Effects of Creatine and Resistance Training on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Double-blind randomized controlled trial
PubMed 25386713 · doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000571
What was done
Forty-seven postmenopausal women (mean age 57 ± 6 years) were randomized in a double-blind trial to 12 months of supervised resistance training (3 days/week) plus either creatine supplementation (0.1 g/kg/d, n = 23) or a placebo (n = 24). Primary outcomes were lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD). Secondary outcomes included total hip and whole-body BMD, hip bone geometry, speed of sound at the distal radius and tibia, lean tissue mass, muscle thickness, and upper- and lower-body strength. Thirty-three participants completed the 12-month follow-up (creatine n = 15, placebo n = 18).
What was found
Creatine significantly attenuated femoral neck BMD loss (-1.2%, absolute change -0.01 g/cm² [95% CI, -0.025 to 0.005]) compared with placebo (-3.9%, absolute change -0.03 g/cm² [95% CI, -0.044 to -0.017]; P < 0.05). Creatine also increased femoral shaft subperiosteal width (creatine: 0.04 cm [95% CI, -0.09 to 0.16]; placebo: -0.12 cm [95% CI, -0.23 to -0.01]; P < 0.05) and improved relative bench press strength gains (64% vs 34%; P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups for lumbar spine BMD, total hip BMD, whole-body BMD, distal limb speed of sound, lean tissue mass, or muscle thickness. No liver enzyme abnormalities or creatinine clearance impairments occurred with creatine supplementation.
Why it matters
Adding creatine to a resistance training routine may help preserve bone mineral density at the femoral neck and enhance structural bone geometry in postmenopausal women over a one-year period.
Limits
The sample size was small and suffered from substantial attrition (almost 30% dropout, leaving 33 of 47 participants for analysis). Most secondary bone density and body composition metrics did not show significant between-group differences. Long-term fracture reduction was not assessed.