Condition
McArdle Disease
McArdle disease is a rare inherited muscle disorder in which the body lacks myophosphorylase, an enzyme that releases glucose from stored glycogen, so working muscles struggle to get enough fuel. Creatine is one of the main supplements people look at, and trials found mixed results for exercise tolerance. That rests on just three small studies with 28 people in total, so the evidence is limited and no clear benefit has been shown.
Sources: PMID 11790236
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 2
- People studied
- 392
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
Key findings
- Exercise Tolerance
The McArdle Disease (GSD Type V) Supportive Care protocol
2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements
- Creatine Monohydrate60 mg/kg/day (loading not recommended - can worsen symptoms)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)50–100 mg daily
Studies cited
52 studies from PubMed
- Comparison of creatine monohydrate and carbohydrate supplementation on repeated jump height performance
- Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Jumping Performance in Elite Volleyball Players
- Creatine therapy in myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle disease): a placebo-controlled crossover trial
- Effect of high-dose creatine therapy on symptoms of exercise intolerance in McArdle disease: double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study
- Creatine monohydrate in DM2/PROMM: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. Proximal myotonic myopathy
- Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans
- Creatine monohydrate in myotonic dystrophy: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study
- Creatine monohydrate supplementation does not increase muscle strength, lean body mass, or muscle phosphocreatine in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1
- Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trial
- Effects of acute creatine loading with or without carbohydrate on repeated bouts of maximal swimming in high-performance swimmers
- Creatine supplementation improves the anaerobic performance of elite junior fin swimmers
- Low dose creatine supplementation enhances sprint phase of 400 meters swimming performance
- Effect of creatine on swimming velocity, body composition and hydrodynamic variables
- Effect of oral creatine supplementation on single-effort sprint performance in elite swimmers
- Creatine supplementation for patients with COPD receiving pulmonary rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Physiological responses to short-term exercise in the heat after creatine loading
- Mg2+-creatine chelate and a low-dose creatine supplementation regimen improve exercise performance
- Effects of creatine supplementation and three days of resistance training on muscle strength, power output, and neuromuscular function
- Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performance
- The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of high dose oral creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity of elite wrestlers
- Effects of two and five days of creatine loading on muscular strength and anaerobic power in trained athletes
- Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1
- Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained women
- Creatine as a metabolic controller of skeletal muscles structure and function in strength exercises in humans
- The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching
- Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output
- Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults
- The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength
- The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older men
- Effect of thirty days of creatine supplementation with phosphate salts on anaerobic working capacity and body weight in men
- The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength and power
- Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on neuromuscular function
- Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes
- Effects of four weeks of high-intensity interval training and creatine supplementation on critical power and anaerobic working capacity in college-aged men
- Does nutritional supplementation influence adaptability of muscle to resistance training in men aged 48 to 72 years
- Effect of creatine ingestion after exercise on muscle thickness in males and females
- Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease
- Creatine supplementation and physical training in patients with COPD: a double blind, placebo-controlled study
- The Paradoxical Effect of Creatine Monohydrate on Muscle Damage Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humans
- The effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without D-pinitol on resistance training adaptations
- Creatine supplementation improves muscular performance in older women
- Effects of creatine supplementation in taekwondo practitioners
- Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians
- Creatine fails to augment the benefits from resistance training in patients with HIV infection: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Effect of in-season creatine supplementation on body composition and performance in rugby union football players
- The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels
- Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performance
- Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance training on energy expenditure and limb blood flow
- Creatine monohydrate enhances strength and body composition in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Creatine for treating muscle disorders.