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18.11.2023

Creatine accelerates recovery from long Covid

If you recover excessively slowly from Covid-19, you may have long Covid. A small human study from Serbia suggests that supplementation with 4 grams of creatine per day can speed up the healing process.

Study
Serbian scientists, affiliated with the University of Novi Sad, reported earlier in 2023 that they had found less creatine in the muscles and brains of people with long Covid. [J Postgrad Med. 2023 Jul-Sep;69(3):162-3.] We have taken the figure you see below from that publication.

Based on these research results, the researchers wondered what happens if people with long Covid are given creatine. In the study that is the subject of this post, the Serbs tried to answer this question.

The researchers experimented with 12 test subjects aged 18-65 who had had Covid-19 in the past three months, but still suffered from at least residual symptoms such as breathing problems, loss of smell and taste, chest pain, headache or concentration problems.

Half of the subjects received 4 grams of creatine every day for 6 months. The researchers used Creavitalis, a product from Alzchem. Creavitalis is creatine monohydrate that is produced from exclusively vegetable raw materials. [alzchem.com] The other half took a placebo.

Results
In the group taking creatine, there was a statistically significant reduction in long Covid symptoms such as absence of taste and smell, breathing problems, chest pain [pain in the lungs, to be more precise], body aches , headaches and concentration problems.

The table below tells you this. Click on it for a larger version.

The figure below gives you an idea of ​​the extent of the positive effects of creatine. If the d is greater than 0.8, the effect of supplementation is large, according to the researchers.

The figure is incomplete. Click on it for a full version.

Conclusion
"Taking creatine for 6 months appears to improve tissue bioenergetics and attenuate clinical features of post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome, possibly due to its energy-replenishing and neuroprotective activity", the researchers summarize.

"Endorsing creatine might be thus of great importance in tackling highly prevalent post-viral fatigue syndrome after COVID-19 pandemics; additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings in various post-COVID-19 cohorts."

Source:
Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Sep 20;11(11):6899-906.

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