Brief article at espn linking Creatine to cancer: http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2001/0124/1036782.html
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Creatine & Cancer
- Thread starter john992
- Start date
Hmm, interesting. It was a french doctor who also 'discovered' that using microwaves on your food can lead to cancer, who here refuses to use one based on this information?
Creatine has been around for a long time, the article has pretty much no data in it (thanks ESPN), nothing about dosage, water consumed, nothing.
Creatine has been around for a long time, the article has pretty much no data in it (thanks ESPN), nothing about dosage, water consumed, nothing.
The whole creatine and cancer thing was really misread. It has something to do with scientists showing the potential that creatine in meat has to become carcinogenic and thus, french officials jumping the bandwagon and deciding oral supplementation does the same.
EDIT: I just found this on my hunts, and i do believe this is the abstract of the study they used to determine that creatine aparently causes cancer:
Physiol Rev 2000 Jul;80(3):1107-213 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Creatine and creatinine metabolism.
Wyss M, Kaddurah-Daouk R.
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division, Basel, Switzerland. markus.wyss@roche.com
The goal of this review is to present a comprehensive survey of the many intriguing facets of creatine (Cr) and creatinine metabolism, encompassing the pathways and regulation of Cr biosynthesis and degradation, species and tissue distribution of the enzymes and metabolites involved, and of the inherent implications for physiology and human pathology. Very recently, a series of new discoveries have been made that are bound to have distinguished implications for bioenergetics, physiology, human pathology, and clinical diagnosis and that suggest that deregulation of the creatine kinase (CK) system is associated with a variety of diseases. Disturbances of the CK system have been observed in muscle, brain, cardiac, and renal diseases as well as in cancer. On the other hand, Cr and Cr analogs such as cyclocreatine were found to have antitumor, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects and to protect tissues from hypoxic, ischemic, neurodegenerative, or muscle damage. Oral Cr ingestion is used in sports as an ergogenic aid, and some data suggest that Cr and creatinine may be precursors of food mutagens and uremic toxins. These findings are discussed in depth, the interrelationships are outlined, and all is put into a broader context to provide a more detailed understanding of the biological functions of Cr and of the CK system.
Publication Types:
Review
Review Literature
PMID: 10893433 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Let's not forget there studies available showing creatine's antioxidant effects:
Anticancer Res 2000 May-Jun;20(3A):1627-33 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Effects of cyclocreatine in rat hepatocarcinogenesis model.
Jeong KS, Park SJ, Lee CS, Kim TW, Kim SH, Ryu SY, Williams BH, Veech RL, Lee YS.
Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20852-8115, USA.
Cyclocreatine (CCr), a substrate analogue of creatine kinase (CK: EC 2.7.3.2.), exhibits anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. We examined the effects of CCr on the hepatocarcinogenesis of F344 rats caused by treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), partial hepatectomy (PH) or 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF). The rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg of DEN per kg in 0.85% NaCl solution at four weeks of age. Two weeks later they were divided into two groups. One group was continuously fed a commercial powder diet containing 0.02% 2-AAF for 12 weeks and the other was continuously fed a commercial powder diet containing 1% CCr plus 0.02% 2-AAF for 12 weeks. A third group of rats as a control was given only a normal powder diet for 12 weeks. All the groups were subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) at 3 weeks under avertin anesthesia. To elucidate the inhibitory effect of CCr on chemical induced hepatocarcinogenesis, we examined not only the distribution of glutathione-S-transferase placental form (GST-P) a marker used for tumorigenesis, but also the inhibition of the degree of apoptosis. The number (No./cm2) and area (mm2/cm2) of GST-P positive liver foci were significantly lower in the 2-AAF + CCr treated when compared to the group treated with 2-AAF only. Our data suggest that CCr inhibits the degrees of GST-P-positive cells and apoptosis and is active against hepatocarcinogenesis in rat models. This result points out the unique nature of an anticancer agent that inhibits progression of chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis of rats.
PMID: 10928082 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Br J Cancer 1999 Jan;79(2):278-85 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Creatine and cyclocreatine treatment of human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts: 31P and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies.
