Exercise, Creatine and Coenzyme Q10 for Childhood Myositis

April 22, 2026 updated by: Brian M. Feldman, The Hospital for Sick Children

The Effects of Exercise, Creatine, and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Muscle Function in Children With Myositis

Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (JIIM) are weak and get tired because their muscles aren't able to work like healthy muscles. This can make it hard for them to do normal everyday things and can make them less happy about their lives compared to children without the disease. There are two nutritional supplements that help muscles use energy and recover after exercise: creatine and coenzyme Q10. If the muscle has more energy, it may not be as weak and may not feel as tired or sore after exercise. Because of this we want to see if having children with JIIM take creatine and coenzyme Q10 can make them stronger and less tired. If this works, we hope it will let them be able to do the things that healthy children can do, and make them feel better about their lives.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
15

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8
        • The Hospital for Sick Children

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

3 years to 14 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ages 7 to 18 years
  • Diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (JIIM) according to the 2017 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria: ≥90% probability, age of onset <18 years
  • Subjects on a stable course of medication (unlikely to change over study treatment period as determined by treating physician)
  • Minimum height of 132.5cm (required to fit on the cycle ergometer)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects with newly diagnosed JIIM within the previous 6 months
  • Subjects unable to cooperate with study procedures, or too weak to participate in the exercise testing
  • Subjects with impaired kidney function as determined from pre-baseline visit screening lab values (eGFR <90 ml/min/1.73m^2)
  • Subjects currently taking anti-hypertensive drugs or blood thinners
  • Subjects who are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the study period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Treatment
patients in this arm will be treated with creatine and coenzyme Q10 supplements
Dietary supplement: creatine monohydrate
Creatine will be taken at a dose of 150mg/kg/day of creatine base divided into 2 daily doses up to 39.7kg in body weight, after which dosing will be based on body surface area (BSA) at 4.69g/m2/day. Creatine will be administered orally as a chewable tablet provided by BioTechUSA™. Tablets are 2g and contain 0.9g of creatine monohydrate which is equivalent to 0.8g of creatine base.
Dietary supplement: ubiquinol
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, ubiquinol) will be taken at a dose of 10mg/kg/day divided into 2 daily doses with a daily maximum of 500mg. CoQ10 will be administered orally in 50mg softgels containing 50mg of ubiquinol (Active Q®), provided by Tishcon Corporation.
Other Names:
  • coenzyme Q10
Behavioral: Exercise
Participants will be coached to hit 12,000 steps or 60 "active minutes" per day as logged by a FitBit (FitBit calculates active minutes as activities equivalent to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) done continuously for at least 10 minutes)
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
patients in this arm will be given placebo supplements that look and taste identical to the active supplements
Behavioral: Exercise
Participants will be coached to hit 12,000 steps or 60 "active minutes" per day as logged by a FitBit (FitBit calculates active minutes as activities equivalent to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) done continuously for at least 10 minutes)
Dietary supplement: glucose tablet
Creatine placebo will be in the form of a glucose tablet with identical appearance and taste to the active supplement. The number of tablets/day will be determined based on the dose of creatine required for each patient.
Dietary supplement: gel capsule
Ubiquinol placebo will be in the form of a gel capsule with identical appearance to the active supplement. The number of capsules/day will be determined based on the dose of ubiquinol required for each patient.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in muscle function
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in muscle function will be determined by the change in peak power achieved on the wingate anaerobic cycling test between the active supplement phase and the placebo phase
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in muscle fatigue
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in muscle fatigue will be determined by the change in the fatigue index during the wingate test. Fatigue index is a percentage, and is calculated as follows: [(Peak Power - End Power)/Peak Power] x100
6 months
Change in general fatigue
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in fatigue will be determined by the change in the Pediatric Quality of Life - Fatigue Module scores (PedsQL-Fatigue). This measure is scored on a scale of 0-100 with 100 representing the least amount of fatigue.
6 months
Change in quality of life
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in quality of life will be determined by the change in the Quality of My Life questionnaire scores. Quality of my Life consists of 3 visual analog scales each scored out of 10. Higher scores indicate better quality of life.
6 months
Change in physical function
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in physical function will be determined by the change in the hand grip strength, measured using a hand dynamometer. Three attempts will be given per hand, and the maximum grip strength achieved (in kg displaced) will be recorded for each hand.
6 months
Change in physical function
Time Frame: 6 months
Change in physical function will be determined by the change in the vertical jump achieved, measured in centimeters
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Hospital for Sick Children

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Brian Feldman, MD, MSc, The Hospital for Sick Children

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 6, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 5, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 5, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 6, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 25, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 26, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1000062314
  • HC6-24-c228771 (Other Identifier: Health Canada)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Myositis, Juvenile

Clinical Trials on creatine monohydrate

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings