Peer-reviewed study

Creatine worked best behind hard resistance training

Effects of high-load, velocity-intentional variable resistance training combined with creatine supplementation on neuroplasticity, oxidative stress, inflammation, physical function, cognitive performance and quality of life in older adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Anti-agingRandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial2026

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PubMed source More Anti-aging research How to read the studies

Kris Oddo, NASM-certified personal trainer, is the founder and head coach of Gains From Geebs (Geebs Coaching), a 1:1 online fitness coaching practice.

Quick answer

What this study found

Creatine belongs behind the boring hierarchy: train hard, progress the lifts, then use creatine as support.

How strong is this kind of study?

Reviews of many studies
Controlled trialsThis study
Observational
Narrative reviews

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Heavier plates are built from more studies, so they move less when the next one lands.

At a glance

What kind of study this is

Strong evidence

A controlled trial, where people were randomly assigned. That is the design that can actually show cause rather than coincidence.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Published: 2026
Journal: Experimental Gerontology
Reference: PMID 41941966

Source details

Who ran it, and where to read it.

Authors: Fernandez-Garrido et al.

PubMed DOI

Honest limits

What this study does not prove.

This study combined creatine with training in older adults, so it does not establish creatine as a stand-alone anti-aging treatment.

Kris Oddo, NASM-CPT, in the gym — Kris Oddo, NASM-CPT. The study is the evidence; the paragraph below is what he actually does with it.

Kris's practical takeaway

Here's what to do with it.

Creatine belongs behind the boring hierarchy: train hard, progress the lifts, then use creatine as support.

Ways to use it

Safe ways to apply it.

Creatine is support, not the plan

Power training matters as you age

Supplements make more sense behind training

Questions this research helps answer.

Strength and aging answer

Does strength training help you age better?

Strength training is one of the most practical healthy-aging levers because it supports muscle, function, and physical capacity. Lifting does not reverse aging, but keeping strength and muscle can make aging more resilient.

Brain health and aging answer

Does resistance training help brain health as you age?

Resistance training can support strength, function, inflammatory markers, and some brain-health signals in older adults. It is not an age-reversal treatment and does not guarantee protection from cognitive decline.

Creatine and brain health answer

Does creatine help brain health as you age?

Creatine is interesting for healthy-aging research, but it is not a brain-health shortcut. It makes the most sense behind consistent resistance training, sleep, nutrition, and recovery.

Creatine and aging answer

Should men over 30 take creatine?

Creatine is one of the more defensible supplements for trained adults, but it is still support, not the plan. The useful hierarchy is resistance training, protein, sleep, then creatine if it fits health context and consistency.

Creatine and training answer

Does creatine work without lifting?

For muscle and physique goals, creatine works best as support for resistance training. It may change water storage and help performance, but it is not a stand-alone muscle-building plan if you are not lifting.

Creatine and lifting answer

Do creatine and lifting change body composition?

Creatine can support resistance-training outcomes for strength and lean mass, but it works as support for training, not as a replacement for training. The boring interpretation is the useful one.

Creatine aging answer

Does creatine help aging adults?

Creatine may help support training-related outcomes in older adults, but it works best as support for a strength plan, not as a replacement for one. The boring stack still wins: lift, eat enough protein, sleep, and stay consistent.

Creatine cognition answer

Does creatine help brain aging?

Creatine has aging and cognition research worth following, but it is not a brain-aging cure. It is a possible support for training, sleep, and nutrition — not a replacement for those basics or for medical care.

Related guides and studies

Anti-aging studies Creatine for men over 30 Should Men Over 30 Take Creatine Creatine Strength Aging

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