Kristensen CA, Askenasy N, Jain RK, Koretsky AP.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
Creatine (Cr) and cyclocreatine (cyCr) have been shown to inhibit the growth of a variety of human and murine tumours. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumour effect of these molecules in relation to drug accumulation, energy metabolism, tumour water accumulation and toxicity. Nude mice carrying a human colon adenocarcinoma (LS174T) with a creatine kinase (CK) activity of 2.12 units mg(-1) protein were fed Cr (2.5% or 5%) or cyCr (0.025%, 0.1% or 0.5%) for 2 weeks and compared with controls fed standard diet. Cr concentrations of 2.5% and 5% significantly inhibited tumour growth, as did 0.1% and 0.5% cyCr. In vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after 2 weeks of treatment showed an increase in [phosphocreatine (PCr)+phosphocyclocreatine (PcyCr)]/nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) with increasing concentrations of dietary Cr and cyCr, without changes in absolute NTP contents. The antiproliferative effect of the substrates of CK was not related to energy deficiency but was associated with acidosis. Intratumoral substrate concentrations (measured by 1H-MRS) of 4.8 micromol g(-1) wet weight Cr (mice fed 2.5% Cr) and 6.2 micromol g(-1) cyCr (mice fed 0.1% cyCr) induced a similar decrease in growth rate, indicating that both substrates were equally potent in tumour growth inhibition. The best correlant of growth inhibition was the total Cr or (cyCr+Cr) concentrations in the tissue. In vivo, these agents did not induce excessive water accumulation and had no systemic effects on the mice (weight loss, hypoglycaemia) that may have caused growth inhibition.
PMID: 9888469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Am J Physiol 1996 Jan;270(1 Pt 1):C160-9 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Cyclocreatine transport and cytotoxicity in rat glioma and human ovarian carcinoma cells: 31P-NMR spectroscopy.
Schiffenbauer YS, Meir G, Cohn M, Neeman M.
Department of Hormone Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Cyclocreatine (CY), an analogue of creatine, inhibits tumor growth in vivo and proliferation of tumor cells in vitro. The goal of this study was to probe the mechanism of CY transport and cytotoxicity in C6 rat glioma cells and OC238 human ovarian carcinoma cells (creatine kinase activities of 0.16 and 0.016 units/mg protein, respectively). In both cell lines, CY significantly inhibited cell growth with no effect on membrane integrity and on the content of nucleoside triphosphates. An intrinsic 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) signal of phosphocreatine, as well as accumulation of phosphocyclocreatine (PCY) after addition of CY, was observed for C6 glioma but not for the OC238 cells. Transport of CY in C6 glioma showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics for an active sodium-dependent component. Transport was reduced more than fivefold in low-glucose medium. The toxicity of CY to C6 glioma cells may be due to PCY accumulation and cellular swelling. Another mechanism must be invoked to explain CY effects on the human ovarian cancer cells in which no PCY accumulation could be detected and no cellular swelling was observed.
PMID: 8772441 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
In Vivo 1998 Mar-Apr;12(2):223-31 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Antitumor activity of creatine analogs produced by alterations in pancreatic hormones and glucose metabolism.
Ara G, Gravelin LM, Kaddurah-Daouk R, Teicher BA.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
When rats bearing the 13,762 mammary carcinoma were treated with intravenously administered creatine analogs, cyclocreatine, beta-guanidinopropionic acid or creatine phosphate on days 4 through 8 and 14 through 18 post tumor implantation, the tumor growth delay produced varied with whether the animals were drinking water or sugar water over the course of the study. The tumor growth delays increased when the animals drank sugar water from 9.3, 1.6 and 7.6 days for cyclocreatine, beta-guanidinopropionic acid and creatine phosphate, respectively, to 15.0, 6.3 and 12.6 days. Blood glucose was decreased over the course of the creatine analog treatment regimen and the skeletal muscle transport protein GLUT-4 increased 1.5 to 2-fold with the creatine analog treatments. Plasma insulin was profoundly decreased to 20-25% of normal by the creatine analog treatment while plasma glucagon levels were increased. Plasma somatostatin increased 3- to 4-fold during the administration of the creatine analogs. These results implicate alterations in pancreatic hormone balance in the antitumor activity of these creatine analogs.
PMID: 9627806 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993 Apr 15;90(8):3304-8 Related Articles, Free in PMC , Books, LinkOut
Inhibition of rate of tumor growth by creatine and cyclocreatine.
Miller EE, Evans AE, Cohn M.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Johnson Research Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.
Growth rate inhibition of subcutaneously implanted tumors results from feeding rats and athymic nude mice diets containing 1% cyclocreatine or 1%, 2%, 5%, or 10% creatine. The tumors studied included rat mammary tumors (Ac33tc in Lewis female rats and 13762A in Fischer 344 female rats), rat sarcoma MCI in Lewis male rats, and tumors resulting from the injection of two human neuroblastoma cell lines, IMR-5 and CHP-134, in athymic nude mice. Inhibition was observed regardless of the time experimental diets were administered, either at the time of tumor implantation or after the appearance of palpable tumors. For mammary tumor Ac33tc, the growth inhibition during 24 days after the implantation was approximately 50% for both 1% cyclocreatine and 1% creatine, and inhibition increased as creatine was increased from 2% to 10% of the diet. For the other rat mammary tumor (13762A), there was approximately 35% inhibition by both 1% cyclocreatine and 2% creatine. In the case of the MCI sarcoma, the inhibitory effect appeared more pronounced at earlier periods of growth, ranging from 26% to 41% for 1% cyclocreatine and from 30% to 53% for 1% creatine; there was no significant difference in growth rate between the tumors in the rats fed 1% and 5% creatine. The growth rate of tumors in athymic nude mice, produced by implantation of the human neuroblastoma IMR-5 cell line, appeared somewhat more effectively inhibited by 1% cyclocreatine than by 1% creatine, and 5% creatine feeding was most effective. For the CHP-134 cell line, 33% inhibition was observed for the 1% cyclocreatine diet and 71% for the 5% creatine diet. In several experiments, a delay in appearance of tumors was observed in animals on the experimental diets. In occasional experiments, neither additive inhibited tumor growth rate for the rat tumors or the athymic mouse tumors.
