New Research Suggests Creatine May Help Boost Strength After 45—Even Without Exercise

By Allison Forsyth –  Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

As you enter your 40s and 50s, maintaining strength becomes especially important for preserving mobility and independence—but it can also be more of a challenge. A small new study suggests that a popular supplement may give you an edge.

The research found that middle-aged adults who took creatine, a supplement known for boosting athletic performance, for three months got stronger—regardless of whether they exercised.

The paper is among the few to examine creatine use in this population. And while more research is needed, “the findings are encouraging,” said Haris Vakil, MD, a sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital who wasn’t involved with the research.

Exploring How Creatine Use Affects Strength

For the 12-week study, which was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, researchers recruited 64 adults ages 45 to 65.

They instructed roughly half of the participants to take a placebo, and the remainder to take 10 daily grams of creatine monohydrate (the most studied and affordable form of creatine) daily.

Creatine—a compound the body produces naturally—helps generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which muscles use as energy to contract, especially during short bursts of high-intensity activity.

Some participants in both the creatine and placebo groups also followed a specific diet regimen and completed a three-day-a-week program that included resistance exercise and cardio training.

Participants underwent blood, exercise, and cognitive testing at the study’s start and at several points throughout the experiment.

Creatine May Help Middle-Aged Adults Boost Lean Mass and Strength

In the end, researchers concluded that, among people who exercised, creatine improved lean tissue mass (the body’s mass minus fat), muscle strength, and markers of cognitive function, and also promoted a greater reduction in body fat percentage compared with the placebo group.

There were even slight improvements in cognitive function, lean mass, and muscle strength among those who didn’t exercise.

“Of course, you get better effects with training,” said Richard Kreider, PhD, FACSM, director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University and a study author. But the research suggests “anybody can take creatine and get some benefit.”

Anthea Levi, RD, a registered dietitian who wasn’t involved in the study, agreed that the finding—that even non-exercisers appeared to benefit—could suggest that creatine has something to offer on its own.

On the other hand, she noted that some of the observed increase in lean mass could simply be due to creatine’s “cellular swelling” effect, rather than actual muscle growth. In addition to helping to generate ATP, creatine draws water into muscle cells, stretching the cell membrane and sending signals that activate muscle-building pathways.

Even so, Vakil thinks the overall findings are promising. They “add to an already growing body of evidence supporting creatine as a potential tool for preserving muscle health as we age,” he told HEALTH.

The prospect is particularly exciting because muscles become less responsive to exercise over time. At the same time, several factors—including hormone changes, inadequate protein intake, underlying medical conditions, and a lack of movement—also contribute to age-related muscle loss.

Should You Take Creatine After 45?

Before you start shopping for creatine, experts stressed that the recent trial was small and relatively short, so larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm the findings. Despite the positive result for non-exercising participants, Vakil cautioned against using creatine as a substitute for exercise.

However, creatine can be a good option for people who exercise as a way to potentially “get more out of the work they’re already doing,” she said.

Before taking creatine, it’s a good idea to ask your healthcare provider whether it’s right for you, especially if you have underlying kidney or liver disease, are pregnant or nursing, or take prescription medications.

For most people, creatine is safe and well tolerated, though it can cause water retention and gastrointestinal symptoms for some.

Tips For Taking Creatine

In addition to taking it alongside exercise, physical therapist Gabriela Van Sickle, PT, DPT, emphasized the importance of getting adequate protein, maintaining a balanced diet, and prioritizing sleep to maximize results.

As far as dosage, the study used 10 grams per day, but you may not need that much to see results. For most adults, 3 to 5 grams per day is standard, though the appropriate amount may depend on your body size, goals, diet, and exercise routine.

You probably don’t need to do a loading phase, either. This common practice among professional athletes involves taking 20 or more grams of creatine per day for five to seven days to achieve faster results. But more isn’t automatically better.

“For most people,” said Kacie Vavrek, RD, a dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, “taking 3 to 5 grams per day consistently will get you to the same place—it just takes a few weeks longer.”

Finally, remember that consistency is more important than timing, Vakil said. The best time to take creatine is the time you’re most likely to remember to take it, whether that’s before exercise, after exercise, or with a meal.