Creatine and TBI

Preparation, Preparedness & Prevention Fitness and Nutrition
1

Gents, TBI has been getting a great deal of attention recently due to vets, NFL, etc, and the DOD identified creatine as a nutrient of interest for TBI over a decade ago for mil populations (1) yet little follow up far as I know. Here’s a recent study looking at creatine and TBI in children, and suggest that creatine is very neuro protective with both acute (TBI) and chronic injury. Taken alone, this study is not impressing being a Open Label/Pilot Study, but when added to the growing lit showing the various brain related benefits of creatine, it’s more creatine win in my view:

Prevention of Complications Related to Traumatic Brain Injury in Children and Adolescents With Creatine Administration: An Open Label Randomized Pilot Study

Abstract

Background:

There has been an enormous focus on the discovery and development of neuroprotective agents that might have clinical relevance after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Based on experimental facts, we studied administration of creatine to patients with TBI.

Methods:

A prospective, randomized, comparative, open-labeled pilot study of the possible neuroprotective effect of creatine was performed on 39 children and adolescents, aged between 1 to 18 years old, with TBI. The creatine was administered for 6 months, at a dose of 0.4 gr/kg in an oral suspension form every day. For categorical variables, we used the χ2 test to identify differences between controls and cases. Statistical significance was defined as a p value <0.05 and not statistically significant if p value >0.1.

Results:

The administration of creatine to children with TBI improved results in several parameters, including duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), duration of intubation, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, disability, good recovery, self care, communication, locomotion, sociability, personality/behavior and neurophysical, and cognitive function. Significant improvement was recorded in the categories of Cognitive (p < 0.001), personality/behavior (p < 0.001), Self Care (p = 0.029), and communication (p = 0.018) aspects in all patients. No side effects were seen because of creatine administration.

Conclusion: Preliminary data suggest that the administration of creatine may be beneficial to patients with traumatic brain injury.

Source:

http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Abstract/2006/08000/Prevention_of_Complications_Related_to_Traumatic.11.aspx

(1) http://www.brinkzone.com/general-health/creatine-and-traumatic-brain-injury/

"A dad's mission to uncover brain injuries after Navy SEAL son's suicide"
2

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

3

Thank you for posting this. I’m off to the races on researching this… This is a subject very close to me and mine.

4

Will, Have you seen any more recent studies. After being subjected to 4 mTBIs in AFG in 2012 and spending 8 months at the TBI clinic when I got back, I have been following creatine and fish oil as health aids pretty closely. Last recent study I saw was with SOCOM and talked about creatine providing protection to mTBI side effects if you were using at the time. There was another study I saw that said creatine could be beneficial for Alzheimer and Parkinson patients early on. Since I have both in my family plus my TBIs, the running joke is that I am going to be drooling on myself by the time I’m 40.

In a side note, trying to talk about TBI treatment with people in the VA is a joke. My primary care told me to cycle off cause its “only for wannabe body builders” and the neurologist had never heard of creatine or fish oil for brain health. Granted the neurologist deals with primarily Vietnam vets so anyone under 40 that isn’t obviously having issues is outside his day to day.

5

Studies on the various potential benefits of creatine come out all the time. The number of studies showing creatine is neuro protective (some of which I have published here, etc), I have lost count.

See link above to DOD commissioned paper. It’s very common I have noticed that all manner of interesting stuff gets studied and or recommended, etc by mil entities that does not seem to trickle it’s way down to the people it should…

The only thing I ask from any medical professional asked about such a topic is to respond with “I DON’T KNOW” vs something as poorly thought out as “only for wannabe body builders”

Ignoring overwhelming evidence that some supplements may be of value for some conditions, a time honored habit among many medical professionals and the media sadly.

6

I don’t supplement, and have not really looked into creatine. I do believe that renal function is the main contraindication, though? At what levels does creatine start to cause any sort of renal stress?

7

I cover Creatine Contraindications HERE

8

My wife complains that I’m an asshole when taking creatine. Something to be aware of.

9

My wife complains I am an asshole all the time. Seriously though, I have not noticed any mood changes in the years of different creatines. I did notice a test booster that I tried made me anger quicker

10

There’s no mechanism by which creatine causes “asshole syndrome” so purely coincidental. Data suggest improved mood, cognition, neuro protection, etc. It’s not a hormone nor works through hormonal pathways etc.

11

One form and one form only is what’s been shown in the many studies to have the benefits it does, and that’s monohydrate*. The others are marketing BS with either no data to support claims of any superiority to CM, or data shows they are inferior to CM.

  • = German produced
12

She said she’s noticed it on 2 separate occasions, where I was using it, versus periods when I wasn’t. Not saying you’re wrong, just providing a data point.

13

If a man is walking through the forest alone talking to himself about a topic, and there’s no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? :shout:

14

All, just updated the creatine and TBI page with new studies, including one looking at the brains of retired NFL players:

https://brinkzone.com/creatine-and-tbi/