PMID: 8475072 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
EDIT: I just found this on my hunts, and i do believe this is the abstract of the study they used to determine that creatine aparently causes cancer:
Physiol Rev 2000 Jul;80(3):1107-213 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Creatine and creatinine metabolism.
Wyss M, Kaddurah-Daouk R.
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division, Basel, Switzerland. markus.wyss@roche.com
The goal of this review is to present a comprehensive survey of the many intriguing facets of creatine (Cr) and creatinine metabolism, encompassing the pathways and regulation of Cr biosynthesis and degradation, species and tissue distribution of the enzymes and metabolites involved, and of the inherent implications for physiology and human pathology. Very recently, a series of new discoveries have been made that are bound to have distinguished implications for bioenergetics, physiology, human pathology, and clinical diagnosis and that suggest that deregulation of the creatine kinase (CK) system is associated with a variety of diseases. Disturbances of the CK system have been observed in muscle, brain, cardiac, and renal diseases as well as in cancer. On the other hand, Cr and Cr analogs such as cyclocreatine were found to have antitumor, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects and to protect tissues from hypoxic, ischemic, neurodegenerative, or muscle damage. Oral Cr ingestion is used in sports as an ergogenic aid, and some data suggest that Cr and creatinine may be precursors of food mutagens and uremic toxins. These findings are discussed in depth, the interrelationships are outlined, and all is put into a broader context to provide a more detailed understanding of the biological functions of Cr and of the CK system.
Publication Types:
Review
Review Literature
PMID: 10893433 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Let's not forget there studies available showing creatine's antioxidant effects:
Anticancer Res 2000 May-Jun;20(3A):1627-33 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Effects of cyclocreatine in rat hepatocarcinogenesis model.
Jeong KS, Park SJ, Lee CS, Kim TW, Kim SH, Ryu SY, Williams BH, Veech RL, Lee YS.
Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20852-8115, USA.
Cyclocreatine (CCr), a substrate analogue of creatine kinase (CK: EC 2.7.3.2.), exhibits anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. We examined the effects of CCr on the hepatocarcinogenesis of F344 rats caused by treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), partial hepatectomy (PH) or 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF). The rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg of DEN per kg in 0.85% NaCl solution at four weeks of age. Two weeks later they were divided into two groups. One group was continuously fed a commercial powder diet containing 0.02% 2-AAF for 12 weeks and the other was continuously fed a commercial powder diet containing 1% CCr plus 0.02% 2-AAF for 12 weeks. A third group of rats as a control was given only a normal powder diet for 12 weeks. All the groups were subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) at 3 weeks under avertin anesthesia. To elucidate the inhibitory effect of CCr on chemical induced hepatocarcinogenesis, we examined not only the distribution of glutathione-S-transferase placental form (GST-P) a marker used for tumorigenesis, but also the inhibition of the degree of apoptosis. The number (No./cm2) and area (mm2/cm2) of GST-P positive liver foci were significantly lower in the 2-AAF + CCr treated when compared to the group treated with 2-AAF only. Our data suggest that CCr inhibits the degrees of GST-P-positive cells and apoptosis and is active against hepatocarcinogenesis in rat models. This result points out the unique nature of an anticancer agent that inhibits progression of chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis of rats.
PMID: 10928082 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Br J Cancer 1999 Jan;79(2):278-85 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Creatine and cyclocreatine treatment of human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts: 31P and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies.
Kristensen CA, Askenasy N, Jain RK, Koretsky AP.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
Creatine (Cr) and cyclocreatine (cyCr) have been shown to inhibit the growth of a variety of human and murine tumours. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumour effect of these molecules in relation to drug accumulation, energy metabolism, tumour water accumulation and toxicity. Nude mice carrying a human colon adenocarcinoma (LS174T) with a creatine kinase (CK) activity of 2.12 units mg(-1) protein were fed Cr (2.5% or 5%) or cyCr (0.025%, 0.1% or 0.5%) for 2 weeks and compared with controls fed standard diet. Cr concentrations of 2.5% and 5% significantly inhibited tumour growth, as did 0.1% and 0.5% cyCr. In vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after 2 weeks of treatment showed an increase in [phosphocreatine (PCr)+phosphocyclocreatine (PcyCr)]/nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) with increasing concentrations of dietary Cr and cyCr, without changes in absolute NTP contents. The antiproliferative effect of the substrates of CK was not related to energy deficiency but was associated with acidosis. Intratumoral substrate concentrations (measured by 1H-MRS) of 4.8 micromol g(-1) wet weight Cr (mice fed 2.5% Cr) and 6.2 micromol g(-1) cyCr (mice fed 0.1% cyCr) induced a similar decrease in growth rate, indicating that both substrates were equally potent in tumour growth inhibition. The best correlant of growth inhibition was the total Cr or (cyCr+Cr) concentrations in the tissue. In vivo, these agents did not induce excessive water accumulation and had no systemic effects on the mice (weight loss, hypoglycaemia) that may have caused growth inhibition.
PMID: 9888469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Am J Physiol 1996 Jan;270(1 Pt 1):C160-9 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Cyclocreatine transport and cytotoxicity in rat glioma and human ovarian carcinoma cells: 31P-NMR spectroscopy.
Schiffenbauer YS, Meir G, Cohn M, Neeman M.
Department of Hormone Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Cyclocreatine (CY), an analogue of creatine, inhibits tumor growth in vivo and proliferation of tumor cells in vitro. The goal of this study was to probe the mechanism of CY transport and cytotoxicity in C6 rat glioma cells and OC238 human ovarian carcinoma cells (creatine kinase activities of 0.16 and 0.016 units/mg protein, respectively). In both cell lines, CY significantly inhibited cell growth with no effect on membrane integrity and on the content of nucleoside triphosphates. An intrinsic 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) signal of phosphocreatine, as well as accumulation of phosphocyclocreatine (PCY) after addition of CY, was observed for C6 glioma but not for the OC238 cells. Transport of CY in C6 glioma showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics for an active sodium-dependent component. Transport was reduced more than fivefold in low-glucose medium. The toxicity of CY to C6 glioma cells may be due to PCY accumulation and cellular swelling. Another mechanism must be invoked to explain CY effects on the human ovarian cancer cells in which no PCY accumulation could be detected and no cellular swelling was observed.
PMID: 8772441 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
In Vivo 1998 Mar-Apr;12(2):223-31 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Antitumor activity of creatine analogs produced by alterations in pancreatic hormones and glucose metabolism.
Ara G, Gravelin LM, Kaddurah-Daouk R, Teicher BA.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
When rats bearing the 13,762 mammary carcinoma were treated with intravenously administered creatine analogs, cyclocreatine, beta-guanidinopropionic acid or creatine phosphate on days 4 through 8 and 14 through 18 post tumor implantation, the tumor growth delay produced varied with whether the animals were drinking water or sugar water over the course of the study. The tumor growth delays increased when the animals drank sugar water from 9.3, 1.6 and 7.6 days for cyclocreatine, beta-guanidinopropionic acid and creatine phosphate, respectively, to 15.0, 6.3 and 12.6 days. Blood glucose was decreased over the course of the creatine analog treatment regimen and the skeletal muscle transport protein GLUT-4 increased 1.5 to 2-fold with the creatine analog treatments. Plasma insulin was profoundly decreased to 20-25% of normal by the creatine analog treatment while plasma glucagon levels were increased. Plasma somatostatin increased 3- to 4-fold during the administration of the creatine analogs. These results implicate alterations in pancreatic hormone balance in the antitumor activity of these creatine analogs.
PMID: 9627806 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993 Apr 15;90(8):3304-8 Related Articles, Free in PMC , Books, LinkOut
Inhibition of rate of tumor growth by creatine and cyclocreatine.
Miller EE, Evans AE, Cohn M.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Johnson Research Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.
Growth rate inhibition of subcutaneously implanted tumors results from feeding rats and athymic nude mice diets containing 1% cyclocreatine or 1%, 2%, 5%, or 10% creatine. The tumors studied included rat mammary tumors (Ac33tc in Lewis female rats and 13762A in Fischer 344 female rats), rat sarcoma MCI in Lewis male rats, and tumors resulting from the injection of two human neuroblastoma cell lines, IMR-5 and CHP-134, in athymic nude mice. Inhibition was observed regardless of the time experimental diets were administered, either at the time of tumor implantation or after the appearance of palpable tumors. For mammary tumor Ac33tc, the growth inhibition during 24 days after the implantation was approximately 50% for both 1% cyclocreatine and 1% creatine, and inhibition increased as creatine was increased from 2% to 10% of the diet. For the other rat mammary tumor (13762A), there was approximately 35% inhibition by both 1% cyclocreatine and 2% creatine. In the case of the MCI sarcoma, the inhibitory effect appeared more pronounced at earlier periods of growth, ranging from 26% to 41% for 1% cyclocreatine and from 30% to 53% for 1% creatine; there was no significant difference in growth rate between the tumors in the rats fed 1% and 5% creatine. The growth rate of tumors in athymic nude mice, produced by implantation of the human neuroblastoma IMR-5 cell line, appeared somewhat more effectively inhibited by 1% cyclocreatine than by 1% creatine, and 5% creatine feeding was most effective. For the CHP-134 cell line, 33% inhibition was observed for the 1% cyclocreatine diet and 71% for the 5% creatine diet. In several experiments, a delay in appearance of tumors was observed in animals on the experimental diets. In occasional experiments, neither additive inhibited tumor growth rate for the rat tumors or the athymic mouse tumors.
