The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Body Composition and Bone Health in the Elderly

Introduction: Ageing is associated with body composition changes, including decreases in muscle mass and bone content and increases in fat mass. Creatine supplementation is associated with increases in lean Tissue mass in athletes, leading to increased strength and power. There has been recent interest in if creatine supplementation may have similar effects in older individuals, to offset the changes seen in body composition and increase quality of life. Aims: This review assesses the current literature on whether creatine supplementation in the presence or absence of resistance training improves body composition and bone health in older adults. Results: In terms of resistance training and creatine supplementation in Combination, there is evidence for increased lean body mass following long-term investigations, above that of resistance training with placebo. Studies without resistance training mostly use acute strategies of creatine supplementation and have produced conflicting reports on lean body mass. Body fat percentage does not seem to be altered by either resistance training or creatine supplementation. The literature on creatine supplementation’s effect on bone health is also inconclusive, with some reports showing significant increases in bone mineral density, whereas several others show no effect. Conclusions: Creatine supplementation in the elderly may lead to increased lean body mass, and increased bone strength; however these results are far from conclusive. Dosing and timing supplementation protocols between studies may be responsible for the different results and future studies should concentrate on determining if acute or chronic creatine supplementation has a more beneficial effect on body composition in the elderly.