title: Does brain creatine content rely on exogenous creatine in healthy youth? A proof-of-principle study.
abstract: It has been hypothesized that dietary creatine could influence cognitive performance by increasing brain creatine in developing individuals. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, proof-of-principle study aimed to investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function and brain creatine content in healthy youth. The sample comprised 67 healthy participants aged 10 to 12 years. The participants were given creatine or placebo supplementation for 7 days. At baseline and after the intervention, participants undertook a battery of cognitive tests. In a random subsample of participants, brain creatine content was also assessed in the regions of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and occipital lobe by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) technique. The scores obtained from verbal learning and executive functions tests did not significantly differ between groups at baseline or after the intervention (all p > 0.05). Creatine content was not significantly different between groups in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and occipital lobe (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, a 7-day creatine supplementation protocol did not elicit improvements in brain creatine content or cognitive performance in healthy youth, suggesting that this population mainly relies on brain creatine synthesis rather than exogenous creatine intake to maintain brain creatine homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: a Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil.|b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto Abujabra
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Merege-Filho
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Radiology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Concepción Garcia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Otaduy
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Sá-Pinto
authors.affiliation: d Neurology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maira Okada
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: a Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil.|b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lívia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Souza Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: a Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil.|b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Tanaka
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: a Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil.|b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hamilton
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roschel
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosa Maria Rodrigues
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clovis Artur
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: d Neurology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sonia Maria Dozzi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brucki
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Radiology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Costa Leite
authors.affiliation: a Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sports, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil.|b Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gualano
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003071:Cognition; D003401:Creatine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
chemical_list: D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances; D003401:Creatine
keywords: cerebral metabolism; children; créatine phosphorylée; dietary supplement; enfants; médecine nucléaire; métabolisme cérébral; neuropsychological assessment; nuclear medicine; phosphoryilcreatine; supplément alimentaire; évaluation neuropsychologique