PMID: 8475072 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Last edited:
More good stuff on creatine:
Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Aug;72(2 Suppl):607S-17S Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Does dietary creatine supplementation play a role in skeletal muscle metabolism and performance?
Casey A, Greenhaff PL.
Centre for Human Sciences, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, Farnborough, United Kingdom. acasey@dera.gov.uk
Fatigue sustained during short-term, high-intensity exercise in humans is associated with the inability of skeletal muscle to maintain a high rate of anaerobic ATP production from phosphocreatine hydrolysis. Ingestion of creatine monohydrate at a rate of 20 g/d for 5-6 d was shown to increase the total creatine concentration of human skeletal muscle by approximately 25 mmol/kg dry mass, some 30% of this in phosphorylated form as phosphocreatine. A positive relation was then shown between muscle creatine uptake and improvements in performance during repeated bouts of maximal exercise. However, there is no evidence that increasing intake > 20-30 g/d for 5-6 d has any potentiating effect on creatine uptake or performance. In individuals in whom the initial total creatine concentration already approached 150 mmol/kg dry mass, neither creatine uptake nor an effect on phosphocreatine resynthesis or performance was found after supplementation. Loss of ATP during heavy anaerobic exercise was found to decline after creatine ingestion, despite an increase in work production. These results suggest that improvements in performance are due to parallel improvements in ATP resynthesis during exercise as a consequence of increased phosphocreatine availability. Creatine uptake is augmented by combining creatine supplementation with exercise and with carbohydrate ingestion.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 10919967 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2000 Nov;3(6):497-502 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Potential benefits of creatine monohydrate supplementation in the elderly.
Tarnopolsky MA.
Dept of Neurology/Neurological Rehabilitation, McMaster University Medical Center, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. tarnopol@fhs.mcmaster.ca
Creatine plays a role in cellular energy metabolism and potentially has a role in protein metabolism. Creatine monohydrate supplementation has been shown to result in an increase in skeletal muscle total and phosphocreatine concentration, increase fat-free mass, and enhance high-intensity exercise performance in young healthy men and women. Recent evidence has also demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation in animal models of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and after ischemia. A low total and phosphocreatine concentration has been reported in human skeletal muscle from aged individuals and those with neuromuscular disorders. A few studies of creatine monohydrate supplementation in the elderly have not shown convincing evidence of a beneficial effect with respect to muscle mass and/or function. Future studies will be required to address the potential for creatine monohydrate supplementation to attenuate age-related muscle atrophy and strength loss, as well as to protect against age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 11085837 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation.
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH.
Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA. TerjungR@missouri.edu
Creatine (Cr) supplementation has become a common practice among professional, elite, collegiate, amateur, and recreational athletes with the expectation of enhancing exercise performance. Research indicates that Cr supplementation can increase muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) content, but not in all individuals. A high dose of 20 g x d(-1) that is common to many research studies is not necessary, as 3 g x d(-1) will achieve the same increase in PCr given time. Coincident ingestion of carbohydrate with Cr may increase muscle uptake; however, the procedure requires a large amount of carbohydrate. Exercise performance involving short periods of extremely powerful activity can be enhanced, especially during repeated bouts of activity. This is in keeping with the theoretical importance of an elevated PCr content in skeletal muscle. Cr supplementation does not increase maximal isometric strength, the rate of maximal force production, nor aerobic exercise performance. Most of the evidence has been obtained from healthy young adult male subjects with mixed athletic ability and training status. Less research information is available related to the alterations due to age and gender. Cr supplementation leads to weight gain within the first few days, likely due to water retention related to Cr uptake in the muscle. Cr supplementation is associated with an enhanced accrual of strength in strength-training programs, a response not independent from the initial weight gain, but may be related to a greater volume and intensity of training that can be achieved. There is no definitive evidence that Cr supplementation causes gastrointestinal, renal, and/or muscle cramping complications. The potential acute effects of high-dose Cr supplementation on body fluid balance has not been fully investigated, and ingestion of Cr before or during exercise is not recommended. There is evidence that medical use of Cr supplementation is warranted in certain patients (e.g.. neuromuscular disease); future research may establish its potential usefulness in other medical applications. Although Cr supplementation exhibits small but significant physiological and performance changes, the increases in performance are realized during very specific exercise conditions. This suggests that the apparent high expectations for performance enhancement, evident by the extensive use of Cr supplementation, are inordinate.
