Creatine monohydrate

Featured study

The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Resistance Training-Based Changes to Body Composition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis ↗
Journal of strength and conditioning research · 2024 · PMID 39074168

Who was studied

Adults younger than 50 doing resistance training, across 12 randomized trials.

How

Preregistered systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis comparing creatine plus resistance training with resistance training alone.

What it found

Creatine added about 1.1 kg of lean body mass and slightly reduced body fat (about 0.9 percentage points) compared with training alone. Training status and taking it with a carbohydrate drink did not change the effect.

Limits

About half of the trials had some concerns or a high risk of bias. Lean-mass measurements include water held in muscle, and results apply to people who are training, not to creatine without exercise.

Safety & what remains unknown

Creatine is generally well tolerated in trials of healthy adults. People with kidney disease, or who take medicines that affect the kidneys, should talk to a clinician first. Product quality varies between brands.

Talk to a clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take prescription medicines or have a medical condition.

Where to find it

Search results and listings are not quality-checked or endorsed by PepsRadar. Look for third-party testing (for example USP or NSF marks) and check with a clinician about interactions.