Creatine Supplementation for Long COVID

Summary

Chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and post-exertional malaise are common complaints of those living with “long COVID-19”, a grouping of symptoms that persist beyond acute infection. Similar to other types of post-viral fatigue, diagnosis and treatment of long COVID is challenging due to the lack of a valid biomarker for the condition. However, some research in chronic fatigue syndrome, another post-viral fatigue similar to long COVID, has been likened to, has suggested abnormalities in the recovery from exercise to be a major tenant of the condition.
Though the cause of LC is not well understood, some research has found reduced skeletal muscle creatine concentration in those with long COVID, which may contribute to fatigue and, therefore, supplementation with creatine may improve exercise capacity. Creatine has also been found to improve cognitive function in instances when cognitive processes are stressed, such as in long COVID, and may therefore reduce symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and general malaise in those living with long COVID. Current research in the area has not assessed the role of creatine in combatting post-exertional malaise, nor have they described any mechanisms by which creatine supplementation might improve exercise tolerance. The objectives of the proposed research are 1) to assess serial cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) as a biomarker for LC, and 2) to assess the efficacy of creatine monohydrate in improving indices of fatigue, exercise capacity, and post-exertional malaise in individuals living with LC compared to a control.