Ostojic, S. M., Stea, T. H., & Engeset, D. (2022). Creatine as a Promising Component of Paternal Preconception Diet. Nutrients, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030586
Ostojic SM, Stea TH, Engeset D. Creatine as a Promising Component of Paternal Preconception Diet. Nutrients. 2022;14(3). doi:10.3390/nu14030586
Ostojic, S. M., et al. "Creatine as a Promising Component of Paternal Preconception Diet." Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 3, 2022.
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RRM Academy Synopsis
Low creatine is linked to poorer sperm quality in men
Low semen creatine is linked to poorer sperm movement in men, says a 2022 review of lab, animal and observational studies. Its one human supplement study was cross-sectional, among 778 healthy young men who all used protein supplements. Sperm counts tended to be higher in current creatine users than in men with no creatine history.
Key Findings
Sperm use a creatine and phosphocreatine shuttle to carry energy from the mitochondria to the contractile machinery that drives movement and fertilization.
A recent trial linked low semen creatine to reduced sperm motility, and high creatine kinase activity to poor sperm quality.
In lab dishes, added creatine enhanced sperm motility and velocity. A creatine precursor was associated with better semen measures in roosters.
In a cross-sectional study of 778 young, healthy men taking protein supplements, 44% reported using creatine.
Semen concentration tended to be higher in current users than in men with no history of creatine use (42 vs. 36 million/mL), as was total sperm count (108 vs. 90 million).
Interpretation
The paper is a mini-review, a short summary of published studies. Much of the support comes from lab dishes, animals and observational comparisons. The single human supplement study is cross-sectional, so it shows a link at one point in time and cannot show that creatine raised sperm counts. The authors note that poor sperm quality does not necessarily predict infertility. They state that any effect of a father's creatine intake on fertility is unknown. They suggest re-examining fertility cohort data first, then randomized controlled trials, starting in men with low sperm concentration.
RRM Context
Restorative reproductive medicine evaluates both partners, because low sperm count or motility calls for a cause. The review offers a hypothesis about sperm energy and diet. The review cites no randomized trial of creatine supplements in men. Dietary creatine remains a research question, and the semen analysis stays the starting point for the workup.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Male fertility has been declining globally over the past several decades, advancing from a personal issue to a public health problem. Beyond any doubt, a reduction in fertility (often characterized by low sperm count or motility) can severely threaten reproductive health and lifecourse framework in a long-term fashion. Aside from uncovering the currently unknown etiology of modern-day male infertility, the scientific and medical community faces a double burden: finding an efficient biomarker of impaired fertility and exploring any intervention that can act to enhance fertility. A plethora of nutritional compounds have been recognized as possible modulators of semen quality, and specific dietary patterns and nutrients appear to be accompanied by a lower risk of male infertility. Creatine, a conditionally essential nutrient, has caught attention as a male fertility-promoting candidate due to its role in sperm energy metabolism. This mini-review describes the creatine-related bioenergetics of spermatozoa, explores a connection between creatine levels and sperm quality in men, and critically examines available evidence for interventional studies with creatine to affect sperm viability.