Can creatine supplements help people suffering from post-COVID-19 fatigue?

Researchers have found in a new clinical trial that that dietary creatine may also benefit individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome or long COVID.The results from clinical trial have been published in Food Science & Nutrition.

The amino acid creatine is essential for muscle and brain health, and people commonly use creatine supplements to improve exercise performance and increase muscle mass.

In the trial, 12 people with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome were randomized to take a placebo or 4 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for 6 months. Creatine intake caused a significant increase in creatine levels in leg muscles and across the brain at both 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. Creatine supplementation also led to a significant reduction in general fatigue after 3 months of intake, and it significantly improved scores for several post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome–related symptoms-including loss of taste, breathing difficulties, body aches, headaches, and difficulties concentrating-at the 6-month follow up.

“Endorsing creatine might be of great importance in tackling this prevalent condition, but additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings in various post-COVID-19 cohorts,” said corresponding author Sergej M. Ostojic, MD, PhD, of the University of Novi Sad, in Serbia.

Reference:

Jelena Slankamenac, Marijana Ranisavljev, Nikola Todorovic, Jelena Ostojic, Valdemar Stajer, Sergej M. Ostojic, Effects of six-month creatine supplementation on patient- and clinician-reported outcomes, and tissue creatine levels in patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome, https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3597.