Oral Creatine Supplements Lower Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Humans

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if oral creatine supplements will lower the concentration of total plasma homocysteine (tHcy).

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Apparently healthy volunteers, at least 19 years old, were recruited from the University of South Alabama and surrounding community.

DESIGN/INTERVENTION/MAIN OUTCOME: Participants took multi-vitamins daily for four weeks, then were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (C) continued to take multi-vitamins daily for an additional four weeks. The experimental group (EX) took multivitamins plus an amount of creatine each day equal to twice their daily creatinine excretion, for the additional four weeks. Total plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured in all participants at the beginning and at the end of the second four week interval.

RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, initial tHcy, serum folate, erythrocyte folate, serum vitamin B₁₂, or creatinine excretion. After four weeks of creatine supplements, tHcy in EX changed by an average of −0.9 μmol/L (range: -1.8 to 0.0), compared to an average change of +0.2 μmol/L in C (range: −0.6 to 0.9) during the same four weeks. The difference in the changes in tHcy between the two groups was statistically significant (p <0.01).

CONCLUSION: Creatine supplements may be an effective adjunct to vitamin supplements for lowering tHcy.

ABBREVIATIONS: C = group of participants taking only multivitamins; EX = group of participants taking multivitamins plus creatine; Hcy = homocysteine; SAH = S-adenosylhomocysteine; SAM = S-adenosylmethionine; tHcy = concentration of total plasma homocysteine.