Once the preserve of bodybuilders, creatine has gone mainstream thanks to growing research suggesting it can benefit people beyond those looking to build muscle.
Most creatine studies focus on people who exercise regularly, but a new, small randomised clinical trial suggests the supplement may also offer benefits for those without a structured training programme.
The latest study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, suggests creatine may be worth considering even if you’re not planning to spend hours in the gym. It’s far too early to say that creatine alone can make you stronger or sharper without exercising, but the findings raise interesting questions about how it might affect people beyond regular gym-goers.
Meet the experts: Shane Davis, MD, sports medicine physician and physiatrist at Tufts Medical Center; Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab; and Richard Kreider, PhD, study co-author, professor and director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University.
What did the study find?
Researchers recruited 64 adults aged between 45 and 65 and divided them into four groups. Two groups received 10g of creatine monohydrate a day, while the other two received a placebo.
Participants could choose whether or not to take part in a supervised diet and exercise programme, regardless of whether they were taking creatine or placebo. The programme involved resistance and aerobic exercise three times a week, alongside a diet providing 55% of calories from carbohydrates, 15% from protein and 30% from fat, while creating a daily calorie deficit of 300-500 calories.
Researchers measured body composition, blood markers and cognitive performance at the start of the study, after six weeks and again after 12 weeks.
People who took creatine but didn’t follow the exercise and diet programme still increased their lean mass, strength and muscular endurance, while also showing improvements in some measures of memory and cognitive function.
Those who combined creatine with the diet and exercise programme also reduced their body fat percentage.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that ‘creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without exercise and diet intervention may help middle-aged and older adults maintain muscle mass and strength while favourably affecting selected markers of health and cognitive function.’
That said, the researchers described their findings as ‘exploratory’, meaning more research is needed.
It’s also worth noting that Richard Kreider, PhD, one of the study authors, has previously conducted sponsored creatine research and sits on the board of the company that supplied the creatine used in the trial. The paper states that the remaining authors reported no conflicts of interest.
What’s behind the link?
The findings certainly don’t suggest everyone should start taking creatine in the hope of becoming stronger or sharper without exercising.
‘Creatine has been well established as a safe and effective supplement to improve things such as lean muscle mass, strength and endurance,’ says Shane Davis, MD, sports medicine physician and physiatrist at Tufts Medical Center.
‘It is no surprise to see that creatine improves several muscular and metabolic markers when combined with exercise, but it is interesting to see that even in the absence of exercise, individuals may still find some benefits.’
Healthcare professionals have traditionally viewed creatine as something that works best alongside exercise.
‘To my knowledge this is potentially new information as we previously believed creatine to primarily only help when combined with exercise,’ Dr Davis adds.
There are several possible explanations.
Creatine is ‘hyper-hydrating’ and is readily taken up by muscle tissue, according to Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
When you supplement with creatine, ‘it expands your creatine phosphate stores, which is like a natural energy system in your muscles,’ Matheny explains.
More water is then drawn into muscle cells, which may help support protein synthesis and muscle maintenance.
Previous research has also suggested creatine may support the brain’s energy supply.
‘If you increase energy in the brain, you can think better,’ Kreider says. ‘When you improve energy in the brain, you can perform better.’
He also suggests that people taking creatine may simply have had more energy to move throughout the day, alongside greater cellular hydration, which could have contributed to the changes seen.
‘When you do exercise on top of that, you can have additional benefits,’ he adds.
But, as the researchers themselves acknowledge, much more research is needed.
What does this mean for you?
Dr Davis still recommends viewing creatine as something to complement exercise, rather than replace it.
‘Those who did combine [creatine] with exercise did see more substantial improvements than those who did not, and given the many benefits of exercise, I would still strongly recommend individuals use creatine as an adjunct to regular exercise, not as a replacement,’ he says.
Kreider believes the findings reinforce creatine’s importance throughout adulthood.
While many people take 2-3g a day, he suggests up to 10g daily (split into two 5g doses) may be needed to potentially support cognitive benefits.
‘If you want those cognitive benefits, you need a little bit more,’ he says.
If you’re considering taking creatine, it’s sensible to speak to a healthcare professional first. The right dose varies from person to person, and although creatine is generally well tolerated, it can cause side effects such as bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort. A healthcare professional can help you decide whether it’s appropriate before you stock up.
Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health.
She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter.
Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.