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Impact of creatine on muscle performance and phosphagen stores after immobilization

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the effect of creatine (CR) supplementation during cast-immobilization to preserve skeletal muscle total work, power and intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr) kinetics during dynamic exercise.

Methods

Twenty-five active individuals (24 ± 4 years,) performed wrist flexion exercise within a 1.9 Tesla superconducting magnet before and after 1 week of cast-immobilization. An incremental protocol to fatigue and two constant load (CL1 and CL2) exercise bouts were performed. While casted, participants consumed either 20 g day−1 of CR or a placebo (PLA). 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify in vivo intramuscular PCr levels.

Results

No significant group × time interaction effects were found for work or power throughout all exercise bouts. Total work was significantly reduced over time in both groups (p = 0.049) during the incremental exercise bout. Work production in CL1 tended (p = 0.073) to attenuate in the CR group, compared to PLA. No changes were observed in CL2. Baseline PCr significantly decreased with casting in PLA (PRE: 26.6 ± 6.3 vs. POST: 22.5 ± 5.6 mM kg−1 wet muscle, p = 0.003). No change (p = 0.31) was observed in the CR group. Changes in work production were significantly correlated with changes in resting PCr in CR (r = −0.63, p = 0.021) but not PLA (r = −0.36, p = 0.26) group.

Conclusions

Results suggest decreases in short-term endurance may be due to alternations of PCr status and/or metabolism. More research is needed to fully determine the efficacy of CR supplementation during short-term immobilization.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

CR:

Creatine

CL1:

Constant load exercise bout 1

CL2:

Constant load exercise bout 2

CSA:

Cross-sectional area

FIDs:

Free induction decays

MRS:

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

NMR:

New Mexico Resonance

PCr:

Phosphocreatine

Pi:

Inorganic phosphate

PLA:

Placebo

P:

Power

SE:

Standard error

W:

Work

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Joan Iverson for subject scheduling and randomization, and Rob Robergs, Hung Sheng Hsu, Nicole Vargas, Roy Salgado, Matt DuSold, and Jason Beam for technical support. Partial funding for this study was provided by a graduate research and development grant from the University of New Mexico’s Graduate and Professional Student Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise Science Program, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, BVM Hall 8th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA

    Jeremy C. Fransen

  2. School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

    Micah Zuhl

  3. Department of Exercise Science, School of Sport, Recreation and Exercise Sciences, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO, USA

    Chad M. Kerksick

  4. Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Nathan Cole & Suzanne Schneider

  5. New Mexico Resonance, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Steve Altobelli & Dean O. Kuethe

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  1. Jeremy C. Fransen
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Correspondence to Jeremy C. Fransen.

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Communicated by Michael Lindinger.

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Fransen, J.C., Zuhl, M., Kerksick, C.M. et al. Impact of creatine on muscle performance and phosphagen stores after immobilization. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1877–1886 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3172-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3172-2

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