Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

Keywords

dietary supplements

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplementation with creatine monohydrate is efficacious beyond the realm of its most popular use, which is in athletics. This study investigated the safety of creatine supplementation in the general population. References were collected through a review of PubMed and Scopus databases. Initial keywords searched were creatine supplementation and creatine safety. Where possible, trials with human subjects were utilized. Studies focused on creatine’s effects in athletes or weightlifting parameters were eliminated. Topics were further narrowed down by conditions with the most amount of research and medical concerns recognized as common to primary care. Creatine supplementation showed potential benefits in treatment for major depressive disorder, diabetes, bone density, and osteoarthritis. Mild weight gain due to the osmotic effect of creatine was the only side effect noted in the evidence. Kidney function is not affected by creatine supplementation. Creatine supplementation has potential benefits for many different patient populations, with the only side effect of creatine supplementation being mild weight gain due to the osmotic effect of increased creatine saturation in the body. Clinicians should consider creatine supplementation without fear of potential serious adverse effects based on the available evidence.

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