Ever wonder how American NFL quarterbacks can suffer a concussion one week and get up and play the next? A new study shows the common food supplement creatine may be the answer.

Creatine - employed by many athletes to increase strength and muscle mass - may prevent brain damage despite traumatic head injuries, according to researchers. "We believe this is a highly significant finding in the field of neurotrauma," said Stephen Scheff, a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of Kentucky's College of Medicine. "We know of nothing to date that has shown this type of benefit in preventing serious neurotrauma."

The study, published in the November issue of Annals of Neurology, shows that creatine - an amino acid produced naturally in the liver, kidney and pancreas - could help the brain recover from concussions and other injuries commonly suffered by professional and amateur athletes.

Every year, more than 7 million people in North America suffer brain injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 300,000 of those injuries happen to people participating in sports or recreational activities.

Scheff's research team demonstrated that brain damage was reduced 21 percent when creatine was given to mice three days before injury and 36 percent when given five days ahead of time. In rats fed a diet supplemented with creatine for up to four weeks before injury, brain damage was reduced 50 percent compared with rats fed a regular diet.

Creatine Supplement Already Commonly Used by Athletes

Many athletes already use creatine as a way to store energy and aid in muscle recovery time between bursts of activity.

"You have to wonder how a lot of NFL quarterbacks get up following a concussion and then are able to play the following week, because many of those traumas should have a much longer period of recovery," Scheff said. "It may be because they were taking creatine, which helped them to recover more quickly."

Dr. Gregory J. O'Shanick, national medical director for the Alexandria, Va.-based Brain Injury Association, said further research needs to be done before creatine can be considered a definitive method for limiting brain damage.

"It's something that sounds extremely interesting and tantalizing," O'Shanick said. "But there are two real questions here. First, is animal study sufficient enough to tell every athlete at risk of a head injury to start loading up on creatine? Probably not. Is it encouraging and worth more detailed research in strictly controlled clinical trials? Absolutely."

And That's Not All ...

A separate Canadian study shows that creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease.

Dr. M. Flint Beal, chairman of the department of neurology and neuroscience at Cornell University's Weill Medical College, said further study may prove that creatine could help treat other neurological disorders as well.

"But human clinical trials are absolutely critical in determining whether creatine or any other drug or hormone therapy would be effective in treating human subjects with such disorders or traumas," he said.

Scheff said more research is needed to determine the exact benefit to humans, including a specific dosage to maximize the benefit. Until that time, researchers are not likely to promote the use of creatine for athletes under the age of 16, whose brains are still developing. "But I will tell you that I start taking creatine before I go skiing," he said.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report
Fox News Tuesday, November 2, 2000