Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine: what the published research says
PubMed indexes 5 records that name Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. Each one is listed below with its study design and, where the abstract states one, the authors’ own conclusion, quoted and linked. This page reports that literature. It does not tell you whether to combine them.
Every statement below is attributed to a named, dated, linked source.
This page lists published research relevant to Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine. It deliberately does not state whether the combination is safe, whether it interacts, in which direction, at what dose, or how far apart to take them.
A study appearing here is not proof that an interaction exists. Two substances can be named together in a paper that never tested them in combination, and a source listed as background may cover only one of them.
Findings are quoted from each abstract as the authors wrote them. NutriStack has not re-analysed, pooled, or reconciled them, and they may disagree with each other.
NutriStack’s own interaction assessment for this pair is not published here. It has not completed qualified-human clinical review, so it is withheld from search. See the publication gate.
Nothing here is medical advice. Decisions about prescription medication and supplements belong with your prescriber or pharmacist, who can see your full regimen.
The research
5 studies naming Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine.
Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism · 2003 · PMID 14669930
Clinical TrialRandomized Controlled Trial
“There was a significant increase in total creatine concentration following creatine supplementation, with the group ingesting alpha-lipoic acid showing a significantly greater increase (p 106.2 mmol x kg(-1) dry mass [dm]) and total creatine (137.8 --> 156.8 mmol x kg(-1) dm).”
Names both Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine in its title.
Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences · 2022 · PMID 35510329
“CYA-induced depression-like behavior might be related to hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction as ALA and Crt prevented the development of this behavioral phenotype. ALA, similar to fluoxetine, prevented BDNF alteration and its possible neurological changes.”
Names both Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine in its title.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2012 · PMID 22726625
“In comparison to the established hyper hydrating Cr/Gly/Glu supplement, supplement containing Cr/Gly/Ala and decreased amount of Glu provides equal improvements in thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses during exercise in the heat.”
Names both Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine in its title.
“(A higher PY index indicates superior water-holding capacity.) Lipoic acid supplementation resulted in the highest pH at 45 min (P = 0.029). These results justify further evaluation of the potential positive influence of supplementing alpha-lipoic acid to improve pork quality.”
Names both Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine in its title.
“7-T MRSI metabolic ratios can predict intraoperative 5-ALA fluorescence and may serve as an alternative or adjunct to CE-MRI and PET for preoperative patient selection for 5-ALA administration. Finally, these findings could be especially beneficial in non-enhancing gliomas, where CE-MRI offers limited predictive information.”
Names Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Creatine together in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context.
Limitations
What this evidence cannot tell you.
Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:
Selection. These records were found by searching PubMed titles and abstracts for both substance names alongside interaction and pharmacokinetic terms. Relevant work that phrases things differently, or is not indexed in PubMed, will be missing.
No effect size. The quoted conclusions are the authors’ words about their own study. We have not extracted effect direction or magnitude, and a single study’s conclusion is not a consensus.
Population mismatch. Findings in healthy volunteers, animals, or a specific patient group may not transfer to you, your dose, or your formulation.
Absence is not safety. Few published studies means the combination is under-studied, which is not the same as established as safe.
Nearby evidence
Other pairs with published research.
Pages covering Alpha-Lipoic Acid or Creatine alongside a different substance.
NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Creatine, and several hundred other substances.
The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid, and its per-pair assessments are excluded from search until they pass claim-level review.
NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
