Lee Swanson Research Update

Creatine May Help Improve Muscle Strength in Muscular Dystrophy Patients

March 2007

"Evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that short- and medium-term creatine treatment improves muscle strength in people with muscular dystrophies," according to a review published in The Cochrane Library.

The review, commissioned by the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent organization that produces systematic review of research into current medical practices, looked at 12 studies involving 266 people. When the results were combined, taking creatine, either short-term or long-term, was found to improve muscle strength by an average of 8.5% among patients with various types of muscular dystrophy. Creatine users also gained an average of 1.4 lbs. of lean body mass compared with patients taking placebo treatments.

Creatine is produced naturally in the body, but people with the group of disorders collectively known as muscular dystrophy often have low levels of natural creatine. Researchers thought that raising creatine levels in the body with supplements could help improve muscle function, which led to the review.

In their report, the researchers called for more studies to further investigate the connection between creatine and muscular dystrophy. "These studies show that creatine is a useful symptomatic therapy," researcher Matthias Vorgerd noted. "It is not a cure, and its effects were modest, but this is something that patients should consider."

Muscular Dystrophy Association Medical Director Valerie Cwik, MD, says the research suggests creatine may be more beneficial for some forms of muscular dystrophy than for others. "Responses have been variable across the different dystrophies, and I don't think the review really makes that clear. That is why it is so important that patients talk to their treating physicians about the pros and cons of creatine supplementation."

The Cochrane Library cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD004760/frame.html

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