Effects of long-term low-dose dietary creatine supplementation in older women.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
PubMed 26192975 · doi:10.1016/j.exger.2015.07.012
What was done
In a double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial conducted in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 109 postmenopausal osteopenic women were randomized 1:1 to receive either low-dose creatine (1 g/day, n=56) or placebo (dextrose 1 g/day, n=53) for one year without a concurrent exercise program. Outcomes measured at baseline and after one year included bone mineral density (lumbar spine, femoral neck, total femur, whole body), body composition (lean mass, body fat, weight, BMI), muscle function (timed-up-and-go and timed-stands tests), dietary intake via three 24-hour recalls, and safety blood markers.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numerical values, standard deviations, or p-values. It reports no statistically significant within- or between-group differences in bone mineral density at any site (lumbar spine, femoral neck, total femur, whole body), body composition metrics (body weight, BMI, body fat, or lean mass), or muscle function tests (timed-up-and-go, timed-stands). Safety laboratory blood parameters remained unaltered, with no adverse effects reported.
Why it matters
This trial indicates that long-term low-dose creatine (1 g/day) without exercise does not improve bone health, body composition, or physical function in older postmenopausal women.
Limits
The dose used (1 g/day) was low compared to typical clinical and athletic supplementation protocols (often 3 to 5 g/day). The trial evaluated sedentary or non-exercising postmenopausal osteopenic women from a single geographic region, precluding extrapolation to other populations or combined exercise interventions. The abstract omits precise numeric effect estimates and confidence intervals.
Cited by
- supports The lowest daily creatine monohydrate dose shown to positively influence bone health outcomes is 8 grams per day, whereas trials administering 1 to 3 grams per day for two years showed no skeletal benefit.