Study Shows This Supplement Helps People 45+ Keep Muscle & Lose Fat

Creatine has long been a go-to supplement for athletes and people who strength train, thanks to its well-established ability to support muscle energy production, strength, and exercise performance. But you don't have to be a competitive athlete to potentially benefit from creatine.* Research is increasingly exploring how this compound may support muscle and other aspects of health (like cognition) as we get older, including in people who aren't following a structured exercise program.

The researchers wanted to determine whether 12 weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation could support body composition, physical performance, cognitive function, and other health outcomes in healthy middle-aged and older adults, both with and without exercise and intentional weight loss.

They recruited 73 healthy, sedentary adults between the ages of 45 and 65. Before the intervention began, participants chose whether they wanted to take part in a structured exercise and weight-loss program or remain in a non-exercise group. Within those groups, participants were randomly assigned to take either 10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day, split into two 5-gram doses, or a placebo.

The exercise and weight-loss program included resistance and aerobic exercise three days per week, walking 10,000 steps per day on four days per week, and a diet designed to create a 300- to 500-calorie daily energy deficit. Researchers assessed body composition using DXA scans, along with strength, muscular endurance, cognitive function, blood biomarkers, dietary intake, physical activity, mood, and quality of life at baseline, six weeks, and 12 weeks. In total, 64participants completed the 12-week study.

And it's not necessarily surprising that results of this study showed that those taking creatine along with resistance training and a weight loss diet showed significant reductions in in body fat percentage with meaningful increases in lean tissue, strength and endurance.

An downfall of many weight loss plans is that a reduction of calorie intake can also lead to a loss of lean tissue (like muscle) in addition to bone. And weight loss should never come at the expense of lean tissue. Strength training, getting enough protein, and taking creatine all help ensure that muscle mass is protected (and can even be built) during this time. Building muscle not only supports longevity, but it also promotes a more efficient metabolism.*

In participants who weren't following the exercise and weight-loss intervention, creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass, strength, and muscular endurance.*

The researchers also observed improvements in selected measures of cognitive function and memory among participants taking creatine.*

The brain also relies on the creatine-phosphocreatine system for energy production. Creatine can enter the brain through a specialized transporter, and research suggests supplementation can increase brain creatine stores. One theory is that greater creatine availability may help support the brain's energy demands, particularly during periods of metabolic stress or mental fatigue.*

If you're interested in adding creatine to your routine, creatine monohydrate powder is the form to look for. It's the most extensively studied form of creatine, and other forms haven't been shown to offer better benefits.

For most people, 3 to 5 grams per day is a typical maintenance dose. This study used a larger 10-gram a day dose. This dose still supports muscle health, and slightly higher intakes of creatine (about 7-10 grams daily) have been investigated for increasing creatine availability in the brain, where creatine transport is more limited than in muscle.*

Creatine's reputation may have been built in the weight room, but its potential benefits extend beyond athletic performance. In this 12-week study, creatine supported lean tissue, strength, and muscular endurance in healthy middle-aged and older adults, both with and without an exercise and weight-loss intervention.