Question explored with the scientific record
Conversation so far
- 1 tests alpha-lipoic acid plus creatine against creatine alone and creatine plus sucrose. It found that the lipoic acid combo boosted muscle creatine stores more than either of the other two. so how can i get an intake of th elipoic acid combo in everyday life
- 2 how can i make a creatine-plus-sucrose combo...in a drink or other wource
Answered on this page ↓
how can i make a creatine-plus-sucrose combo...in a drink or other wource
The short version: the evidence for a creatine-plus-sucrose drink boosting uptake is thin, and the one study that tested it directly found it did not work as well as alpha-lipoic acid.
The 2003 study you are building on compared three groups: creatine alone, creatine plus sucrose, and creatine plus alpha-lipoic acid [2]. Only the lipoic acid group showed a significant rise in muscle creatine, from 138 to 157 mmol per kilogram of dry mass [2]. The sucrose group did not show a significant increase [2]. That means your hypothesis, that sugar boosts creatine uptake through insulin, is not supported by the one study that actually tested it.
The study was tiny: 4 people in the lipoic acid group, 6 in each of the others [2]. It is 23 years old and has not been replicated since. No funding source is disclosed in the record, so you cannot tell who paid for it. The evidence is too thin to build a daily habit on.
| Group | Muscle creatine change | Significant? |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine alone | No significant rise | No |
| Creatine plus sucrose | No significant rise | No |
| Creatine plus alpha-lipoic acid | 138 to 157 mmol/kg dry mass | Yes |
If you want the effect the study found, skip the sugar and use the lipoic acid combo instead. Take about 5 grams of creatine monohydrate with 600 to 1,000 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid, on an empty stomach, based on the doses in the study [2]. Watch for low blood sugar if you take diabetes medication, since alpha-lipoic acid can lower glucose.
My call: the sucrose version has no evidence behind it, so do not bother. The lipoic acid combo is plausible but rests on one small unreplicated 2003 study. Confidence: low.
Sources used 18
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Molecular cloning of a DNA sequence complementary to creatine kinase M mRNA from chickens.
This study reports the successful cloning and identification of a DNA sequence complementary to the mRNA of creatine kinase M isozyme from chicken muscle, utilizing a novel method of sucrose gradient centrifugation with methylmercuric hydroxide to enrich for CK mRNA.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.79.16.4997 -
Effect of α-Lipoic Acid Combined with Creatine Monohydrate on Human Skeletal Muscle Creatine and Phosphagen Concentration
This study investigates the effect of α-lipoic acid combined with creatine monohydrate on enhancing human skeletal muscle creatine and phosphagen concentrations, finding that the combination significantly increases muscle total creatine content compared to creatine alone or with…
DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.13.3.294 -
Excitation-contraction coupling in multiunit tracheal smooth muscle during metabolic depletion: induction of rhythmicity
Metabolic depletion by glucose removal converts carbachol-stimulated canine tracheal smooth muscle from tonic contraction to rhythmic contractions with action potentials, reversible by metabolizable substrates and dependent on extracellular Ca2+.
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Effect of Creatine Loading on Endurance Capacity and Sprint Power in Cyclists
In a double-blind cross-over trial with 12 elite cyclists, short-term creatine loading improved intermittent sprint power at the end of a fatiguing endurance protocol, while adding high-dose creatine during exercise counteracted this benefit and endurance time to exhaustion did …
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Effect of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane on ischemic myocardium
This study tests whether tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) as a buffer improves contractile function in ischemic feline hearts compared to low CO2 alkalosis and control, finding that Tris yields a sustained, greater inotropic effect during ischemia without increasing oxygen…
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Impact of creatine supplementation and exercise training in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the additive effects of creatine supplementation with exercise training on physical performance, body composition, and bone health in older adults (55+), identifying improvements in 1RM and fat reduction but no significant change i…
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Creatine supplementation does not improve cognitive function in young adults
This study found that six weeks of creatine supplementation at a dosage of 0.03 g/kg/day does not improve cognitive processing or psychomotor performance in non-sleep deprived young adults, suggesting that creatine may only benefit those with impaired cognitive abilities.
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Comparison of Creatine Supplementation Before Versus After Supervised Resistance Training in Healthy Older Adults
This study compares the effects of creatine supplementation before versus after supervised resistance training on muscle mass and strength in healthy older adults, finding no significant differences between the two timing strategies.
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Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training in Older Adults—A Meta-analysis
This meta-analysis investigates the effects of creatine supplementation combined with resistance training on muscle mass, strength, and functional performance in older adults, finding significant improvements in total body mass and fat-free mass compared to resistance training a…
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Creatine and Cognition in Aging: A Systematic Review of Evidence in Older Adults
This systematic review aggregates six studies (n = 1,542) on creatine and cognition in older adults, finding most studies report a positive association with cognitive performance but overall evidence is limited by heterogeneity and study quality, warranting more rigorous trials.
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Effect of Different Frequencies of Creatine Supplementation on Muscle Size and Strength in Young Adults
This study investigates the effects of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults undergoing resistance training, finding that both 2 and 3 days per week of supplementation yield similar improvements in muscle thickness and stre…
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Effects of Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training Sessions in Physically Active Young Adults
This study investigates the effects of creatine supplementation during resistance training on muscle mass and exercise performance in physically active young adults, finding significant improvements in strength and endurance for the creatine group compared to placebo.
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061880 -
Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior
This study tested whether creatine supplementation modulates cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood, and salivary cortisol/melatonin during 36 hours of sleep deprivation with intermittent moderate exercise in healthy young male adults.
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The Impact of Creatine Supplementation on Physical Performance, Cognitive Functions, and Safety – A Literature Review
Creatine supplementation, especially with resistance training, increases lean mass and strength, may improve memory in older adults, and generally shows a favorable safety profile for kidney and liver function across diverse populations.
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Suplementação de creatina e performance muscular quais os efeitos da suplementação de creatina na força e resistência durante sessões de treino de força
This 2025 integrative literature review synthesizes seven primary studies on creatine supplementation combined with resistance training in physically active young adults, finding consistent gains in maximal muscular strength with mixed effects on endurance and overall support fo…
DOI: 10.51473/rcmos.v1i2.2025.1265 -
THE IMPACT OF CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN ELDERLY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
A PRISMA-guided systematic review of four prior meta-analyses on creatine supplementation and cognition in older adults finds modest benefits for memory and processing speed in certain subgroups, with effects that are context-dependent and overall inconsistent across studies.
DOI: 10.31435/ijitss.3(47).2025.3516 -
Creatine Supplementation Enhances Corticomotor Excitability and Cognitive Performance during Oxygen Deprivation
In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial in 15 healthy adults, 7 days of oral creatine monohydrate supplementation increased brain creatine by 9.2% and prevented hypoxia-induced declines in complex attention while increasing corticomotor excitability.
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3113-14.2015 -
Role Of Creatine Supplementation In Enhanching Cognitive Function In The General Population: A Literature Review
Creatine supplementation yields limited cognitive enhancement in healthy adults under normal conditions but may confer neuroprotective benefits during sleep deprivation or hypoxic stress.
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