The Study
Effects of Creatine and Resistance Training on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women.
This study is like a fair test where half the women took creatine and half took sugar pills, and then we saw who lost less bone. It shows creatine might help, but we can't say for sure because not everyone finished the test.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if taking creatine (a supplement found in meat) while doing strength training helps older women keep their bones strong.
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 581 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1A 5% bone loss is linked to a 25% higher fracture risk — so cutting loss from 3.9% to 1.2% could meaningfully lower fracture risk in older women.
- 2Women who took creatine lost only 1.2% of bone density in their hip over a year, while those who took a placebo lost 3.9%.
- 3Creatine also made the outer part of the thigh bone thicker by 0.04 cm, and upper body strength improved 64% vs 34% in the placebo group.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
Year
2015
Authors
P. Chilibeck, D. Candow, Tim Landeryou, M. Kaviani, Lisa Paus-Jenssen
Related Content
Claims (5)
Postmenopausal women who took creatine while doing resistance training showed a 64% relative increase in bench press strength after 12 months, compared to a 34% increase in those who did not take creatine. Their total strength gains were not significantly different between the two groups.
In postmenopausal women, taking creatine at 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight daily along with supervised weight training reduces the loss of bone density in the femoral neck from 3.9% to 1.2% over twelve months compared to no creatine, and this smaller loss is linked to a lower risk of fracture.
In postmenopausal women who do resistance training, taking creatine for 12 months results in a 0.04 cm increase in the outer bone layer of the femur, while those taking a placebo experience a 0.12 cm decrease.
Taking creatine supplements for 12 months does not cause changes in kidney or liver function tests in postmenopausal women compared to taking a placebo.
Taking creatine supplements along with resistance training leads to higher bone density in humans.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.