The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Acute Exercise Glycemic Control

Authors

Marine A. R. Brissot, California State University Long BeachFollow
Rodolfo Mendez, California State University, Long BeachFollow
Joshua R. Clarin, Oregon State UniversityFollow
Evan E. Schick, California State University, Long BeachFollow
Joshua A. Cotter, California State University, Long BeachFollow
Adam Z. Zeidan, California State University Long BeachFollow
Kurt A. Escobar, California State University, Long BeachFollow

Abstract

Creatine monohydrate is a popular dietary supplement often utilized for its benefits in enhancing training adaptations and performance by increasing muscle phosphocreatine content. However, growing literature suggests that creatine supplementation may provide health-related benefits including improved glycemic control, particularly with the addition of exercise. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to explore the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on glycemic response in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) following an acute bout of resistance exercise in recreationally active, resistance trained individuals. METHODS: A total of 20 resistance-trained participants (17 males and 3 females, age 22.5 ± 4.5 years, height 175.3 ± 8.0 cm , body mass 78.7 ± 15.3 kg, body fat 20.3 ± 8.3%, body mass index 25.5 ± 4.6 kg/m2) received four OGTTs under the following conditions: no exercise (NE), after resistance exercise (RE), after a 5-day (20 g/day) loading phase of a placebo and resistance exercise (RE-PL), and after a 5-day (20 g/day) loading phase of creatine monohydrate and resistance exercise (RE-CR). Blood glucose was analyzed prior to OGTT and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following the ingestion of a 75 g glucose beverage. RESULTS: Area under the curve of blood glucose (AUCBG) was significantly lower in the RE (219.1 ± 35.3 mg·min/dL) condition when compared to NE (261.2 ± 28.8 mg·min/dL; p = 0.03). Furthermore, the RE-CR condition resulted in a significant increase (245.3 ± 26.2 mg·min/dL) in AUCBG when compared to RE (p = 0.04). Additionally, total volume load (VL) was significantly higher in the RE-CR (4702.1 ± 1743.7 kg) condition when compared to RE (4543.1 ± 1722.7; p = 0.016) and RE-PL (4607. 6 ± 1725.9; p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: While an acute bout of resistance exercise significantly reduced OGTT AUCBG compared to no exercise, the addition of creatine supplementation did not augment this response, but increased AUCBG which may be related to increased volume load.

Recommended Citation

Brissot, Marine A. R.; Mendez, Rodolfo; Clarin, Joshua R.; Schick, Evan E.; Cotter, Joshua A.; Zeidan, Adam Z.; and Escobar, Kurt A. (2025) "The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Acute Exercise Glycemic Control," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 5, Article 53.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss5/53