Letters to the Editor.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Jeffrey A. Potteiger.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
OBJECTIVE: To report abnormal changes in lower leg anterior compartment pressure in 1 subject who consumed creatine as a dietary supplement. BACKGROUND: The subject received creatine at a dosage of 0.3 g.kg body mass(-1).d(-1) for 6 days, followed by 0.03 g.kg body mass(-1).d(-1) for 28 days. Thereafter, the subject consumed no supplement for 21 days. Compartment pressure was measured pre-exercise and for 15 minutes postexercise after a treadmill run for 20 minutes at 80% of VO(2) max before supplementation and after 6 and 34 days of supplementation. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Normally, resting anterior compartment pressure is less than 15 mm Hg, whereas postexercise pressure is below 30 to 35 mm Hg. Creatine supplementation for 6 days dramatically increased pressure at rest (31 mm Hg) and at 1 minute (67 mm Hg), 5 minutes (35 mm Hg), 10 minutes (28 mm Hg), and 15 minutes (26 mm Hg) postexercise. Pressure remained high at rest (35 mm Hg) and at 1 minute (109 mm Hg), 5 minutes (90 mm Hg), 10 minutes (87 mm Hg), and 15 minutes (69 mm Hg) postexercise after 34 days of supplementation. TREATMENT: The subject stopped taking creatine for 21 days. Compartment pressure was measured at rest and after exercise after 7 and 21 days with no supplementation. Anterior compartment pressure decreased after cessation of creatine supplementation. However, pressures were elevated at 7 days postsupplementation at rest (26 mm Hg) and at 1 minute (112 mm Hg), 5 minutes (58 mm Hg), 10 minutes (40 mm Hg), and 15 minutes (30 mm Hg) postexercise. Pressures at 21 days postsupplementation remained high at rest (24 mm Hg) and at 1 minute (64 mm Hg), 5 minutes (42 mm Hg), 10 minutes (27 mm Hg), and 15 minutes (27 mm Hg) postexercise. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that creatine supplementation can substantially increase anterior compartment pressure in the leg.