Creatine - The Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS Center

Enrollment Closed 

Creatine is a naturally occurring biochemical involved in the energy metabolism of muscle. Studies have shown that ingestion of oral creatine improves repeated maximal exercise performance, benefits recovery from exercise and increases energy availability in healthy subjects. Abnormal metabolism of creatine produced in the body has been linked to the progression of degenerative neuromuscular diseases such as ALS. Recent laboratory studies suggest that oral creatine supplementation may benefit patients with ALS.

The Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS Center is coordinating a placebo-controlled, multi-center trial of an ultrapurified form of creatine in ALS patients. Creatine has been shown to have a positive effect in laboratory ALS mouse studies. This is a 9-month study. Enrollment is open at all Sites. Muscle strength and size as well as breathing capacity will be monitored as to their response to the creatine trial.

This study is designed to look at the short term, as well as, long term effects of creatine use. Quantitative muscle testing is done weekly for the first three weeks. It is then followed monthly for the next four months and bimonthly for the remainder of the nine-month study. The study also monitors purposeful exercise to determine if this enhances the benefit of creatine usage on muscle strength. Pulmonary function testing accompanies the muscle testing to determine if creatine strengthens respiratory muscles thereby enhancing pulmonary function.

Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS Center is the coordinating center for this multi-center trial and patient accrual began here in August, 1999. Participating Sites at this time include: