ANALYSIS OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF CONTINUOUS CREATINE USE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Creatine (α-methyl guanidino acetic acid) is a compound widely used by those who practice physical activity, especially those who do resistance training, such as weight training, with the premise of improving physical performance and muscle recovery in athletes. Its effects for these purposes have been proven in many studies in the literature, however, its cardioascular effects are not yet well established. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the cardiac effects of continuous use of creatine. For this purpose, a literature review was carried out with studies published in the last 10 years in the PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science databases. Initially, 443 studies were found, which were carefully selected through the pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria, leaving 11 studies to compose the final sample of research results. Of these, 12,355 patients were analyzed in total, which established that creatine supplementation offers several cardiovascular benefits, particularly in terms of cardiac energy efficiency and protection, endothelial function and adaptation to physical stress, while presenting a favorable safety profile without significant adverse impacts on basic cardiac functions. It is therefore concluded that the cardiovascular effects of creatine supplementation are complex and, in many cases, beneficial. Creatine offers protection against cardiac damage, improves endothelial function and may positively influence cardiovascular adaptation to exercise.