Medical use of creatine

Creatin acts as a "natural" way to enhance athletic performance and build lean body mass. Use of creatine is particularly popular among adolescent athletes, who are reported to take doses that are not consistent with scientific evidence, and to frequently exceed recommended loading and maintenance doses. Creatine is most commonly used for improving exercise performance and increasing muscle mass in athletes and older adults. Carbohydrate solution further increases muscle creatine levels more than creatine alone, creatine sports drinks have become popular. Creatine may have therapeutic applications in aging populations for wasting syndromes, muscle atrophy, fatigue, gyrate atrophy, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, increase growth hormone production and other brain pathologies. Creatine and neuromuscular diseases One study looked at the safety and efficacy of creatine monohydrate in various types of muscular dystrophies using a double blind, crossover trial. The researchers found there a "mild but significant improvement" in muscle strength in all groups.Studies found a general improvement in the patients' daily-life activities as. Creatine was well tolerated throughout the study period, according to the researchers. Creatine and neurological protection/brain injury Creatine are really good in protecting the brain from various forms of neurological injury. A growing number of studies found that creatine can protect the brain from neurotoxic agents, certain forms of injury and other insults. Several in vitro studies found that neurons exposed to highly toxic to neurons and involved in various neurological diseases were protected when exposed to creatine. The researchers hypothesized that cells supplemented with the precursor creatine create larger energy reserves with consequent neuroprotection against stressors.

Creatine and heart function Creatine levels are depressed in chronic heart failure, researchers have looked at supplemental creatine to improve heart function and overall symptomology in certain forms of heart disease. It is well known that people suffering from chronic heart failure have limited endurance, strength and tire easily, which greatly limits their ability to function in everyday life. Before and after creatine supplementation, the researchers looked at: 1) Ejection fraction of the heart (blood present in the ventricle at the end of diastole and expelled during the contraction of the heart) 2) 1-legged knee extensor (which tests strength) 3) Exercise performance on the cycle ergometer (which tests endurance) After just one week of creatine supplementation, the researchers concluded: "Supplementation to patients with chronic heart failure did not increase ejection fraction but increased skeletal muscle energy-rich phosphagens and performance as regards both strength and endurance. This new therapeutic approach merits further attention.

Deficiency in Creatine
Signs of Deficiency. Creatine deficiency in situations of strenuous muscle function results in fatigue, lessened muscle strength, compromised endurance, increased muscle soreness, and the need for frequent resting.

Creatine deficiency, X-linked: A rare inherited disorder characterized mainly by mental retardation, seizures, short stature and facial anomalies. The disorder is caused by the absence of a compound needed to transport creatine and thus creatine levels may be normal or high, but the body is unable to utilize it.

Cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes (CCDS), inborn errors of creatine metabolism, include the two creatine biosynthesis disorders, guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency and L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT or GATM) deficiency, and the creatine transporter (SLC6A8) deficiency.

Intellectual disability and seizures are common to all three CCDS. The majority of individuals with GAMT deficiency have a behavior disorder that can include autistic behaviors and selfmutilation; a significant proportion have pyramidal/extrapyramidal findings. Onset is between ages three months and three years. Only seven individuals with AGAT deficiency have been reported. The phenotype of SLC6A8 deficiency in affected males ranges from mild intellectual disability and speech delay to severe intellectual disability, seizures, and behavior disorder; age at diagnosis ranges from two to 66 years. Females heterozygous for SLC6A8 deficiency may have learning and behavior problems.

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/c/creatine_deficiency_x_linked/intro.htm

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/mar2003_report_creatine_01.html

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12550

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/creatine/NS_patient-creatine

http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition/Supplements/Creatine.html

this one is journal

http://www.aruplab.com/files/technical-bulletins/Creatine%20Deficiency%20Syndromes.pdf