Popular Supplement Under Fire: New Research Reveals That Creatine May Not Help Build Extra Muscle

 

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New research suggests that when taken at the recommended dosage, creatine has little to no effect on muscle building. This may put off people who take creatine supplements with the intention of doing so. Creatine, a well-known sports supplement, does not accelerate muscle growth when combined with resistance training, according to new UNSW research. 54 people completed a 12-week supervised resistance training program in a Nutrients-published randomized controlled trial. Half of the participants took the recommended amount of creatine, while the other half did not.

Both groups gained two kilograms of lean body mass on average at the program's conclusion, with no significant difference between those who took creatine and those who did not. Dr. Mandy Hagstrom, a senior author from UNSW's School of Health Sciences, stated, "We've shown that taking five grams of creatine supplement per day does not make any difference to the amount of lean muscle mass people put on while resistance training."

She went on to say that "due to methodological problems with previous studies, the benefits of creatine may have been overestimated in the past."

Therefore, in this study, the supplement group began taking five grams of creatine per day, which is at the upper end of the recommended maintenance dose of three to five grams, one week before the exercise program began. Dr. Hagstrom explained, "We had what we call a wash-in phase, where half of the participants started taking the supplement without changing anything else in their daily lives to give their bodies a chance to stabilize in terms of their response to the supplement." Effects of creatine supplementation during and after resistance training Compared to the control group, creatine users, particularly women, gained an average of 0.5 kilograms more lean body mass in the first week. However, the additional gains they made soon returned to the control group's levels and varied significantly.

Dr. Hagstrom stated, "The people taking the creatine supplement saw changes before they even started exercising, which leads us to believe that it was possibly fluid retention rather than actual muscle growth." “Then, once they started exercising, they saw no additional benefit from creatine,” indicating that five grams per day is insufficient for muscle building. In contrast, participants in previous studies that did not include a wash-in period found that those taking creatine gained one kilogram more muscle than those not taking the supplement over the course of four to twelve weeks.

Although starting with a loading phase is common, it is not necessary to reach saturation levels—the maximum amount the body can store at any given time—and can result in digestive issues.

Doses of creatine require additional research. Experts say that the trial suggests that people need to take more creatine than is typically thought to get the desired benefit of more muscle gains. Dr. Hagstrom stated that despite the fact that 10 grams has already been demonstrated to be safe and promising for both the health of the brain and the health of the bones, additional research is needed to determine how much more is needed. Dr. Desai added that a longer study would also be beneficial, as would tracking the menstrual cycle, which can affect fluid retention, and measuring body water content, which was not possible for this trial.

Dr. Desai stated, "It would be really interesting to see if creatine has more of a benefit over the long term." "When you start weight training, you have those beginner gains in strength. Around the 12-week mark, those gains start to slow down, so it's possible that the support from creatine might come later." In the interim, the researchers hope that it will prompt people to question claims made in the marketing of some supplements and give them more realistic expectations regarding the use of creatine. “For your average person taking creatine to boost their gains in the gym, this will hopefully change their perception about what it can help them achieve,” Dr Desai said. The findings "may inform how and when professional athletes, particularly those who must be at a particular weight for their sport,"