28-day Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation Improves Clinical Outcomes In Patients With CFS

[Dolphin]

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/F...Basic_Science_World_Congress_Poster__.16.aspx

28-day Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation Improves Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sergej M. Ostojic1, Jay R. Hoffman, FACSM2, Marko Stojanovic1, Patrik Drid1. 1University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. 2University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. (Sponsor: Jay R. Hoffman, FACSM)

(No relationships reported)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness of unknown etiology.

Recent studies have shown that CFS is associated with impaired cellular energetics and low levels of phosphocreatine.

Since guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) acts as a highly bioavailable precursor of creatine it may provide an ideal dietary supplement to facilitate treatment and perhaps prevention of CFS.

PURPOSE:

To examine the effects of four-week oral GAA administration on clinical outcomes in well-defined adult CFS patients.

METHODS:

Twelve patients who fulfilled the 1994 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for CFS participated in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, repeated-measure pilot study.

The subjects were allocated in a double-blind design to receive two randomly assigned trials: first group received 2.4 grams per day of oral GAA, while the second group received placebo (cellulose).

Participants were evaluated at baseline, and following 2- and 4-weeks of ingestion.

The primary endpoint of treatment efficacy was the change in the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) score assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks.

RESULTS:

GAA intervention significantly decreased MFI-20 score as compared to the placebo (10.9 ± 2.5 vs. 7.4 ± 1.3%; p = 0.02).

Differences were found for health-related quality of life and muscular strength responses between the groups, with GAA treatment resulting in improvement of both variables as compared to the placebo (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Results indicate that GAA can be used as a novel dietary agent to positively affect clinical outcomes in adult patients with CFS.

This project was supported by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (Grant No. 175037). Trial identification: www.clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02213679.

 

[Ema]

And of course, the bodybuilding community is already on it...

This article mentions that you have to take it with betaine since it will deplete methyl groups in the liver and cause homocysteine levels to rise over time.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/glycocyamine.htm

 

[Hip]

The Wikipedia article for guanidinoacetic acid is here.

According to this clinical trial of guanidinoacetic acid, this compound is a biochemical precursor of creatine.


It does not look like it is available as a supplement as yet (this Google query searches for its various synonyms).

 

[Ema]

Supposedly it's in this protein drink but who can tell how much.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PL...SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=51g21KuuMPL&ref=plSrch

 

[Ema]

Supposedly it's in this protein drink but who can tell how much.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PL...SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=51g21KuuMPL&ref=plSrch

Or not. Other posts talk about how it was phased out in 2007.

But if you don't mind 200 mg of caffeine, there's a bit in here.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/c...1&cadevice=m&gclid=CJvrrYW59ccCFUw8gQodWJwHXQ

 

[SOC]

PURPOSE:

To examine the effects of four-week oral GAA administration on clinical outcomes in well-defined adult CFS patients.

METHODS:

Twelve patients who fulfilled the 1994 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for CFS participated in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, repeated-measure pilot study.

I question whether these are really well-defined CFS patients. It seems more likely that they have found something that might help with generalized fatigue. This is no surprise since body-builders are already onto this supplement.

I would like to think that this might help with our energy production problems, but I have no confidence at this point that they have demonstrated that it is effective, or even safe, for ME patients with PEM. I hope further research will use a better patient cohort and use a better measure of ME/CFS energy production problems than the MFI-20. A 2-day, even a 1-day, CPET would be good.