Creatine's Modest Edge Comes With a Caveat About Water Weight

A meta-analysis of 11 trials found that adults over 60 who took creatine while lifting weights gained slightly more strength than those on placebo, though the effect was modest. A separate 12-week study showed that a week of creatine supplementation without exercise led to a half-kilogram increase in lean mass readings, which was actually water pulled into muscle cells. The author advises that creatine's benefits are real but smaller than marketing suggests, and that training remains the primary driver of gains.