Another Good Reason to Take Creatine: Creatine Helps with Exercise Induced Arterial Stiffness

If there is one supplement out there on the fitness market that is really worth each cent you spend on it, it is probably creatine monohydrate.

In a recent study, scientists from the Florida State University (Sanchez-Gonzalez. 2011) report on the positive effects, of creatine supplementation (creatine monohydrate @ 2x5g /day for 3 weeks) on arterial stiffness and hemodynamics in 16 healthy male subjects:

Compared with the Pl group, the Cr group had attenuated (P\0.05) increases in SBP [systolic blood pressure] at PE5 [5 minutes post exercise] (Pl 14.0 ± 2.5, Cr 5.6 ± 2.3 mmHg), HR [heart rate] at both P5 (Pl 28 ± 4 vs. Cr 16 ± 2 beats/min) and PE15 (Pl 21 ± 3, Cr 11 ± 2 beats/min) and rate pressure product at P5 (Pl 45.8 ± 6.4, Cr 24.8 ± 2.2) and P15 (Pl 34.2 ± 5.0, Cr 15.9 ± 6.0). Compared with the Pl group, the Cr group had suppressed
increases in baPWV [brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity] at PE5 (Pl 1.5 ± 0.4, Cr-0.1 ± 0.4 m/s) and PE15 (Pl 1.1 ± 0.2, Cr -0.3 ± 0.3 m/s) and returned SBP to pre-exercise values at PE15 (Pl 10.6 ± 2.8, Cr 2.1 ± 2.6 mmHg). PWV in the exercised leg decreased at PE5 in both groups.

Overall, this indicates that creatine supplementation reduces cardiac stress from strength training. It would have been interesting, though, to see a more realistic setting for the study - with the single-leg extension exercise in an isokinetic dynamometer used in this you probably don't induce much cardiac stress, anyway. Sometimes, I am asking myself if any of those researchers have ever been to the gym to take a look at the intensity levels at which many ambitious gymrats work out...