Study Suggests Gym Supplement Creatine May Aid Depression Treatment
A new scientific review examined whether creatine, a popular gym supplement, could improve outcomes when used alongside other depression treatments. The findings are mixed but intriguing.
A recent scientific review has explored the potential of creatine, a widely used gym supplement, in aiding the treatment of depression. The study, published in Brain Medicine on June 30, suggests that creatine might serve as a complementary treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).
The review analyzed five double-blind, randomized controlled trials. Two of these trials, which focused exclusively on women with MDD, indicated that creatine, when added to existing treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or antidepressants, showed more effectiveness than those treatments paired with a placebo. Participants taking creatine alongside other therapies reported greater and more sustained remission, according to standard depression questionnaires.
However, other trials included in the review did not find a significant difference. Bassam Jeryous Fares, the review's first author from the University of Ottawa, stated that the data offers an interesting signal but is not conclusive. "Two trials pointed one way and three pointed another. That is not the kind of evidence on which you change clinical practice. It is the kind that tells you the question is worth further exploration," Fares commented.
Some scientific theories propose that MDD may stem from impaired energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction within the brain. Creatine plays a role in the rapid regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of cells, which could support crucial energy-demanding processes in the brain.