Creatine supplementation and bone health in postmenopausal women over two years
What it found
Taking creatine for two years alongside exercise did not change bone density in postmenopausal women, but it preserved some measures of bone shape linked to strength.
The women taking creatine also walked a short distance slightly faster.
What they found
Studies in people
Bone density unchanged
After two years, bone density at the hip and lower spine was about the same whether the women took creatine or the placebo. Creatine did not add extra protection against bone loss beyond what the exercise provided.
Better bone shape measures
Women taking creatine kept better measurements of bone shape at the narrowest part of the upper thigh bone compared to the placebo group. These shape measures are linked to how well the bone resists bending and buckling under pressure.
Faster walking speed
The creatine group shaved about one and a half seconds off their time to walk 80 meters. The placebo group barely changed their walking time over the two years.
Muscle strength similar
Both groups got stronger on the bench press and squat exercises from the training program. Taking creatine did not lead to any extra gains in lifting strength compared to the placebo.
Lean tissue mass
Among the women who finished the full study, those taking creatine gained slightly more lean body mass than those on the placebo. This difference was not seen when looking at everyone who originally signed up.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that two years of creatine alongside exercise did not improve bone density in postmenopausal women.
- They note that creatine did preserve certain geometric features of the upper thigh bone that may help protect against fractures.
- They advise that longer studies with more participants are needed to confirm whether these bone shape changes actually prevent broken hips.
How it was done
Low bone density after menopause raises the risk of fractures. Earlier small studies suggested creatine might help build or protect bone when combined with exercise, so the authors wanted to test this over a longer period.
Two hundred and thirty-seven postmenopausal women, average age 59, took either creatine or a placebo every day for two years. Both groups followed a supervised weight training program three days a week and walked six days a week.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only looked at postmenopausal women doing specific exercise routines, so the results may not apply to younger people or those who do not exercise.
- The bone shape improvements were small, so scientists do not yet know if they are large enough to actually prevent broken bones in daily life.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by CIHR (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- University of Saskatchewan, CANADA; University of Regina, CANADA
The paper
- Title
- A 2-yr Randomized Controlled Trial on Creatine Supplementation during Exercise for Postmenopausal Bone Health
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Chilibeck PD, Candow DG, Gordon JJ, et al (2023). A 2-yr Randomized Controlled Trial on Creatine Supplementation during Exercise for Postmenopausal Bone Health. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003202Free full textPubMed 37144634DOI
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