A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has found that creatine monohydrate increased lean tissue mass, strength and muscular endurance in sedentary adults aged 45 to 65, even without a structured exercise programme, according to reporting by PsyPost on 10 September 2026. The 12-week trial involved 64 healthy but sedentary participants, 40 of them women, with an average age of 55. Participants were randomly assigned to 10g of daily creatine or a placebo, and within each group could choose to also follow an exercise and diet intervention or continue as before. Those taking creatine without the exercise and diet programme still gained lean mass, strength and endurance, and showed favourable changes in some blood-lipid markers, compared with the placebo group.
Bigger gains when paired with exercise, limits on the evidence
Participants who combined creatine with the exercise and diet intervention saw larger reductions in body fat percentage alongside greater strength and endurance gains than creatine alone, the researchers reported. The trial found no improvement in aerobic capacity from creatine, a factor separately linked to longevity, according to coverage of the same study by HuffPost via Yahoo News on 15 September 2026. The researchers cautioned that participants were not randomly assigned to the exercise and diet groups, only to creatine or placebo, so self-selection into exercise could account for some of the difference between groups. They also described the individual cognitive and blood-marker findings as exploratory, requiring confirmation in further trials.
What this means for your supplement routine
This is one 12-week trial in a specific age group, and it does not establish how long any gains last or whether they translate into better long-term health outcomes. It does add to a growing body of research on creatine's effects beyond younger, actively training users. Anyone comparing prices on creatine already in their routine can do so in the creatine collection.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.