Creatine is a supplement used by athletes to boost their energy levels and build muscle.

Now, creatine is being evaluated whether it could slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.

In Parkinson's disease, the neurotransmitter critical to movement - dopamine - is depleted. That's why the current gold standard for therapy is a synthetic dopamine called levodopa and MAO-B inhibitors that prevents the breakdown of dopamine - gearing towards treatment of the condition.

According to Dr. Kapil D. Sethi, neurologist and director of the Movement Disorders Program at the Medical College of Georgia:

Creatine, under study for a number of neurological and neuromuscular diseases such as Lou Gehrig's and muscular dystrophy, may help Parkinson's patients by giving an energy boost to dying cells. We think it may help cells that are damaged or overworked. By giving more energy to the cell, you are giving them a safety margin. If a cell is dying, it takes another route and that would be surviving."

The creatine study on Parkinson's disease is expecting to enroll 1,720 patients at 51 sites in the United States and Canada.

Find more details from the press release.

[photo credit: a1 nutrition products]