Peer-reviewed study
Creatine supports lifting, it does not replace it
Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis
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 is worth discussing for adults who lift, but the supplement sits behind the actual training, protein, and recovery stack.
How strong is this kind of study?
- Reviews of many studiesThis study
- Controlled trials
- Observational
- Narrative reviews
Meta-analysis. 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
Strongest evidence
This pools results from many separate studies, so it carries more weight than any single trial on its own.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Published
- 2017
- Journal
- Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine
- Reference
- PMID 29138605
Honest limits
What this study does not prove.
This evidence applies to supplement use in generally healthy adults. Kidney disease, medication concerns, and other medical questions belong with a clinician.
Kris's practical takeaway
Here's what to do with it.
Creatine is worth discussing for adults who lift, but the supplement sits behind the actual training, protein, and recovery stack.
Ways to use it
Safe ways to apply it.
The boring supplement that actually has research
Creatine plus lifting, not creatine instead of lifting
After 30, support the training signal
Related questions
Questions this research helps answer.
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.
Related guides and studies
Keep learning about anti-aging.
FAQ
Quick questions
What is the practical takeaway from this study?
Creatine is worth discussing for adults who lift, but the supplement sits behind the actual training, protein, and recovery stack.
What does this study not prove?
This evidence applies to supplement use in generally healthy adults. Kidney disease, medication concerns, and other medical questions belong with a clinician.
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