Creatine and healthy aging: supporting muscle mass and strength

As we age, muscle mass gradually declines. This process, known as sarcopenia, often begins as early as middle age and can lead to reduced muscle strength, mobility problems, and an increased risk of falls. Therefore, maintaining muscle mass is an important focus within research on healthy aging.

Creatine can play an interesting role here. By supporting the energy supply in muscle cells, creatine makes more intensive training possible. Higher training volume can in turn lead to greater muscle adaptations, such as muscle growth and increased strength. In addition, there are indications that creatine may directly influence cellular processes involved in muscle hypertrophy.

One of these mechanisms is so-called cell volumization. Creatine is an osmotically active molecule that can draw water into muscle cells, increasing cell volume. This change in volume can act as an anabolic signal that stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits muscle breakdown. In addition, studies show that creatine can increase the activity of satellite cells—muscle stem cells involved in muscle repair and growth.

Research in older adults supports these findings. In a meta-analysis by Chilibeck et al. (2017), which analyzed multiple randomized controlled trials, creatine supplementation combined with strength training resulted in a greater increase in fat-free mass and muscle strength than strength training alone. On average, an additional increase of about 1 kilogram of fat-free mass was observed.

A systematic review by Candow et al. (2019) also concluded that creatine can be an effective strategy to support muscle mass and muscle strength in older adults, especially when combined with resistance training.

These findings suggest that creatine is not only relevant for sports performance, but may also play a role in maintaining muscle health as we age.

Would you like to read more about the mechanisms of creatine and further scientific depth? Then continue reading here.

Sources:

Chilibeck PD et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2017: https://www.dovepress.com/effect-of-creatine-supplementation-during-resistance-training-on-lean--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OAJSM

Candow DG et al., Nutrients, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8040488