Creatine supplementation does not decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in skeletal muscle after eccentric...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biochemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Eccentric exercise (EE) can induce muscle damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
• Creatine (Cr) supplementation is often used to enhance exercise performance and recovery.
• The effects of Cr on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation post-EE require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers after eccentric exercise in rats.
• To determine if creatine supplementation can mitigate muscle damage indicators following strenuous eccentric exercise.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-six male rats were divided into six groups, including saline control, creatine supplementation, and eccentric exercise groups with or without creatine at 24 and 48 hours post-exercise.
• Animals underwent a downhill running session to exhaustion.
• Analysis included creatine kinase, superoxide production, TBARS, carbonyl content, total thiol, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, catalase, GPx), and inflammatory markers (IL-1β, NF-κB, TNF).

Main Results:

• Creatine supplementation did not significantly decrease creatine kinase, superoxide production, lipoperoxidation, carbonylation, total thiol, IL-1β, NF-κB, or TNF compared to the saline group.
• Enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were not altered by creatine supplementation.
• Positive correlations were observed between creatine kinase and TBARS, and TNF-α at 48 hours post-exercise.

Conclusions:

• Creatine supplementation does not appear to reduce oxidative stress or inflammation following eccentric exercise in this rat model.
• The findings suggest that creatine may not offer protective benefits against exercise-induced muscle damage markers in the context studied.