Table 1.
Study characteristics and outcomes of research examining the influence of creatine with a resistance training program on bone.
| References | Study Population | Intervention | Duration | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [25] | N = 32; Healthy, non-athletic men and women between 60–80 yrs. | RCT: PLA + RT or CR + RT. Creatine group received 5 g/day. PLA received 5 g/day of maltodextrin. RT was preformed 3x/wk for 60 min and progressed on an individual basis. Muscle groups (i.e., upper and lower body) alternated between training days; 1.5x/wk per muscle group. | 12 wks | CR + RT ↑ lean mass compared to PLA + RT. ↔ 10 RM in bench press or leg press, body composition, BMD, and BMC of all assessed sites between groups. |
| [26] | N = 33; Postmenopausal women; Age: 57 ± 6 yrs | RCT: PLA + RT or CR + RT. Creatine group received 0.1 g/kg/day (0.05 g/kg provided immediately before and 0.05 g/kg after training on training days and with two meals on non-training days). PLA received corn starch maltodextrin. RT was preformed 3x/wk. | 12 mths | CR attenuated rate of femoral neck BMD loss compared to PLA and ↑ femoral shaft subperiosteal width. CR ↑ bench press strength more than PLA. ↔ between groups on all other outcome measures including muscle mass and muscle thickness. |
| [27] | N = 60; older vulnerable women (age: 66 yrs) | RCT: PLA, CR, PLA + RT, CR + RT. Creatine was provided 20 g/day for 5 days followed by 5 g/day for the remaining 24 wks. RT = 2x/wk. | 24 wks | CR + RT ↑ appendicular lean mass accrual compared to all other groups. ↔ fat mass, bone mass, and serum bone markers between groups. |
| [18] | N = 29; older men (71 yrs) | RCT; CR + RT, PLA + RT. Creatine was provided 0.3 g/kg/day for 5 days and then 0.7 g/kg/day for the remaining. RT was performed 3x/wk | 12 wks | ↑ arm BMC greater in the CR group compared to PLA. ↑ in leg press strength in the CR group compared to PLA, ↔ in chest press strength between groups ↔ between groups for whole-body and leg BMD (sig. main effect for time). |
| [28] | N = 39; Older men and women (65–85 yrs) | RCT; CR + CLA + RT, PLA + RT. Creatine was provided 5 g/day. RT = 2x/wk | 6 mths | ↔ between groups for total BMD, hip, and Lumbar BMD. CR + RT ↑ FFM and isokinetic strength compared to PLA. |
RCT, randomized controlled trial; PLA, placebo; RT, resistance training; CR, creatine; RM, repetition maximum; BMD, bone mineral density; BMC, bone mineral content; ↑Significant greater; ↔No difference between conditions; wk, weeks; yrs, years; g, grams; kg, kilograms.