The Effect of Creatine on Muscle Loss (CML)

The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Muscle Loss During Immobilisation

The primary aim of this study is to determine the effect of creatine supplementation on muscle mass loss during short-term immobilisation in healthy, young people.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Loss
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Placebo supplementation; Other: Creatine supplementation

Detailed Description

Seven days of one-legged knee immobilisation in young subjects with creatine or Placebo supplementation. A randomly selected leg is immobilized for seven days. Muscle mass and strength will be determined and muscle biopsies will be collected before and immediately after immobilisation. A week after the cast is removed we will assess any differences in recovery between intervention groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Limburg
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands, 6200MD
      • Maastricht University Medical Centre+

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male
• Aged from 18-35 years
• 18.5 < BMI < 30 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• (Family) history of thrombosis
• Smoking
• Recent surgery
• Performing regular resistance training more than once per week in the past year
• Any back/leg/knee/shoulder complaints which may interfere with the use of crutches
• Current systemic use of corticosteroids, growth hormone, testosterone, immunosuppressants or insulin
• All co-morbidities interacting with mobility and muscle metabolism of the lower limbs (e.g. arthritis, spasticity/rigidity, all neurological disorders and paralysis)
• Use of anti-coagulants
• Pre-existing renal disease or those with a potential risk for renal dysfunction (diabetes, hypertension, reduced glomerular filtration rate)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: immobilisation and placebo; Seven days of one-legged knee immobilisation with placebo supplementation	Other: Placebo supplementation; Seven days of one-legged knee immobilisation with placebo supplementation
Experimental: immobilisation and creatine; Seven days of one-legged knee immobilisation with creatine supplementation	Other: Creatine supplementation; Seven days of one-legged knee immobilisation with creatine supplementation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change in quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area (CSA)	immediately before and after 1 week of immobilisation, and after 1 week recovery, quadriceps CSA will be assessed	Before and after 1 week of immobilisation, and after 1 week of recovery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change in muscle fiber type specific CSA	immediately before and after 1 week of immobilization, and after 1 week of natural recovery	Before and after 1 week of immobilisation, and after 1 week of recovery
change in muscle strength	immediately before and after 1 week of immobilization, and after 1 week of natural recovery, one-repetition maximum (1RM) muscle strength will be assessed	before and after 1 week of immobilisation, and after 1 week of recovery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Backx EMP, Hangelbroek R, Snijders T, Verscheijden ML, Verdijk LB, de Groot LCPGM, van Loon LJC. Creatine Loading Does Not Preserve Muscle Mass or Strength During Leg Immobilization in Healthy, Young Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sports Med. 2017 Aug;47(8):1661-1671. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0670-2.
• Dirks ML, Backx EM, Wall BT, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJ. May bed rest cause greater muscle loss than limb immobilization? Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2016 Sep;218(1):10-2. doi: 10.1111/apha.12699. Epub 2016 May 20. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 1, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): July 10, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 31, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 28, 2015
• Last Verified: August 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: METC 13-3-023