PMID: 10731017 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Aug;72(2 Suppl):607S-17S Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Does dietary creatine supplementation play a role in skeletal muscle metabolism and performance?
Casey A, Greenhaff PL.
Centre for Human Sciences, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, Farnborough, United Kingdom. acasey@dera.gov.uk
Fatigue sustained during short-term, high-intensity exercise in humans is associated with the inability of skeletal muscle to maintain a high rate of anaerobic ATP production from phosphocreatine hydrolysis. Ingestion of creatine monohydrate at a rate of 20 g/d for 5-6 d was shown to increase the total creatine concentration of human skeletal muscle by approximately 25 mmol/kg dry mass, some 30% of this in phosphorylated form as phosphocreatine. A positive relation was then shown between muscle creatine uptake and improvements in performance during repeated bouts of maximal exercise. However, there is no evidence that increasing intake > 20-30 g/d for 5-6 d has any potentiating effect on creatine uptake or performance. In individuals in whom the initial total creatine concentration already approached 150 mmol/kg dry mass, neither creatine uptake nor an effect on phosphocreatine resynthesis or performance was found after supplementation. Loss of ATP during heavy anaerobic exercise was found to decline after creatine ingestion, despite an increase in work production. These results suggest that improvements in performance are due to parallel improvements in ATP resynthesis during exercise as a consequence of increased phosphocreatine availability. Creatine uptake is augmented by combining creatine supplementation with exercise and with carbohydrate ingestion.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 10919967 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2000 Nov;3(6):497-502 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Potential benefits of creatine monohydrate supplementation in the elderly.
Tarnopolsky MA.
Dept of Neurology/Neurological Rehabilitation, McMaster University Medical Center, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. tarnopol@fhs.mcmaster.ca
Creatine plays a role in cellular energy metabolism and potentially has a role in protein metabolism. Creatine monohydrate supplementation has been shown to result in an increase in skeletal muscle total and phosphocreatine concentration, increase fat-free mass, and enhance high-intensity exercise performance in young healthy men and women. Recent evidence has also demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation in animal models of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and after ischemia. A low total and phosphocreatine concentration has been reported in human skeletal muscle from aged individuals and those with neuromuscular disorders. A few studies of creatine monohydrate supplementation in the elderly have not shown convincing evidence of a beneficial effect with respect to muscle mass and/or function. Future studies will be required to address the potential for creatine monohydrate supplementation to attenuate age-related muscle atrophy and strength loss, as well as to protect against age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 11085837 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation.
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH.
Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA. TerjungR@missouri.edu
Creatine (Cr) supplementation has become a common practice among professional, elite, collegiate, amateur, and recreational athletes with the expectation of enhancing exercise performance. Research indicates that Cr supplementation can increase muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) content, but not in all individuals. A high dose of 20 g x d(-1) that is common to many research studies is not necessary, as 3 g x d(-1) will achieve the same increase in PCr given time. Coincident ingestion of carbohydrate with Cr may increase muscle uptake; however, the procedure requires a large amount of carbohydrate. Exercise performance involving short periods of extremely powerful activity can be enhanced, especially during repeated bouts of activity. This is in keeping with the theoretical importance of an elevated PCr content in skeletal muscle. Cr supplementation does not increase maximal isometric strength, the rate of maximal force production, nor aerobic exercise performance. Most of the evidence has been obtained from healthy young adult male subjects with mixed athletic ability and training status. Less research information is available related to the alterations due to age and gender. Cr supplementation leads to weight gain within the first few days, likely due to water retention related to Cr uptake in the muscle. Cr supplementation is associated with an enhanced accrual of strength in strength-training programs, a response not independent from the initial weight gain, but may be related to a greater volume and intensity of training that can be achieved. There is no definitive evidence that Cr supplementation causes gastrointestinal, renal, and/or muscle cramping complications. The potential acute effects of high-dose Cr supplementation on body fluid balance has not been fully investigated, and ingestion of Cr before or during exercise is not recommended. There is evidence that medical use of Cr supplementation is warranted in certain patients (e.g.. neuromuscular disease); future research may establish its potential usefulness in other medical applications. Although Cr supplementation exhibits small but significant physiological and performance changes, the increases in performance are realized during very specific exercise conditions. This suggests that the apparent high expectations for performance enhancement, evident by the extensive use of Cr supplementation, are inordinate.
PMID: 10731017 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Here's some study reviews of creatine's safety too, but i don't know where to get the full reviews 
Poortmans JR, Francaux M Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70
Mihic S, MacDonald JR, McKenzie S, Tarnopolsky MA. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine, or CK activity in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Feb;32(2):291-6.
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer
WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17
Poortmans JR, Francaux M Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70
Mihic S, MacDonald JR, McKenzie S, Tarnopolsky MA. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine, or CK activity in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Feb;32(2):291-6.
Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer
WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17
Ooooooooooohhhh.......This may be the first review i put just above:
http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net/creatine_newsletter_12.html
http://www.creatinemonohydrate.net/creatine_newsletter_12.html
Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training
K. Vandenberghe1, M. Goris1, P. Van Hecke2, M. Van Leemputte1, L. Vangerven3, and P. Hespel1
1 Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, and 2 Biomedical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Unit, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; and 3 Department Rega School, Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Received 13 March 1997; accepted in final form 30 July 1997.
Vandenberghe, K., M. Goris, P. Van Hecke, M. Van Leemputte, L. Vangerven, and P. Hespel. Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 2055-2063, 1997.The effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration, muscle strength, and body composition were investigated in young female volunteers (n = 19) during 10 wk of resistance training (3 h/wk). Compared with placebo, 4 days of high-dose creatine intake (20 g/day) increased (P < 0.05) muscle PCr concentration by 6%. Thereafter, this increase was maintained during 10 wk of training associated with low-dose creatine intake (5 g/day). Compared with placebo, maximal strength of the muscle groups trained, maximal intermittent exercise capacity of the arm flexors, and fat-free mass were increased 20-25, 10-25, and 60% more (P < 0.05), respectively, during creatine supplementation. Muscle PCr and strength, intermittent exercise capacity, and fat-free mass subsequently remained at a higher level in the creatine group than in the placebo group during 10 wk of detraining while low-dose creatine was continued. Finally, on cessation of creatine intake, muscle PCr in the creatine group returned to normal within 4 wk. It is concluded that long-term creatine supplementation enhances the progress of muscle strength during resistance training in sedentary females.
K. Vandenberghe1, M. Goris1, P. Van Hecke2, M. Van Leemputte1, L. Vangerven3, and P. Hespel1
1 Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, and 2 Biomedical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Unit, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; and 3 Department Rega School, Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Received 13 March 1997; accepted in final form 30 July 1997.
Vandenberghe, K., M. Goris, P. Van Hecke, M. Van Leemputte, L. Vangerven, and P. Hespel. Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 2055-2063, 1997.The effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration, muscle strength, and body composition were investigated in young female volunteers (n = 19) during 10 wk of resistance training (3 h/wk). Compared with placebo, 4 days of high-dose creatine intake (20 g/day) increased (P < 0.05) muscle PCr concentration by 6%. Thereafter, this increase was maintained during 10 wk of training associated with low-dose creatine intake (5 g/day). Compared with placebo, maximal strength of the muscle groups trained, maximal intermittent exercise capacity of the arm flexors, and fat-free mass were increased 20-25, 10-25, and 60% more (P < 0.05), respectively, during creatine supplementation. Muscle PCr and strength, intermittent exercise capacity, and fat-free mass subsequently remained at a higher level in the creatine group than in the placebo group during 10 wk of detraining while low-dose creatine was continued. Finally, on cessation of creatine intake, muscle PCr in the creatine group returned to normal within 4 wk. It is concluded that long-term creatine supplementation enhances the progress of muscle strength during resistance training in sedentary females.
Hmmm...I don't see anything that's referenced that is saying that creatine is bad.. I know that was the misconception long ago but there was no scientific backing. From CD's articles seems like it does help inhibit tumour growth and build muscle mass.
John, interesting article saying that it's banned for sale in France
John, interesting article saying that it's banned for sale in France
Just because some half ass doctor who never stated his name to the public I believe says it gives you cancer France banned it? How stupid. If France is listening if you drink milk with no pants on you get brain tumors. I like to see them try to ban that.
That article doesn't prove anything.
Oh jesus - the weight gain is from cell volumisation. Y'know, what you actually buy creatine for...
Cramping and dehydration is from people who don't drink enough water.
The gastric stress and dizziness only effects some people, but doesn't mean creatine is dangerous.
The torn muscles thing is a joke. Creatine is linked with torn muscles?! Bad form and being egotystical (is that spelled right?) are linked to torn muscles.
Oh, and just because something is "linked" doesn't mean that it has caused that effect. Just think, living has been linked with dying.
The studies showing renal dysfunction - i can't get a full abstract for the first and i can't find the second. If you can (or anyone can) i'd appreciate it cut and pasted in here. I'd like to see it for myself
Oh jesus - the weight gain is from cell volumisation. Y'know, what you actually buy creatine for...
Cramping and dehydration is from people who don't drink enough water.
The gastric stress and dizziness only effects some people, but doesn't mean creatine is dangerous.
The torn muscles thing is a joke. Creatine is linked with torn muscles?! Bad form and being egotystical (is that spelled right?) are linked to torn muscles.
Oh, and just because something is "linked" doesn't mean that it has caused that effect. Just think, living has been linked with dying.
The studies showing renal dysfunction - i can't get a full abstract for the first and i can't find the second. If you can (or anyone can) i'd appreciate it cut and pasted in here. I'd like to see it for myself
I don't think it causes cancer. I mean, it exists in your body anyway. Most of us that use it are merely putting a bit more into the body. If you are using an extraordinary amount, you might have some problems with your kidneys or something, but other than that ....
BTW, I don't use a microwave at home simply because it does change the food. My wife and I got rid of ours, and you know what? Neither one of us miss it. I won't say I never use one because some restuarants use them, but I do try and avoid food cooked with them.
Here's a quote from a article on mercola's site:
The apparently toxic effects of microwave cooking is another in a long list of unnatural additives in our daily diets. However, the establishment has not taken kindly to this work. "The first drawing of blood samples took place on an empty stomach at 7.45 each morning," Hertel explained. "The second drawing of blood took place 15 minutes after the food intake. The third drawing was two hours later." >From each sample, 50 ml of blood was used for the chemistry and five millimetres for the hematology and the luminescence. The hematological examinations took place immediately after drawing the samples.
Erythrocytes, hemoglobin, mean hemoglobin concentration, mean hemoglobin content, leukocytes and lymphocytes were measured. The chemical analysis consisted of iron, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The results of erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit and leukocyte determinations were at the "lower limits of normal" in those tested following the eating of the microwaved samples. "These results show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced during the second month of the study,"
Here's the link to the full article if you care to read it.
http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm
This isn't a "it causes cancer" article, but a "something to be aware of because it *might* affect your health article.
BTW, I don't use a microwave at home simply because it does change the food. My wife and I got rid of ours, and you know what? Neither one of us miss it. I won't say I never use one because some restuarants use them, but I do try and avoid food cooked with them.
Here's a quote from a article on mercola's site:
The apparently toxic effects of microwave cooking is another in a long list of unnatural additives in our daily diets. However, the establishment has not taken kindly to this work. "The first drawing of blood samples took place on an empty stomach at 7.45 each morning," Hertel explained. "The second drawing of blood took place 15 minutes after the food intake. The third drawing was two hours later." >From each sample, 50 ml of blood was used for the chemistry and five millimetres for the hematology and the luminescence. The hematological examinations took place immediately after drawing the samples.
Erythrocytes, hemoglobin, mean hemoglobin concentration, mean hemoglobin content, leukocytes and lymphocytes were measured. The chemical analysis consisted of iron, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The results of erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit and leukocyte determinations were at the "lower limits of normal" in those tested following the eating of the microwaved samples. "These results show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced during the second month of the study,"
Here's the link to the full article if you care to read it.
http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm
This isn't a "it causes cancer" article, but a "something to be aware of because it *might* affect your health article.
Who knows why these things happen
I have been working out after a long lay off for seven months now and I have been supplementing with creatine, b.c.a.a.'s, vits/mins and whey alongside a nutritionally sound diet.
I have been diagnosed with cancer in the last week and it has come as a massive blow to me.
I'm strong and I feel o.k but I have to say that the symptoms only arose when I started taking creatine.
I thought at the time that this had to be a coincidence but who really know's as there is no real proof of what causes non-hodgekins lymphomas or indeed that creatine is linked to cancer in the first place.
I'm 31 and weigh 236 pounds and I truly don't wanna go out like this.
Bodybuilding is my life and not being able to work-out is killing me more than this other s**t ever could.
I have been working out after a long lay off for seven months now and I have been supplementing with creatine, b.c.a.a.'s, vits/mins and whey alongside a nutritionally sound diet.
I have been diagnosed with cancer in the last week and it has come as a massive blow to me.
I'm strong and I feel o.k but I have to say that the symptoms only arose when I started taking creatine.
I thought at the time that this had to be a coincidence but who really know's as there is no real proof of what causes non-hodgekins lymphomas or indeed that creatine is linked to cancer in the first place.
I'm 31 and weigh 236 pounds and I truly don't wanna go out like this.
Bodybuilding is my life and not being able to work-out is killing me more than this other s**t ever could.
these days according to the scientists everything gives you cancer!!!
should we all just live like hermits in enclosed "clean rooms" like something out of a NASA experimental lab and only drink purified water and...........oh we cant eat coz everything has some ingredient that gives us cancer.
my honest opinion is,if you get cancer you get cancer,its very unlucky,i dont think something causes it.i mean i bet most of us no some people who eat junk fook,smoke like chimneys and drink excessivley and are still cancer free and in good health at an old age!at least i do a few like that.
should we all just live like hermits in enclosed "clean rooms" like something out of a NASA experimental lab and only drink purified water and...........oh we cant eat coz everything has some ingredient that gives us cancer.
my honest opinion is,if you get cancer you get cancer,its very unlucky,i dont think something causes it.i mean i bet most of us no some people who eat junk fook,smoke like chimneys and drink excessivley and are still cancer free and in good health at an old age!at least i do a few like that.
Got a microwave, but never use it anymore. Whether it's safe or not I don't know , but food cooked in it tastes 'trashed' . Prefer the oven, or hob.
