Creatine for Recovery and Thinking in Mothers (CREATE-MOM)

August 26, 2026 updated by: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Creatine for Recovery, Executive Function, Activity, Thinking & Energy in Mothers (CREATE-MOM)

The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial is to compare the effects of two doses of creatine monohydrate (5 g/day versus 10 g/day) administered for four weeks in postpartum women. The study will evaluate exercise performance, post-exercise recovery, cognitive function, and brain creatine concentrations in a sub-sample.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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.

Detailed Description

Postpartum women frequently experience changes in physical performance, recovery, cognition, sleep quality, and mood. Creatine supplementation may enhance energy availability in skeletal muscle and brain tissue, potentially improving exercise performance, recovery, and cognitive function. This study will enroll 40 postpartum women and randomly assign participants in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 5 g/day or 10 g/day of creatine monohydrate for four weeks in a double-blind fashion. Assessments will be conducted before and after supplementation and will include repeated sprint ability testing, skeletal muscle oxygen recovery, and cognitive testing. A subsample of 20 participants will undergo magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess brain creatine stores.

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 (Estimated)

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.
40

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

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
        • Applied Physiology Laboratory
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 6 weeks -12 months postpartum
  • Body mass index of 18.5-34.9 kg/m2
  • Cleared to resume physical activity

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Experienced a musculoskeletal injury, excluding a Cesarean delivery,within the past three months that inhibits participation in the study.
  • Has chronic kidney disease, liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cancer
  • Currently using medications that may directly impact the primary outcomes including: diuretics and corticosteroids).
  • Has uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes, or has recently started medication, without a stable dose for 3 consecutive months.
  • Currently using creatine monohydrate or other performance-enhancing supplements
  • Has a self-identified or clinically diagnosed eating disorder
  • Taking or having supplemented with creatine monohydrate in the last 28-days
  • Medical contradictions for physical exercise
  • Has participated in another clinical trial within 4-weeks prior to enrollment that in the opinion of the PI would influence the results.
  • Has severely impaired hearing or speech or inability to speak English.
  • Unwilling or unable to comply with the study protocol, including abstaining from caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and physical activity before testing days.
  • Is currently pregnant.
  • Has a known allergy to the transducer gel used for the ultrasound
  • Has a known allergy to creatine monohydrate

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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: Low-Dose Creatine Monohydrate
Participants consume 5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate for 28 consecutive days.
Dietary supplement: Creatine Monohdyrate
Creatine monohydrate taken daily mixed with 6-8 oz of water.
Experimental: High-dose Creatine Monohydrate
Participants consume 10 grams per day of creatine monohydrate for 28 consecutive days.
Dietary supplement: Creatine Monohdyrate
Creatine monohydrate taken daily mixed with 6-8 oz of water.

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
Repeated Sprint Ability Peak Power
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Peak power (Watts) measured during a repeated sprint ability cycling test.
Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Fatigue Index
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Fatigue index (%) calculated from repeated sprint ability testing.
Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.

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
Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Recovery
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Recovery rate constant of skeletal muscle oxygen consumption following exercise measured by near-infrared spectroscopy and arterial occlusion procedures.
Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Executive Function
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Executive function measured using the NIH Toolbox Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test.
Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Working Memory
Time Frame: Change in baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Working memory measured using the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test.
Change in baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Brain Creatine Concentration
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Brain phosphocreatine and related bioenergetic metabolites assessed using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹P-MRS) in the imaging subsample
Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation

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.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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: Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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 (Estimated)

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.
September 8, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
May 10, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
May 10, 2027

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).
August 26, 2026

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.
August 26, 2026

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.
August 31, 2026

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.
August 31, 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.
August 26, 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.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 26-1724

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Deidentified individual participant data that support the results reported in publications arising from this study will be shared beginning 9 to 36 months following publication, provided that the investigator requesting the data has approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or Research Ethics Board (REB), as applicable, and executes a data use/sharing agreement with the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. When data sharing is permitted, a Data Use Agreement specifying the permitted uses of the shared data must be fully executed before any data are released.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will be available beginning 9 to 36 months following publication of the primary study results and will remain available for a period determined by UNC data-sharing policies and the terms of the applicable Data Use Agreement.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Investigators seeking access to the data must provide documentation of IRB, IEC, or REB approval, where applicable, and enter into a fully executed Data Use Agreement with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill prior to receipt of data. Requests will be reviewed by the study investigator and the University in accordance with institutional policies.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

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.

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