Common gym supplement could offer breakthrough for Alzheimer's patients

Creatine, a popular supplement amongst gym enthusiasts for its muscle-building properties, could emerge as an unexpected treatment option for Alzheimer's patients. Early findings from a new study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal reveal that it can help preserve muscle strength and size in Alzheimer's patients within just eight weeks.

While the impact of Alzheimer's on mental health is widely recognised, the disease also wreaks havoc on the physical body, either directly or indirectly. Previous studies have suggested that muscular dysfunction could be an early red flag, preceding cognitive decline. Weak muscles, especially in older individuals, can lead to a host of additional problems such as increased risk of falls and injuries, difficulty with daily tasks, stiffness, and pain. These issues are further exacerbated by other symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Researchers at the University of Kansas hypothesised that improving muscle strength and size could trigger a domino effect, alleviating these secondary issues in Alzheimer's patients. Creatine, known for enhancing muscle strength and size, could therefore offer a potential solution, allowing patients to maintain more physical capability despite their condition.

However, the impact of creatine on Alzheimer's patients specifically has never been explored until this pilot trial. The study involved 20 participants, all aged between 60 and 90, who had been clinically diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease.

They were instructed to take daily doses of a 10 gram creatine supplement for a period of eight weeks. At the beginning and end of this period, researchers assessed the participant's hand grip strength, conducted a lower-body evaluation, and measured muscle size and thickness.

The group reported no signs of withdrawal and on average, participants adhered to the creatine supplementation plan 90% of the time. By the end of the eight weeks, handgrip strength had increased from an average of 33.5kg to 35.5kg.

Hand grip strength is often directly associated with quality of life and mortality risk in older adults as it signifies their ability to be independent and prevent themselves from falling. However, there were no significant changes in BMI, waist circumference or percentage of lean body mass.

In some areas of the body, subcutaneous fat levels decreased and the muscle cross-sectional area increased in the legs for those who underwent the lower body assessment according to News Medical.

Overall, the researchers discovered that taking creatine had modest benefits for the skeletal muscle structure in patients with Alzheimer's disease. They also suggested that the increased hand grip strength could counteract the accelerated muscle loss these patients typically experience.

The researchers concluded: "This eight-week pilot trial suggests that 20 g/day of CrM may provide modest skeletal muscle benefits in patients with AD. These data provide preliminary evidence to warrant further investigation of the potential for CrM to prevent AD-related decline in muscle function."

They called for more research into creatine supplements as a possible solution to prevent Alzheimer's related decline in muscle function. However, they also cautioned that these initial findings should not be seen as conclusive proof due to the small size of the study group and some changes made to the protocol during the study.