Here’s How Creatine Reduces Myostatin

✔ Evidence-Based. Scientifically Reviewed by Michael Sharpe, MSc.

Creatine is thought to be an indirect anabolic substance, only increasing muscle growth via an increase in energy production, this may not be true. Supplementing with creatine may be directly anabolic, by reducing levels of circulating myostatin.

Myostatin is a catabolic regulator of skeletal muscle mass, meaning it will reduce the growth of muscle tissue and break down muscle tissue.

One study researched the effects of creatine and how it may help build muscle by reducing circulating myostatin levels and increasing the action of GASP-1, a protein that reduces the effect of myostatin.

The Study

Sports scientists from Iran’s Arak University were curious about how creatine works. Creatine is seen by some scientists as nothing more than a supplement that provides energy and hydration to muscle cells.

According to some researchers, this is why taking a creatine course causes you to acquire a couple of pounds of muscular tissue quickly. Your strength improves as well, but they think it is thought to be temporary. Some believe that when you stop taking creatine, the benefits diminish.

However, there is a smaller group of researchers that believe creatine provides considerably more. They believe creatine may enhance muscular tissue development.

The researchers conducted a study with 27 male students. Eight of them did nothing (the control group).

The other 19 students worked out with weights for 8 weeks. The participants went to the gym three times a week and completed six fundamental exercises that targeted all of the main muscle groups:

1. Bench-press
2. Lat-pulldowns
3. Bicep curls
4. Leg press
5. Knee extensions
6. Leg curls

Here’s a breakdown of how the study went.

• The students performed three sets of each exercise at 60-70% of their one-rep max.
• Between sets, the participants rested for no more than 2 minutes.
• Creatine was taken by half of the participants who exercised.
• They consumed 0.3g creatine per kg bodyweight (e.g. 21g for a 70kg person) daily for the first week.
• For the subsequent 7 weeks they consumed 0.05g creatine per kg bodyweight (e.g. 3.5g for a 70kg person) daily.

The Results

The participants that exercised gained muscle and strength, and the creatine supplement boosted the effect.

The concentration of myostatin in the participants’ blood was measured by the researchers. Myostatin concentration was lowered by weight training. Training while on creatine lowered the concentration significantly further.

The protein growth and differentiation factor-associated serum protein-1 (GASP-1) concentration was determined by the researchers. Myostatin’s actions are mitigated by this protein.

Weight training boosted GASP-1 production, and it increased even more in those who coupled weight training and creatine supplementation.

The researchers find that creatine does more than merely temporarily inflate the muscles. As a result, creatine may be directly anabolic, resulting in increased muscle protein synthesis.

Resistance exercise may play a significant role in enhancing muscular strength and bulk by decreasing myostatin and blocking its action through GASP-1.

Creatine supplementation resulted in larger gains in muscle growth and strength, which were accompanied by lower myostatin levels.

Is Creatine a Myostatin Inhibitor?

According to this study, resistance training resulted in a substantial reduction in myostatin levels and an increase in GASP-1 serum levels. Creatine supplementation combined with resistance training resulted in higher declines in serum myostatin, but had no additional impact on GASP-1.

However, this is just one small study and is therefore no enough data to provide a conclusion, but if this data can be replicated it seems as though creatine may be a potential myostatin inhibitor.

Further Reading

> Creatine (An Overview)

Definitions

Below are definitions and short explanations of what some of the terms in this article mean.

• Myostatin: Myostatin is a catabolic regulator of skeletal muscle mass, meaning it will reduce the growth of muscle tissue and break down muscle tissue. Inhibiting myostatin will therefore increase net protein synthesis.
• GASP-1: Protein growth and differentiation factor-associated serum protein-1 (GASP-1) is a negative regulator of myostatin, reducing its actions. An increase in this protein will reduce the effects of myostatin, potentially increasing muscle growth.

References

This section contains links to research, studies, and sources of information for this article, as well as authors, contributors, etc. All sources, along with the article and facts, are subjected to a series of quality, reliability, and relevance checks.

Real Muscle primarily uses high-quality sources, such as peer-reviewed publications, to back up the information in our articles. To understand more about how we fact-check and keep our information accurate, dependable, and trustworthy, read more about us.

This evidence-based analysis of creatines effect on myostatin and GASP-1 features 1 reference, listed below.

1. Saremi A, Gharakhanloo R, Sharghi S, Gharaati MR, Larijani B, Omidfar K. Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1. Mol Cell Endocrinol. (2010, Apr 12) (Randomised Controlled Trial) ✔

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