Key Takeaway:
- Creatine alone: Helped participants gain lean tissue and improve strength without structured exercise.
- Creatine + exercise: Produced greater gains in lean tissue, strength, and endurance.
- Study limits: Small, 12-week study; more research is needed to confirm long-term effects.
A 12-week Texas A&M study finds Creatine for Muscle Growth supplementation increased lean tissue and strength in adults ages 45 to 65, with greater gains when combined with exercise.
Study Finds Gains Without Structured Exercise
The study, published Aug. 11 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, included 64 healthy adults who completed the 12-week intervention. Participants chose whether to join an exercise and diet program or remain in a non-exercise group before being randomly assigned to receive creatine monohydrate or a placebo.
Participants took 10 grams of creatine monohydrate daily, divided into two 5-gram doses. Those who did not exercise but took Creatine for Muscle Growth gained about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue and improved leg-press and bench-press strength.
The researchers cautioned that lean tissue measured by the study does not necessarily represent new muscle alone. The study used DXA body-composition measurements, and creatine supplementation can affect water stored in muscle.
The research was led by Richard Kreider, a professor and director of the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M. The university said Kreider has studied creatine for more than 30 years and described the compound as a naturally occurring substance involved in replenishing cellular energy.
Exercise Delivers Larger Strength Benefits
Participants in the exercise group completed resistance and aerobic training three times a week while following a diet designed to create a modest calorie deficit. Those who combined the program with creatine gained nearly 3 pounds of lean tissue, reduced body fat, and recorded greater improvements in strength and time to exhaustion than those taking the placebo.
Creatine for Muscle Growth did not appear to improve aerobic capacity beyond the effects of exercise alone. The researchers said the findings support further research into creatine’s role in maintaining lean tissue during weight loss and as adults age.
The study also reported some changes in selected cognitive and metabolic measures. Researchers emphasized that those findings were exploratory and require confirmation in studies specifically designed to test them.
Kreider said many people do not obtain enough creatine from food alone. Texas A&M reported that he estimates people would need to eat about five to 10 pounds of meat or fish daily to obtain 10 grams of creatine.
Researchers Urge Context On Supplement Safety
Creatine occurs naturally in the body and is also found in foods including meat and fish, making it relevant to Creatine for Muscle Growth. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied form of the supplement, according to Harvard Health, which says a commonly recommended adult dose is 3 to 5 grams daily.
The 10-gram dose used in the new study is higher than that commonly recommended maintenance range. Harvard Health notes that “creatine monohydrate is the most commonly used form and the one most studied.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they reach the market. The agency advises consumers to talk with a doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional before using supplements.
The study was funded by the WoodNext Foundation through the Texas A&M Foundation. Researchers said the trial’s relatively short duration, small sample, and participant-selected exercise status limit how broadly the results can be applied.
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