Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Vegetarians Compared to Omnivorous Athletes: A Systematic Review.

Mojtaba Kaviani,Keely Shaw,Philip D Chilibeck

doi:10.3390/ijerph17093041

Abstract

Background: Creatine monohydrate is a nutritional supplement often consumed by athletes in anaerobic sports. Creatine is naturally found in most meat products; therefore, vegetarians have reduced creatine stores and may benefit from supplementation. Objective: to determine the effects of creatine supplementation on vegetarians. Data sources: PubMed and SPORTDiscus. Eligibility criteria: Randomized controlled trials (parallel group, cross-over studies) or prospective studies. Participants: Vegetarians. Intervention: Creatine supplementation. Study appraisal and synthesis: A total of 64 records were identified, and eleven full-text articles (covering nine studies) were included in this systematic review. Results: Creatine supplementation in vegetarians increased total creatine, creatine, and phosphocreatine concentrations in vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius muscle, plasma, and red blood cells, often to levels greater than omnivores. Creatine supplementation had no effect on brain levels of phosphocreatine. Creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass, type II fiber area, insulin-like growth factor-1, muscular strength, muscular endurance, Wingate mean power output, and brain function (memory and intelligence) in vegetarian participants. Studies were mixed on whether creatine supplementation improved exercise performance in vegetarians to a greater extent compared to omnivores. Limitations: Studies that were reviewed had moderate–high risk of bias. Conclusions: Overall, it appears vegetarian athletes are likely to benefit from creatine supplementation.

Highlights

In our review of the literature, we found one systematic review on the effect of creatine supplementation in vegetarians [41]; it included a review of only three manuscripts with two of the manuscripts derived from the same study
There are a number of factors that may influence the effectiveness of creatine supplementation such as the amount of total stored creatine and how long the individual has been a vegetarian
Creatine supplementation could be useful, in stricter vegetarians such as vegans, since their total creatine stores will be lower, and as a result, they will see the greatest increases in creatine stores with supplementation

Summary

Introduction

The Benefits of Vegetarian Diets on Health and Performance. There are many reasons why an individual may choose to practice a vegetarian diet, including religious beliefs, ethical considerations, perceived health benefits, or philosophical beliefs [1]. Along the continuum of vegetarian diets, there are several plant-based options of varying restrictiveness. Closest to the standard omnivore diet are the semi-vegetarians who avoid some animal products, most commonly red meats. Lacto–ovo vegetarians avoid eating animals and only consume dairy products and eggs in addition to plant-based foods. Vegans exclude all animal products including dairy products, eggs, meats, seafood, gelatin, and honey [1]. Creatine is naturally found in most meat products; vegetarians have reduced creatine stores and may benefit from supplementation. Objective: to determine the effects of creatine supplementation on vegetarians. Eligibility criteria: Randomized controlled trials (parallel group, cross-over studies) or prospective studies

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