The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial is to compare the effects of two doses of creatine monohydrate (5 g/day versus 10 g/day) administered for four weeks in postpartum women. The study will evaluate exercise performance, post-exercise recovery, cognitive function, and brain creatine concentrations in a sub-sample.
Postpartum women frequently experience changes in physical performance, recovery, cognition, sleep quality, and mood. Creatine supplementation may enhance energy availability in skeletal muscle and brain tissue, potentially improving exercise performance, recovery, and cognitive function. This study will enroll 40 postpartum women and randomly assign participants in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 5 g/day or 10 g/day of creatine monohydrate for four weeks in a double-blind fashion. Assessments will be conducted before and after supplementation and will include repeated sprint ability testing, skeletal muscle oxygen recovery, and cognitive testing. A subsample of 20 participants will undergo magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess brain creatine stores.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
Creatine monohydrate taken daily mixed with 6-8 oz of water.
Applied Physiology Laboratory
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Repeated Sprint Ability Peak Power
Peak power (Watts) measured during a repeated sprint ability cycling test.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Fatigue Index
Fatigue index (%) calculated from repeated sprint ability testing.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Recovery
Recovery rate constant of skeletal muscle oxygen consumption following exercise measured by near-infrared spectroscopy and arterial occlusion procedures.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Executive Function
Executive function measured using the NIH Toolbox Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test.
Time frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
Working Memory
Working memory measured using the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test.
Time frame: Change in baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation.
Brain Creatine Concentration
Brain phosphocreatine and related bioenergetic metabolites assessed using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹P-MRS) in the imaging subsample
Time frame: Change from baseline to 4 weeks post-supplementation
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