Top

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research article

Creatine supplementation spares muscle glycogen during high intensity intermittent exercise in rats

Authors: Hamilton Roschel, Bruno Gualano, Marcelo Marquezi, André Costa, Antonio H Lancha Jr

Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition | Issue 1/2010

Abstract

Background

The effects of creatine (CR) supplementation on glycogen content are still debatable. Thus, due to the current lack of clarity, we investigated the effects of CR supplementation on muscle glycogen content after high intensity intermittent exercise in rats.

Methods

First, the animals were submitted to a high intensity intermittent maximal swimming exercise protocol to ensure that CR-supplementation was able to delay fatigue (experiment 1). Then, the CR-mediated glycogen sparing effect was examined using a high intensity intermittent sub-maximal exercise test (fixed number of bouts; six bouts of 30-second duration interspersed by two-minute rest interval) (experiment 2). For both experiments, male Wistar rats were given either CR supplementation or placebo (Pl) for 5 days.

Results

As expected, CR-supplemented animals were able to exercise for a significant higher number of bouts than Pl. Experiment 2 revealed a higher gastrocnemius glycogen content for the CR vs. the Pl group (33.59%). Additionally, CR animals presented lower blood lactate concentrations throughout the intermittent exercise bouts compared to Pl. No difference was found between groups in soleus glycogen content.

Conclusion

The major finding of this study is that CR supplementation was able to spare muscle glycogen during a high intensity intermittent exercise in rats.

Available only for authorised users

Gualano B, Novaes RB, Artioli GG, Freire TO, Coelho DF, Scagliusi FB, Rogeri PS, Roschel H, Ugrinowitsch C, Lancha AH: Effects of creatine supplementation on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in sedentary healthy males undergoing aerobic training. Amino Acids. 2008, 34: 245-250. 10.1007/s00726-007-0508-1.CrossRefPubMed

Greenhaff PL: The creatine-phosphocreatine system: there's more than one song in its repertoire. J Physiol. 2001, 537: 657-10.1113/jphysiol.2001.013478.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Harris RC, Soderlund K, Hultman E: Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clin Sci (Lond). 1992, 83: 367-374.CrossRef

Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH: American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000, 32: 706-717. 10.1097/00005768-200003000-00024.CrossRefPubMed

Robinson TM, Sewell DA, Hultman E, Greenhaff PL: Role of submaximal exercise in promoting creatine and glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol. 1999, 87: 598-604.PubMed

Nelson AG, Arnall DA, Kokkonen J, Day R, Evans J: Muscle glycogen supercompensation is enhanced by prior creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001, 33: 1096-1100.CrossRefPubMed

Derave W, Eijnde BO, Verbessem P, Ramaekers M, Van Leemputte M, Richter EA, Hespel P: Combined creatine and protein supplementation in conjunction with resistance training promotes muscle GLUT-4 content and glucose tolerance in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2003, 94: 1910-1916.CrossRefPubMed

van Loon LJ, Murphy R, Oosterlaar AM, Cameron-Smith D, Hargreaves M, Wagenmakers AJ, Snow R: Creatine supplementation increases glycogen storage but not GLUT-4 expression in human skeletal muscle. Clin Sci (Lond). 2004, 106: 99-106. 10.1042/CS20030116.CrossRef

Cribb PJ, Hayes A: Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006, 38: 1918-1925. 10.1249/01.mss.0000233790.08788.3e.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Tsintzas K, Williams C, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Hultman E, Boobis L, Clarys P, Greenhaff P: Phosphocreatine degradation in type I and type II muscle fibres during submaximal exercise in man: effect of carbohydrate ingestion. J Physiol. 2001, 537: 305-311. 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.0305k.x.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

11.

Sewell DA, Robinson TM, Greenhaff PL: Creatine supplementation does not affect human skeletal muscle glycogen content in the absence of prior exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2008, 104: 508-512. 10.1152/japplphysiol.00787.2007.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Boobis LH, Lakomy HK: Contribution of phosphocreatine and aerobic metabolism to energy supply during repeated sprint exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1996, 80: 876-884.PubMed

13.

Gaitanos GC, Williams C, Boobis LH, Brooks S: Human muscle metabolism during intermittent maximal exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1993, 75: 712-719.PubMed

14.

Hargreaves M, McKenna MJ, Jenkins DG, Warmington SA, Li JL, Snow RJ, Febbraio MA: Muscle metabolites and performance during high-intensity, intermittent exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1998, 84: 1687-1691.PubMed

15.

Gualano B, Artioli GG, Poortmans JR, Lancha Junior AH: Exploring the therapeutic role of creatine supplementation. Amino Acids. 2009

16.

Marquezi ML, Roschel HA, dos Santa Costa A, Sawada LA, Lancha AH: Effect of aspartate and asparagine supplementation on fatigue determinants in intense exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003, 13: 65-75.PubMed

17.

Gallo M, Gordon T, Syrotuik D, Shu Y, Tyreman N, MacLean I, Kenwell Z, Putman CT: Effects of long-term creatine feeding and running on isometric functional measures and myosin heavy chain content of rat skeletal muscles. Pflugers Arch. 2006, 452: 744-755. 10.1007/s00424-006-0079-0.CrossRefPubMed

18.

