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Effects of creatine supplementation with and without exercise and diet intervention on body composition, cognitive function, and markers of health in middle-aged and older adults

Jisun Chun, Yuhang Liu, Giuliet L Kibler, Hudson Lee, Khatereh Babakhani, Nathaniel Rhoades, Ian Bivins, Joungbo Ko, Broderick Dickerson, Drew E Gonzalez, Ryan J Sowinski, Chris J Rasmussen, Richard B Kreider
J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2026 23(Suppl 1):2716273

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42578920
PubMed Central
PMC13463452
DOI
10.1080/15502783.2026.2716273
Funding
Funded by an unrestricted gift to the Texas A&M Foundation from the WoodNext Foundation. AlzChem Group provided the creatine/placebo supplements and funded homocysteine assays. The paper states that sponsors were not involved in data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
Competing interests
Richard B. Kreider disclosed industry-sponsored creatine research, conference support, expert-witness work, Chair service on AlzChem's Scientific Advisory Board, ISSN co-founder status, and advisory roles for Oath Nutrition and Trace Minerals. The remaining listed authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel supplement trial within self-selected exercise/diet versus non-exercise strata
ModelHuman
Sample73 enrolled; 64 adults aged 45–65 years completed 12 weeks and were analyzed (40 females, 24 males)
InterventionCreatine monohydrate 10 g/day (2 × 5 g) versus maltodextrin placebo for 12 weeks, with or without a participant-selected structured exercise and weight-loss diet intervention
Duration12 weeks
EndpointsDXA body composition; Muscular strength and endurance; Body-fat percentage; Cognitive tests and memory; Blood lipids; HbA1c; Safety and adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

Fresh 2026 randomized supplement trial in sedentary adults aged 45–65 testing 10 g/day creatine with and without a structured exercise/diet program.

Key findings

Creatine increased lean tissue and selected strength/endurance outcomes in the non-exercise stratum and was associated with greater body-fat-percentage reduction plus strength/endurance gains during exercise/diet. Several cognitive and metabolic outcomes also changed, but the authors explicitly describe individual cognitive and biomarker findings as exploratory.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Exercise/diet participation was self-selected rather than randomized, so this was not a fully randomized 2×2 exercise-by-supplement trial. Group sizes were modest, follow-up was 12 weeks, numerous secondary/exploratory outcomes were tested, and generalizability is limited to healthy sedentary adults aged 45–65. AlzChem supplied study supplements and funded homocysteine assays; one senior author disclosed multiple creatine-industry relationships.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction