Association between dietary creatine and visuospatial short-term memory in older adults

Abstract

Aims: The purpose was to examine the relationship between habitual dietary creatine intake obtained in food and visuospatial short-term memory (VSSM). Methods: Forty-two participants (32 females, 10 males; > 60 yrs of age) completed a 5-day dietary recall to estimate creatine intake and performed a cognitive assessment which included a visuospatial short-term memory test (forward and reverse corsi block test) and a mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Pearson correlation coefficients were determined. Further, cohorts were derived based on the median creatine intake. Results: There was a significant correlation between the forward Corsi ( r = 0.703, P < 0.001), reverse Corsi ( r = 0.715, P < 0.001), and the memory sub-component of the MMSE ( r = 0.406, P = 0.004). A median creatine intake of 0.382 g/day was found. Participants consuming greater than the median had a significantly higher Corsi (P = 0.005) and reverse Corsi (P < 0.001) scores compared to participants ingesting less than the median. Conclusions: Dietary creatine intake is positively associated with measures of memory in older adults. Clinical Implications: Older adults should consider food sources containing creatine (i.e. red meat, seafood) due to the positive association with visuospatial short-term memory.

O papel da suplementação da creatina na memória: Uma revisão de literatura

“…Ademais, em outro estudo,foi encontrada uma ingestão mediana de creatina de 0,382 g/dia. Os participantes que consumiram mais do que a mediana tiveram pontuações significativamente mais altas de Corsi, em comparação com os participantes que ingeriram menos do que a mediana (Oliveira et al 2022).…”

The Potential and Challenges of Creatine Supplementation for Cognition/Memory in Older Adults

“…Decreased ability to isolate central and flanked information can lead to postural instability and falls, while correctly discerning the surrounding environment increases autonomy. Previous studies (3,4,(32)(33)(34) allow us to suggest that creatine intake in daily diet and supplementation can be an ally in maintaining the autonomy and health of old adults (33), not only due to the effects against sarcopenia but also in the maintenance of CNS activity (6,12,21).…”