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Review
. 2021 Jun 2;13(6):1912.
doi: 10.3390/nu13061912.

Meta-Analysis Examining the Importance of Creatine Ingestion Strategies on Lean Tissue Mass and Strength in Older Adults

Scott C Forbes  1 , Darren G Candow  2 , Sergej M Ostojic  3 , Michael D Roberts  4 , Philip D Chilibeck  5
Affiliations
Review

Meta-Analysis Examining the Importance of Creatine Ingestion Strategies on Lean Tissue Mass and Strength in Older Adults

Scott C Forbes et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Creatine supplementation in conjunction with resistance training (RT) augments gains in lean tissue mass and strength in aging adults; however, there is a large amount of heterogeneity between individual studies that may be related to creatine ingestion strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to (1) perform updated meta-analyses comparing creatine vs. placebo (independent of dosage and frequency of ingestion) during a resistance training program on measures of lean tissue mass and strength, (2) perform meta-analyses examining the effects of different creatine dosing strategies (lower: ≤5 g/day and higher: >5 g/day), with and without a creatine-loading phase (≥20 g/day for 5-7 days), and (3) perform meta-analyses determining whether creatine supplementation only on resistance training days influences measures of lean tissue mass and strength. Overall, creatine (independent of dosing strategy) augments lean tissue mass and strength increase from RT vs. placebo. Subanalyses showed that creatine-loading followed by lower-dose creatine (≤5 g/day) increased chest press strength vs. placebo. Higher-dose creatine (>5 g/day), with and without a creatine-loading phase, produced significant gains in leg press strength vs. placebo. However, when studies involving a creatine-loading phase were excluded from the analyses, creatine had no greater effect on chest press or leg press strength vs. placebo. Finally, creatine supplementation only on resistance training days significantly increased measures of lean tissue mass and strength vs. placebo.

Keywords: hypertrophy; sarcopenia; supplements.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.C.F. has previously served as a scientific advisor for a company that sold creatine. D.G.C. has conducted industry-sponsored research involving creatine supplementation, received creatine donations for scientific studies and travel support for presentations involving creatine supplementation at scientific conferences. In addition, D.G.C. serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for AlzChem (a company which manufactures creatine) and has previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer for a company that sells creatine products. S.M.O. serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on creatine in health and medicine (AlzChem LLC). S.M.O. owns patent “Sports Supplements Based on Liquid Creatine” at European Patent Office (WO2019150323 A1), and active patent application “Synergistic Creatine” at UK Intellectual Property Office (GB2012773.4). S.M.O. has served as a speaker at Abbott Nutrition, a consultant of Allied Beverages Adriatic and IMLEK, and an advisory board member for the University of Novi Sad School of Medicine, and has received research funding related to creatine from the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development, Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, AlzChem GmbH, KW Pfannenschmidt GmbH, ThermoLife International LLC, and Monster Energy Company. S.M.O. is an employee of the University of Novi Sad and does not own stocks and shares in any organization. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Forest plot of studies on lean tissue mass with sub-analyses using lower-dose creatine studies (≤5 g/day) and of higher-dose creatine studies (>5 g/day) on lean tissue mass.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of studies on chest press strength.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of lower-dose creatine studies (≤5 g/day) on chest press strength with exclusion of creatine loading studies.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of studies on leg press strength.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of higher-dose creatine studies (>5 g/day) on leg press strength with exclusion of creatine-loading studies.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plot of studies on lean tissue mass.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Forest plot of studies on chest press strength.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Forest plot of studies on leg press strength.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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