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Creatine in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Bruno Gualano, Vitor DE Salles Painneli, Hamilton Roschel, Guilherme Giannini Artioli, Manoel Neves Jr, Ana Lúcia De Sá Pinto, Maria Elizabeth Rossi Da Silva, Maria Rosária Cunha, Maria Concepción García Otaduy, Claudia Da Costa Leite, Júlio César Ferreira, Rosa Maria Pereira, Patrícia Chakur Brum, Eloisa Bonfá, Antonio Herbert Lancha Jr
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011 43(5):770-778

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 20881878
DOI
10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181fcee7d
Funding
No explicit funding statement was located in the accessible PubMed or publisher records during Biohack Blueprint's 2026-10-02 audit. This is an audit-status statement, not confirmation that the study received no funding.
Competing interests
No explicit competing-interests statement was located in the accessible PubMed or publisher records during Biohack Blueprint's 2026-10-02 audit. This is an audit-status statement, not confirmation that no competing interests existed.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman
Sample25 participants analyzed
InterventionCreatine 5 g/day or placebo alongside exercise training
Duration12 weeks
EndpointsHbA1c; Glucose AUC; Insulin; C-peptide; Insulin sensitivity; GLUT-4; Physical capacity

What the study showed, in plain terms

Small clinical trial testing creatine as an adjunct to exercise in people with type 2 diabetes.

Key findings

HbA1c fell more in the creatine group than placebo during the 12-week exercise program, with mechanistic changes in glucose transport also assessed.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small sample, short duration and concurrent exercise training; results do not establish creatine as a diabetes treatment or replacement for standard care.

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Last verified

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