The Study
Changes in Human Muscle Transverse Relaxation Following Short‐Term Creatine Supplementation
This study found that people who took creatine had a tiny change in how their muscles held water, but we can't say for sure that creatine caused it — maybe something else was different. It's like noticing your shoes get wetter after walking in rain, but not knowing if the rain made them wet or if you just stepped in a puddle.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Creatine helps muscles store more energy and water, making them swell slightly.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — gaining 1.2 kg of water weight in 5 days is noticeable and explains why muscles look fuller after starting creatine.
- 2After 5 days of taking 20g of creatine daily: body weight went up by 1.2 kg, energy storage (PCr/ATP) went up by 23.8%, and water-related signals in muscle increased by 5% in people who responded.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Experimental Physiology
Year
2002
Authors
G. Saab, G. Marsh, Mark A. Casselman, R. Thompson
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.