Research
Mixed
Creatine supplementation may enhance muscle hypertrophy following ACL injury by increasing intramuscular phosphocreatine, thereby improving high-intensity exercise capacity, and potentially stimulating mTOR and satellite cell proliferation.
Consider creatine supplementation during the later stages of your ACL rehab when you start doing more intense exercises. It can help your muscles generate energy faster and may support muscle growth.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The primary pathway by which by which creatine may increase muscle hypertrophy is by increasing intramuscular phosphocreatine... This increased pool of intramuscular phosphocreatine increases the capacity for high-intensity exercise... However, there is evidence suggesting that creatine may also stimulate mTOR and satellite cell proliferation and differentiation [125, 126].
Why this rating
The paper cites evidence for creatine's effects but notes that specific studies in ACL populations are limited.
Source
Nutritional Interventions to Attenuate Quadriceps Muscle Deficits following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury and Reconstruction
Miriam Smith et al. · Sports Medicine · 2025
DOI 10.1007/s40279-025-02174-w
narrative_reviewCited 5×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Nutritional supplementation can attenuate quadriceps muscle atrophy and promote hypertrophy following ACL injury and reconstruction through three primary mechanisms: direct stimulation of muscle protein synthesis, indirect enhancement of training capacity, and direct effects on satellite cell proliferation.Moderate
- Low energy availability (energy deficit) following ACL injury can impair skeletal muscle hypertrophy and recovery, as the body may not have sufficient energy to support both healing and muscle growth.Moderate
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