Creatine as a Promising Component of Paternal Preconception Diet |
| |
Authors: | Sergej M Ostojic Tonje Holte Stea Dagrun Engeset |
| |
Institution: | 1.Department of Nutrition and Public Health, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway;2.FSPE Applied Bioenergetics Lab, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;3.Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway;4.Department of Child and Adolescence Mental Health, Sørlandet Hospital, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway |
| |
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. |
| |
Keywords: | fertility energy metabolism creatine nutrition creatine kinase |
|
|