An imaging study of the effect of creatine on muscle & brain;v1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A randomised, double-blind, study to investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle energetics and cognitive function in young healthy male athletes and an ageing population using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

• IRAS ID

  140401

• Sponsor organisation

  GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Ltd

• Research summary

  The study supplement is a nutritional protein supplement that contains creatine. Supplements containing creatine are widely used by athletes to improve performance. Creatine occurs naturally in the body and in some food. It’s used by the body to make phosphocreatine, an important source of energy during exercise. There’s some evidence that creatine supplements may also help older people to maintain muscle and brain function.
  We’ll investigate the effect of a creatine supplement on muscle and brain function, and phosphocreatine levels, in 12 healthy male athletes aged 18-35, and 12 healthy older people aged 50-70. We’ll compare the test supplement with a dummy protein supplement that doesn’t contain creatine. Participants will take the test or dummy supplement twice daily for 14 days, while undergoing an exercise program.
  Participants will have:
  * 6 phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-MRS) scans (4 of the leg, during exercise, and 2 of the brain), to measure phosphocreatine levels
  * 2 fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans, which use magnetism to make images of the brain – participants will do simple tests of brain function during the scan (they’ll press a button in response to a screen)
  The scans are harmless and painless, but the fMRI scan is noisy.
  Participants will also do simple computerized tests of brain function before and after treatment.

  Participants will take up to 6 weeks to finish the study, and attend up to 12 visits.
  A pharmaceutical company (GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Ltd) is funding the study.
  The study will take place at 2 research centres in London: Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences and Hammersmith Medicines Research (HMR). We’ll recruit healthy participants by advertising (newspaper, radio and websites); word of mouth; volunteer databases; and HMR websites.

• REC name

  London - Brent Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/LO/1675

• Date of REC Opinion

  29 Nov 2013

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion