The Study
Magnesium-creatine supplementation effects on body water.
This study is like noticing something changed in a group of people, but we don’t know what else was going on or if something else caused it. It doesn’t prove that the supplement caused the change — it just says they saw a difference.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Taking magnesium with creatine might help muscles soak up more water, which could help them get stronger.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This might mean slightly better muscle performance, but we don’t know how big the effect is.
- 2The group taking magnesium-creatine had more water inside their muscles and showed better peak torque.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Metabolism: clinical and experimental
Year
2003
Authors
L. Brilla, M. Giroux, A. Taylor, K. Knutzen
Related Content
Claims (3)
Taking creatine helps your muscle cells soak up more water, making them swell a bit—and this swelling tells your body to stop breaking down muscle as much.
If you're an endurance athlete, taking magnesium-creatine might help your muscles hold more water, which could mean better creatine absorption and possibly help your muscles grow or recover faster.
Taking magnesium with creatine might help endurance athletes get stronger muscle power, like how hard you can push or pull at your peak.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.