Creatine is a compound your body uses to supply energy to muscle. Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center in Ohio, says about half of your supply comes from food such as red meat and seafood.
Your body makes the other half.
For older adults, creatine has a small but fairly solid record for strength, when it is paired with strength training. The evidence for bone and for memory is much thinner.
This is general information, not medical advice, so check with your doctor if you have concerns. This matters especially if you have kidney disease, liver disease or diabetes.
What the reviews found for muscle
Researchers have pooled many small trials into meta-analyses (a meta-analysis combines the results of several trials into one larger result). In these trials, both groups did strength training. One group also took creatine, and the other took a placebo.
Four of the reviews, oldest first:
- 2017, 22 studies, 721 participants: the creatine group gained about 3 pounds (1.37 kg) more lean tissue and got stronger on the chest press and leg press.
- 2014, 357 older adults, average age about 64: creatine plus training had a greater effect than training alone on the 30-second chair stand test.
- 2025, 8 trials, 482 older participants: better lower-body strength and more lean mass, but no significant gain in upper-body strength.
- 2026, 11 trials in adults 60 and over: strength improved, although the effect was small and the certainty of the evidence was moderate.
The newest review, from 2026, is the most cautious. Its gains in muscle mass and in physical function were not statistically significant. The certainty was low for muscle mass and very low for physical function.
Its authors also say these findings should not be applied directly to frail or very weak older adults.
Women after menopause
The picture for women is mixed, and the two main sources point in different directions.
A 2026 meta-analysis of 7 trials in postmenopausal women (608 randomized, average age about 62) found small gains.
Lean mass rose by about 0.8 pounds (0.37 kg) more with creatine. Leg press strength was about 17 pounds (7.5 kg) higher in the 3 trials that measured it.
A creatine maker paid part of that review’s publication fee, and one author chairs a board that company supports. Read it as one source, not the last word.
A large two-year trial found creatine added no strength. It followed 237 postmenopausal women (average age 59) for two years.
They all did strength training and walking. Creatine had no effect on bench press or squat strength. It added lean mass over placebo only in an analysis of the women who completed the study.
Creatine did cut the time to walk 80 meters by about 1.5 seconds. That is about 3 percent of a 48-second walk.
Bone and brain: the evidence is weaker
For bone, the results are close to null. A review of 5 trials with 193 participants over 50 found no significant effect on bone density of the hip, spine or whole body.
The two-year trial in postmenopausal women agreed: bone density fell by the same small amount with creatine as with placebo.
Some measures of hip bone shape held up better with creatine, but bone density is the usual measure of bone strength.
For the brain, the evidence is early. A 2026 systematic review of adults 55 and over included 6 studies with 1,542 participants.
Four relied on what people recalled eating, and only two were true trials. The authors called the evidence limited and asked for better trials.
One 2023 meta-analysis found a memory gain in adults 66 to 76, and a published letter questioned its statistics.
A 2024 review of 16 trials, ages 20.8 to 76.4, found no improvement in overall cognitive function. It did find gains in memory, and its benefits overall were larger in ages 18 to 60.
How sure the evidence is: a quick guide
Each row below assumes strength training unless it says otherwise.
| Outcome | What the reviews found | How sure |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Small extra gain over training alone; moderate certainty in the 2026 review | Moderate certainty, small effect |
| Lean (muscle) mass | Gains in three reviews, not significant in the newest | Mixed |
| Strength and muscle in women after menopause | Small gains in one industry-linked review; mostly null in a two-year trial | Mixed |
| Muscle gain without training | In postmenopausal women, low-dose trials without training showed no measurable effect | Weak |
| Bone density | No significant effect in reviews or the two-year trial | Weak (null) |
| Memory and thinking | Few true trials; one finding under statistical criticism | Weak |
What the trials used for doses
These are the doses the trials gave, not a recommendation for you.
- Most trials gave 3 to 5 grams a day, according to the 2017 full text.
- Eight of its studies began with a loading phase of 20 grams a day for 5 to 7 days.
- The two-year trial in women used 0.14 grams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day.
- In the postmenopausal women’s review, benefits appeared at 5 grams a day or more combined with strength training.
The 2026 review in adults 60 and over found that dose and loading did not explain why results differed between trials.
Check with your doctor before you start
Talk to your doctor before you start, whatever your age or fitness. Cleveland Clinic gives that advice to everyone.
It lists kidney disease, liver disease and diabetes as conditions to mention.
For kidneys, a 2026 meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials is reassuring for shorter-term use. Blood creatinine (a blood marker doctors use to judge kidney function) rose with creatine, but the estimated kidney filtration rate (eGFR) did not change.
The authors say trials longer than one year are needed to judge safety for the kidneys. Five studies of 3 to 52 weeks that checked liver or kidney blood or urine tests found no adverse effects.
For people who already have kidney disease, these trials do not tell us what happens. Cleveland Clinic notes there isn’t enough evidence to know if creatine is safe for them. One possible side effect is weight gain from water retention.
Why it does not replace strength training
Every positive muscle result comes from one comparison: creatine plus strength training against the same training alone. Without the training, there is little for creatine to add to.
The 2017 authors note that creatine is minimally effective at triggering muscle growth if muscle loading is not present. In postmenopausal women, low-dose trials without training showed no measurable effect either.
Protein matters alongside training, so it is worth reading how much protein older adults need.
If you do not lift yet, a general overview of strength training after 50 suggests two to three sessions a week.
Before your next appointment, write this question down. “With my kidney function and my medicines, would you be comfortable with me adding creatine alongside strength training?”