine.