Creatine, it’s not just for the young athletes!

A meta-analysis was performed looking at the effects on lean muscle mass as well as upper and lower body strength in men and women aged 57-70.  The study showed that creatine supplementation resulted in more lean muscle mass as well as greater upper and lower body strength.  The exact mechanism is unclear.

So what is creatine exactly?  It is an organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and is widely available as a dietary supplement.  Please consult your physician to decide if creatine is right for you.

The Research

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Open Access J Sports Med. 2017 Nov 2;8:213-226. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S123529. eCollection 2017.

Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis.

Chilibeck PD¹, Kaviani M², Candow DG³, Zello GA⁴.

Abstract

The loss of muscle mass and strength with aging results in significant functional impairment. Creatine supplementation has been used in combination with resistance training as a strategy for increasing lean tissue mass and muscle strength in older adults, but results across studies are equivocal. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults with lean tissue mass, chest press strength, and leg press strength as outcomes by searching PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases. Twenty-two studies were included in our meta-analysis with 721 participants (both men and women; with a mean age of 57-70 years across studies) randomized to creatine supplementation or placebo during resistance training 2-3 days/week for 7-52 weeks. Creatine supplementation resulted in greater increases in lean tissue mass (mean difference =1.37 kg [95% CI =0.97-1.76]; p<0.00001), chest press strength (standardized mean difference [SMD] =0.35 [0.16-0.53]; p=0.0002), and leg press strength (SMD =0.24 [0.05-0.43]; p=0.01). A number of mechanisms exist by which creatine may increase lean tissue mass and muscular strength. These are included in a narrative review in the discussion section of this article. In summary, creatine supplementation increases lean tissue mass and upper and lower body muscular strength during resistance training of older adults, but potential mechanisms by which creatine exerts these positive effects have yet to be evaluated extensively.