Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
creatine improves physical function in older adults
In plain terms: Can creatine help older adults stay strong and mobile?
Part of: 🧪 creatine
Probably, when combined with resistance training — it builds the strength and muscle that everyday tasks depend on. But trials measuring real-world function directly are mixed, so it's a lean yes, not a sure thing.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Creatine **with resistance/weight-bearing training** improves strength and lean mass in older adults, which supports functional tasks (sit-to-stand, gait). Benefit is training-dependent; two well-conducted syntheses judged the *direct* functional-disability evidence unclear, so this is graded leans-support, not settled. scope::older-adults-with-training
The evidence (7)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devries 2014 · Med Sci Sports Exerc | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta-analysis: creatine + RT increased lean mass and strength in older adults (basis for functional gains). |
| Forbes 2021 · Nutrients | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta-analysis: creatine ingestion alongside RT augmented lean-tissue and strength gains in aging adults. |
| Dos Santos 2021 · Nutrients | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta-analysis: creatine + RT improved strength and muscle mass in older adults, relevant to daily function. |
| Chilibeck 2017 · Open Access J Sports Med | meta-analysis | supports | low | Meta-analysis: creatine during RT increased lean tissue mass and strength in older adults. |
| Gielen 2021 · Nutr Rev | meta-analysis | supports | low | Evidence-based older-adult guidelines: creatine among nutritional interventions supporting muscle mass/strength/performance. |
| Davies 2024 · JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr | meta-analysis | mixed | high | Meta-analysis (functional-disability risk population): efficacy of creatine for optimizing physical function judged unclear/inconsistent. |
| Choi 2021 · BMC Geriatr | meta-analysis | mixed | moderate | Meta-analysis: limited evidence that adding a nutritional intervention to resistance training yields synergistic muscle/function gains. |
Disagree, or know a study we missed?
We grade by evidence, not opinions. The way to weigh in is to point us to a study we haven't cited (check the evidence table above first), or to flag a problem with one we have. Every submission is reviewed; if it holds up, the grade updates and shows in Science Changes Its Mind.
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Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.