This Popular Supplement Improves Muscle Mass and Boosts Brain Power

5 min readCreatine may increase muscle mass without exercise.People who exercised and took creatine still saw more benefits. Experts say there are likely a few explanations for this. Once a go-to for bodybuilders, creatine has gone mainstream on the heels of research that suggests it can be helpful even for people who aren’t looking to bulk up. While most creatine studies focus on regular exercisers, a new, small randomized clinical study suggests that this supplement can provide impressive perks for people even without a structured program.The latest study, which was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, makes the case for taking creatine even if you don’t plan to go hard at the gym. It’s still a stretch to say that taking creatine can make you stronger or smarter without lifting a finger. But the findings raise some questions about how this supplement can impact people outside of those who regularly hit the gym. Here’s the deal.Meet the experts: Shane Davis, MD, sports medicine physician and physiatrist at Tufts Medical Center; Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab; and Richard Kreider, PhD, study co-author, professor, and director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M UniversityWhat did the study find?For the study, researchers recruited 64 adults between the ages of 45 and 65, and divided them into four groups. Two of the groups were given 10 grams of daily creatine monohydrate, while the other two received a placebo. The participants were allowed to decide if they wanted to participate in a training and exercise program, regardless of whether they received the placebo or creatine. This program included supervised resistance and aerobic training three times a week, along with a diet plan recommending 55 percent of calories from carbs, 15 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fat, while cutting 300 to 500 calories a day.Participants had several body measurements, along with blood tests and cognitive performance assessments, at the start of the study, six weeks later, and after 12 weeks. After analyzing the data, researchers found that people who took creatine but didn’t follow the diet and exercise program still increased their lean tissue mass, strength, and muscular endurance—suggesting they may have gotten stronger from the supplement alone. Researchers also found that people in this group showed better cognitive function and memory. Participants who took creatine and followed the diet and exercise program also saw a drop in their body fat percentage.Based on all of this, researchers concluded that “creatine monohydrate supplementation with and without exercise and diet intervention may help middle-aged and older adults maintain muscle mass and strength while favorably affecting selected markers of health and cognitive function.”The study does add some new information about creatine to the current landscape of knowledge, but researchers did also stress that their findings are still “exploratory” at this point. It’s also worth mentioning that Richard Kreider, PhD, study co-author, and professor at Texas A&M University, has previously conducted sponsored research on creatine and sits on the board for the company that provided the creatine used (the other co-authors did not report conflicts of interest in the paper).What’s behind this link?Again, the findings don’t suggest that everyone should take creatine in hopes that it will make them smarter and stronger without exercise.“Creatine has been well established as a safe and effective supplement to improve things such as lean muscle mass, strength, and endurance,” says Shane Davis, MD, sports medicine physician and physiatrist at Tufts Medical Center. “It is no surprise to see that creatine improves several muscular and metabolic markers when combined with exercise, but it is interesting to see that even in the absence of exercise, individuals may still find some benefits.”Healthcare providers generally think that creatine mostly helps when it’s combined with exercise, Dr. Davis says. “To my knowledge this is potentially new information as we previously believed creatine to primarily only help when combined with exercise,” he adds.As for why it may lead to these perks without exercise, there are a few theories. Creatine is “hyper hydrating” and your muscles easily take it in, according to Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.When you take a creatine supplement, “it expands your creatine phosphate stores, which is like a natural energy system in your muscles,” Matheny explains. Then, more water is drawn into your muscles, which supports the use and creation of protein in the body, he says.Previous research suggests that creatine can provide energy for the brain, and there’s likely a trickle-down effect, according to Kreider. “If you increase energy in the brain, you can think better,” he says. “When you improve energy in the brain, you can perform better.”It may also be that people who took creatine but didn’t follow a regimented diet and exercise program simply had more energy to go about their daily lives, along with more hydration in their cells, which contributed to muscle gain, Kreider also says. “When you do exercise on top of that, you can have additional benefits,” he adds.But, as Kreider and his fellow researchers pointed out, there’s a lot more to explore here.What does this mean for you?Dr. Davis still recommends doing your best to exercise when you’re taking creatine—and not to view this supplement as something to use instead of exercise. “Those who did combine [creatine] with exercise did see more substantial improvements than those who did not, and given the many benefits of exercise, I would still strongly recommend individuals use creatine as an adjunct to regular exercise, not as a replacement,” he says.Kreider says the findings suggest that “creatine is important throughout the lifespan.” But while many people will take two to three grams of the supplement, he points out that you may need up to 10 grams daily (split into five grams in the morning and five grams at night) to get the cognitive benefits. “If you want those cognitive benefits, you need a little bit more,” he says.If you’re interested in taking creatine, it’s a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider first. Dosing can be tricky, and the supplement can come with side effects, including GI discomfort and bloating. Because of this, guidance from a professional can be helpful before stocking up.Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health. She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter. Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.