Op't Eijnde B, Jijakli H, Hespel P, Malaisse WJ: Creatine supplementation increases soleus muscle creatine content and lowers the insulinogenic index in an animal model of inherited type 2 diabetes. Int J Mol Med. 2006, 17: 1077-1084.PubMed

19.

Passonneau JV, Lowry OH: Enzymatic Analysis: A Practical Guide. 1993, New Jersey: Human PressCrossRef

20.

Ugrinowitsch C, Fellingham GW, Ricard MD: Limitations of Ordinary Least Squares Models in Analyzing Repeated Measures Data. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004, 36: 2144-2148. 10.1249/01.MSS.0000147580.40591.75.CrossRefPubMed

21.

Greenhaff PL, Bodin K, Soderlund K, Hultman E: Effect of oral creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle phosphocreatine resynthesis. Am J Physiol. 1994, 266: E725-730.PubMed

22.

Op 't Eijnde B, Richter EA, Henquin JC, Kiens B, Hespel P: Effect of creatine supplementation on creatine and glycogen content in rat skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol Scand. 2001, 171: 169-176. 10.1046/j.1365-201x.2001.00786.x.CrossRef

23.

Brannon TA, Adams GR, Conniff CL, Baldwin KM: Effects of creatine loading and training on running performance and biochemical properties of rat skeletal muscle. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997, 29: 489-495.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Yquel RJ, Arsac LM, Thiaudiere E, Canioni P, Manier G: Effect of creatine supplementation on phosphocreatine resynthesis, inorganic phosphate accumulation and pH during intermittent maximal exercise. J Sports Sci. 2002, 20: 427-437. 10.1080/026404102317366681.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Ceddia RB, Sweeney G: Creatine supplementation increases glucose oxidation and AMPK phosphorylation and reduces lactate production in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells. J Physiol. 2004, 555: 409-421. 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.056291.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

26.

Sewell DA, Harris RC: Effect of creatine supplementation in the thoroughbred horse. Equine Vet J. 1995, 18: 239-242.

27.

Tarnopolsky MA, Bourgeois JM, Snow R, Keys S, Roy BD, Kwiecien JM, Turnbull J: Histological assessment of intermediate- and long-term creatine monohydrate supplementation in mice and rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2003, 285: R762-769.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Pederson BA, Cope CR, Schroeder JM, Smith MW, Irimia JM, Thurberg BL, DePaoli-Roach AA, Roach PJ: Exercise capacity of mice genetically lacking muscle glycogen synthase: in mice, muscle glycogen is not essential for exercise. J Biol Chem. 2005, 280: 17260-17265. 10.1074/jbc.M410448200.CrossRefPubMed

29.

Freire TO, Gualano B, Leme MD, Polacow VO, Lancha Junior AH: Effects of creatine supplementation on glucose uptake in rats submitted to exercise training. Braz J Sports Med. 2008, 14: 431-435.

30.

Armstrong RB, Saubert CWt, Sembrowich WL, Shepherd RE, Gollnick PD: Glycogen depletion in rat skeletal muscle fibers at different intensities and durations of exercise. Pflugers Arch. 1974, 352: 243-256. 10.1007/BF00590489.CrossRefPubMed

31.

Clark JH, Conlee RK: Muscle and liver glycogen content: diurnal variation and endurance. J Appl Physiol. 1979, 47: 425-428.PubMed

32.

Conlee RK, Rennie MJ, Winder WW: Skeletal muscle glycogen content: diurnal variation and effects of fasting. Am J Physiol. 1976, 231: 614-618.PubMed

33.

Conlee RK, McLane JA, Rennie MJ, Winder WW, Holloszy JO: Reversal of phosphorylase activation in muscle despite continued contractile activity. Am J Physiol. 1979, 237: R291-296.PubMed

34.

Hickson RC, Rennie MJ, Conlee RK, Winder WW, Holloszy JO: Effects of increased plasma fatty acids on glycogen utilization and endurance. J Appl Physiol. 1977, 43: 829-833.PubMed

Title: Creatine supplementation spares muscle glycogen during high intensity intermittent exercise in rats
Authors: Hamilton Roschel
Bruno Gualano
Marcelo Marquezi
André Costa
Antonio H Lancha Jr
Publication date: 01-12-2010
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1550-2783
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-7-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Creatine supplementation spares muscle glycogen during high intensity intermittent exercise in rats

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water

Comparison of pre-workout nitric oxide stimulating dietary supplements on skeletal muscle oxygen saturation, blood nitrate/nitrite, lipid peroxidation, and upper body exercise performance in resistance trained men

PAKs supplement improves immune status and body composition but not muscle strength in resistance trained individuals

Brain serotonergic and dopaminergic modulators, perceptual responses and endurance exercise performance following caffeine co-ingested with a high fat meal in trained humans

The effects of a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, creatine, and amino acids during three weeks of high-intensity exercise on aerobic and anaerobic performance

The effects of a commercially available botanical supplement on strength, body composition, power output, and hormonal profiles in resistance-trained males