Creatine and low-dose lithium supplementation separately alter energy expenditure, body mass, and adipose metabolism for the promotion of thermogenesis
M.S. Finch,
G.L. Gardner,
J.L. Braun,
M.S. Geromella,
J. Murphy,
K. Colonna,
R. Dhaliwal,
A. Retta,
A. Mohammad,
J.A. Stuart,
P.J. LeBlanc,
V.A. Fajardo,
B.D. Roy,
R.E.K. MacPherson
Affiliations
M.S. Finch
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
G.L. Gardner
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
J.L. Braun
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
M.S. Geromella
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
J. Murphy
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
K. Colonna
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
R. Dhaliwal
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
A. Retta
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
A. Mohammad
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
J.A. Stuart
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
P.J. LeBlanc
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
V.A. Fajardo
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
B.D. Roy
Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
R.E.K. MacPherson
Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada; Corresponding author
Summary: Nutraceutical approaches to promote adipose tissue thermogenesis may help to prevent obesity onset. Creatine is a critical regulator of adipose metabolic function and low-dose lithium supplementation has been shown to promote adipose thermogenesis. In the present study, we sought to directly compare the two supplements for their effects on adipose metabolism and thermogenesis. We show that both supplements increase daily energy expenditure (EE) and reduce body mass in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Lithium increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondrial and lipolytic proteins that are associated with thermogenesis, while creatine increased BAT UCP1 and mitochondrial respiration. The BAT thermogenic findings were not observed in females. White adipose tissue and skeletal muscle markers of thermogenesis were unaltered with the supplements. Together, the data show that low-dose lithium and creatine have diverging effects on markers of BAT thermogenesis and that each increase daily EE and lower body mass in a sex-dependent manner.
