KreAktiv

The sustainable expansion of aquaculture requires both resource-efficient feeds and rearing conditions that promote animal welfare. In the KreAktiv project, we investigate how both aspects can be further improved in trout aquaculture.

Creatine is a nutritional supplement widely used in sports and increasingly in animal nutrition. It naturally occurs primarily in animal-derived foods such as milk, meat, and fish. About 95% of creatine in the body is stored in muscle tissue, where it functions as a short-term energy reserve and supplies energy before glycolysis begins. Creatine supplementation influences the balance between protein and carbohydrate metabolism and can promote muscle growth.

Feeds used for rearing salmonid fish have undergone major development over recent decades, particularly aimed at replacing animal fats and protein sources with plant-based alternatives. However, the availability of plant protein sources is also limited, as they are increasingly needed to feed a growing global population. For sustainable aquaculture production, it is therefore becoming increasingly important to reduce the reliance on fats and proteins as primary energy sources and partially replace them with carbohydrates. Compared with proteins and lipids, carbohydrates are associated with lower environmental impacts, as their production requires fewer resources and contributes to reduced nitrogen emissions and a smaller ecological footprint.