Background and Objective: Creatine supplementation has shown potential benefits in improving muscle mass and strength; however, its effect in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is still under investigation. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Creatine supplementation on body composition and physical function in the subjects presenting with rheumatoid arthritis in the local population.
Methods: A double-blinded trial involving 30 patients with RA were assigned randomly in two groups each. One group received Creatine (Cr) supplementation (Cr group) and the other, a plain flavored drink (Control group) for 12 weeks. There was no difference in appearance, odor, and color between treatment and control intervention. Assessments were conducted at the initial (pre-supplementation), on the 6th day (after the loading phase), and 12th week (immediately after supplementation ended). Demographic and clinical data were required through interviews and reviewers of medical records. Body composition parameters such as muscle, fat, and bone mass were assessed using standardized methods. Knee extensor strength and objective physical functions were evaluated using validated tests. As the data were normally distributed independent sample t test was run for between-group analysis. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The study outcomes included changes in body composition and physical functioning between Cr group and the control group. A significant improvement was noted for the 8 feet up and go (80UG) test with a mean difference of 1.14 ± 0.49 (p value = 0.029). The rest of the variables including isometric knee extensor strength, sit-to-stand-30, and 50-feet Walk (500W) test showed non-significant results (p > 0.05) with a mean difference of 2.66 ± 20.65, 0.62 ± 0.56, and 1.41 ± 1.06, respectively.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest more improvement in body mass, physical functions, and knee extensor strength parameters in the Creatine supplementation group. However, the statistically significant improvement was only seen in 80UG function in the Creatine group as compared to the control. Larger scale studies are required to explore the clinical benefits of creatine supplementation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.