Department of Nutrition and Public Health, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway.
FSPE Applied Bioenergetics Lab, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Nutrients. 2022 Jan 28;14(3):586. doi: 10.3390/nu14030586.
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.
男性生育力在过去几十年中全球范围内一直在下降，从个人问题发展成为公共卫生问题。毫无疑问，生育力下降（通常表现为精子数量或活力降低）会长期严重威胁生殖健康和生命历程。除了揭示现代男性不育症目前未知的病因外，科学界和医学界还面临着双重负担：寻找有效的生育力受损的生物标志物，并探索任何可以提高生育力的干预措施。大量的营养化合物已被认为可能是精液质量的调节剂，特定的饮食模式和营养物质似乎与男性不育症的风险降低有关。肌酸是一种条件必需营养素，由于其在精子能量代谢中的作用，已引起人们对其作为促进男性生育力候选物的关注。这篇迷你综述描述了精子的肌酸相关生物能量学，探讨了男性肌酸水平与精子质量之间的关系，并批判性地审查了使用肌酸进行干预研究以影响精子活力的现有证据。
