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Creatine supplementation protocols with or without training interventions on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

Fereshteh Pashayee-Khamene, Zeinab Heidari, Omid Asbaghi, Damoon Ashtary-Larky, Kian Goudarzi, Scott C Forbes, Darren G Candow, Reza Bagheri, Matin Ghanavati, Fred Dutheil
J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2024 21(1):2380058

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 39042054
PubMed Central
PMC11268231
DOI
10.1080/15502783.2024.2380058
Funding
Supported by the National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (Project No. 43006289).
Competing interests
Darren G. Candow disclosed industry-sponsored creatine research, creatine donations, travel support, service on AlzChem's scientific advisory board, and expert-witness/consulting work.

Study snapshot

DesignGRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
ModelHuman
Sample143 studies
InterventionCreatine supplementation with or without training interventions versus control
DurationVaried by included trial
EndpointsBody mass; Fat-free mass; Fat mass; Body-fat percentage; BMI

What the study showed, in plain terms

Large synthesis of randomized trials examining how creatine protocol, training and dose relate to body-composition outcomes.

Key findings

Across 143 studies, creatine increased body mass by about 0.86 kg and fat-free mass by about 0.82 kg, while body-fat percentage decreased slightly. Effects were more robust when supplementation was combined with resistance training.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Marked variation in dose, duration, training and body-composition methods; pooled body-mass changes do not distinguish early water gain from later tissue adaptation.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology