Performance · INGREDIENT PROFILE
Creatine monohydrate
Research topics: Strength · Lean mass · Training performance
Also searched as: creatine, creatine monohydrate. Names and formulations are not necessarily interchangeable.
01 / MATCH THE FORMULA
The details to pin down.
Ingredient identity & form
Match monohydrate to monohydrate; record any loading phase separately from daily maintenance.
Dose, duration & study fit
Daily grams, loading schedule, study length, training status, and age.
Record the tested dose from the original study. A study dose is not a recommended dose or proof that every claim at that dose is supported.
02 / READ IN CONTEXT
What changes the interpretation?
Separate strength tests, lean-mass measurements, and training outcomes. Check whether both groups followed the same resistance program.
Selected-source perspective
Human evidence supports improvements in some strength outcomes when paired with resistance training.
A 2025 meta-analysis found no overall improvement in handgrip or leg-press strength. An ingredient finding does not establish efficacy of a finished formula.
Read the cited guidance or review ↗- Population: Does the study population match your intended audience?
- Comparison: What changed compared with the control group—not just compared with baseline?
- Consistency: Do independent studies agree? Include null findings, limitations, and adverse events.
- Claim wording: Does the measured outcome support the strength and scope of the proposed claim?
03 / FOLLOW THE SOURCES
Research to explore.
A selected index of randomized trials and research reviews. Open the source to verify methods, results, corrections, and applicability.
2026 · Systematic Review · systematic-review
Effects of resistance training combined with creatine supplementation on muscle strength, physical function, and muscle mass in older adults: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis. ↗
PMID 42712402 · DOI 10.3389/fnut.2026.1919884 · PMC record available
2026 · Meta-Analysis · Systematic Review · review-article
Resistance training combined with creatine supplementation: a three-level meta-analysis of multidimensional outcomes from strength enhancement to body composition remodeling. ↗
PMID 42765482 · DOI 10.1080/15502783.2026.2718316 · PMC record available
2026 · Systematic Review
Impact of creatine supplementation alone or combined with exercise on inflammatory and clinical outcomes in chronic musculoskeletal pain treated in the rheumatological field: a systematic review. ↗
PMID 42407202 · DOI 10.1016/j.nut.2026.113330
2026 · Meta-Analysis · Systematic Review · review-article
Creatine monohydrate for lean mass, strength, and bone density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ↗
PMID 42141930 · DOI 10.1080/15502783.2026.2668435 · PMC record available
How these references were selected
First four Europe PMC relevance-ranked MED records matching the recorded ingredient/outcome query and randomized-trial, systematic-review or meta-analysis publication types. No favorable-result filter. Bibliographic discovery only; not a full-text review or exhaustive bibliography.
Captured 2026-10-08: 4 records shown from 618 matching index records. Index counts describe this query, not supporting studies or evidence quality.
(TITLE_ABS:"creatine") AND (TITLE_ABS:"strength" OR TITLE_ABS:"resistance training" OR TITLE_ABS:"muscle mass") AND SRC:MED AND (PUB_TYPE:"Randomized Controlled Trial" OR PUB_TYPE:"Systematic Review" OR PUB_TYPE:"Meta-Analysis")Run the recorded index search ↗04 / GO DEEPER
Guidance & source databases.
NIH ODS: Exercise and athletic performance↗Database links open a fresh search. Registry entries can identify ongoing or unpublished trials; registration alone is not evidence of benefit.
Educational research navigation. Not individual medical advice, a safety clearance, regulatory approval, or a complete review of this ingredient. Bibliographic snapshot: 2026-10-08.