Creatine after 45: what the study says (and what it does not)

Creatine has gone from bodybuilders’ territory to dinner-table conversation. Now a study from Texas A&M University in people aged 45 to 65 suggests it may help build muscle and strength even without exercise. Before you rush off to buy a tub, let us look at exactly what it says and, above all, what it does not.

What they did

Healthy adults aged 45 to 65 took part, and 64 completed the 12 weeks. Each person chose whether to follow an exercise and diet programme (strength and aerobic training three days a week with a modest calorie deficit) or not to exercise. Within each group, people were randomly assigned to take 10 grams of creatine monohydrate a day or a placebo.

What they found

Among those who did not exercise, the people taking creatine gained around 1.1 kg of lean mass and improved their strength on the leg press and bench press. Among those who trained and adjusted their diet, creatine added more strength in those two exercises and more endurance to exhaustion than placebo, although it did not improve aerobic capacity. That group gained about 1.3 kg of lean mass while losing fat, and their body fat percentage dropped more than with placebo; the placebo group barely changed its lean mass.

Notice one detail: the biggest improvements were seen in those who combined creatine with training. Creatine without training helped a little; training is still the main course and creatine, at most, the side dish.

The small print

This work has been published as a conference abstract, in a supplement of the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s journal, not as a full paper with all its data. The available information does not say how many people were in each group or how statistically robust each result was. Moreover, participants chose whether to exercise, so those two groups cannot be compared with each other. It was funded by a private foundation.

Two more caveats. The study dose, 10 grams a day, is higher than the usual maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams set out in the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position stand. And creatine makes muscle hold a little more water, which scales and scanners also count as lean mass, so not all of that kilo is new muscle.

So, should I take it?

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements and, in healthy people at recommended doses, it is considered safe. But «safe» does not mean «necessary». If you have kidney disease, take medication or are simply unsure, check with your GP or a registered dietitian first.

And before thinking about supplements, get the basics right: strength training a couple of days a week and knowing how much protein you really need if you train. Without those two pillars, no tub works miracles.