Research Symposium

BIO

I am form West Palm Beach, Florida, and am extremely passionate about learning new things and love putting myself in situations where I can grow. I am a first generation college student who plans on studying medicine in the future to become a doctor. Research is one of many opportunities I am grateful to take part of on this long and beautiful journey to success.

The Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation on Lipid Profiles in Older Adults

Abstract

The natural consequence of aging can lead to the deterioration of a variety of physiological systems. Older adults are at a higher risk of both hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, both of which can be further augmented by a poor diet and inactivity. There is some evidence suggesting that creatine may potentially serve as a therapeutic aid, eliciting positive effects upon blood glucose and lipid levels. Therefore, creatine has been termed a potential nutraceutical, capable of exerting promising effects upon common pathologies the US faces today. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation on lipids and blood glucose in healthy, older adults. Twelve adults consumed creatine monohydrate (CM) and placebo for 4 weeks. Pre- and post-supplementation, participants underwent a fasted venous blood draw. Plasma levels of cholesterol (CHOL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), non-HDL cholesterol (nHDLc), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very LDL (vLDL), and blood glucose (GLU) were then analyzed using a Piccolo Xpress clinical chemistry analyzer. Results were analyzed by 2x2 Repeated Measures ANOVA, with significance accepted as p < 0.05. vLDL decreased in both groups on average – 2.46 mg/dL showing significant improvement in TG and GLU however there were no significant changes following CM in LDL, HDL, nHDLc, or CHOL. Due to the strong relationship between triglycerides and glucose with CVD, the ability of creatine to reduce these suggests that creatine may have the possibility to serve as an adjuvant therapy for the control of TGs and glucose.

Keywords: Creatine and Lipid Profile in Adults