Effect of creatine ingestion on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in men.

PURPOSE

This study investigated whether acute (5 d) and/or short-term (28 d) creatine (Cr) ingestion altered glucose tolerance or insulin action in healthy, untrained men (aged 26.9 +/- 5.7 yr; SD).

METHODS

Subjects were randomly allocated to either a Cr ( N= 8) or placebo group (N = 9) and were tested in the control condition (presupplementation), and after 5 and a further 28 d of supplementation. The Cr group ingested 20 g and 3 g.d (-1) of Cr for the first 5 and following 28 d, respectively. The placebo group ingested similar amounts of glucose over the same time period. During each testing period, subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to determine insulin sensitivity, and six subjects from each group underwent a muscle biopsy before each OGTT.

RESULTS

Cr supplementation resulted in an increased (P< 0.05) muscle TCr content after both the acute and short-term loading phase compared with placebo. Neither acute nor short-term Cr supplementation influenced skeletal muscle glycogen content, glucose tolerance, or measures of insulin sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrated that acute Cr supplementation (20 g.d(-1) for 5 d) followed by short-term Cr supplementation (3 g.d(-1) for 28 d) did not alter insulin action in healthy, active untrained men.