30 Seconds SummaryDon’t Close the Door on Creatine Yet
- Creatine is widely recognized as an effective supplement for muscle growth, supported by numerous studies including a significant 2003 meta-analysis by Dr. J. David Branch.
- Branch's meta-analysis showed a small but statistically significant impact of creatine on lean body mass, though there is a distinction between muscle mass and lean body mass which also includes water.
- Recent studies now measure muscle size directly rather than lean body mass to assess the true effect of creatine on muscle growth.
- A new meta-analysis incorporating studies that directly measure muscle size found that creatine supplementation has a small effect on muscle growth, with an effect size (ES) of 0.11.
- The effects of creatine were slightly higher in younger adults compared to older adults, and in shorter-term studies versus longer-term ones.
- The author argues that the labels such as 'trivial' or 'small' for effect sizes are context-dependent and should be interpreted differently based on specific research fields like hypertrophy.
- Effect size considerations in research reflect a standardized mean difference, often contextualized incorrectly across different types of research, such as hypertrophy versus strength training.
- Data suggests that while creatine does not dramatically increase muscle growth rates, it still contributes positively, enhancing muscle growth by about one-third compared to non-supplementation.
- Responsiveness to creatine varies among individuals, and not everyone may experience significant benefits.
- The article encourages a contextual understanding of effect sizes rather than a strictly numerical interpretation and argues for reassessing effect size scales specifically for hypertrophy-related outcomes.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols
