Does creatine supplementation promote changes in cognitive function in people with peripheral arterial disease? A randomized clinical trial

The aim of the study was to verify the effect of eight weeks of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The patients (n=29), of both sexes, were randomly divided in a double-blind manner into two groups: Placebo (PLA, n = 15) or creatine monohydrate (Cr, n = 14).. The entire supplementation protocol lasted eight weeks and included a loading phase of 20g/day for one week, divided into four equal daily doses, followed by a maintenance phase of 5g/day for the subsequent seven weeks. Before and after the supplementation period, cognitive function was assessed using the Stoop test. The number of correct answers and response time (seconds) were considered. The Generalized Estimation Equation Model was used for comparisons between groups. The level of significance was P <0.05. For the number of correct answers (PLA: pre 26 ± 5 vs. post 26 ± 5; Cr: pre 24 ± 5 vs. post 25 ± 5, p = 0.801) and response time (PLA: pre 4.9 ± 6.1 s vs. post 4.9 ± 5.2 s; Cr: pre 2.7 ± 4.4 s vs. post 1.2 ± 4.6 s, p = 0.820) no significant differences were found. Eight weeks of creatine supplementation does not appear to improve cognitive function in symptomatic PAD.