Creatine supplementation improves muscle strength and function, potentially averting functional disability in older adults.
Older adults often experience acquired functional disability – a newfound inability to carry out tasks necessary for independent living. This disability often arises due to the skeletal muscle wasting that can occur with acute periods of disuse, such as during hospitalization or illness. A recent systematic review found that creatine supplementation improved physical function in older adults at risk for acquired functional disability.
Researchers analyzed the findings of randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of creatine supplementation on physical function in older adults. Their analysis included 33 trials and more than 1,000 participants, about half of whom had a chronic disease.
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They found that creatine supplementation improved participants' handgrip strength, lean tissue mass, and upper-body muscle strength with few adverse effects. About two-thirds of the studies practiced creatine loading, with a daily maintenance dose ranging from 0.07 to 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight. The most common dose was 5 grams daily. The investigators deemed the quality of evidence as “low” or “very low” due to study heterogeneity.
These findings suggest that creatine supplementation prevents acquired functional disability in older adults. A possible contributor to acquired functional disability is catabolic crisis, a phenomenon defined by periods of accelerated declines in muscle mass and functional capacity. Catabolic crisis can occur at any age but is more common among older adults, for whom injuries, surgeries, or prolonged illnesses dictate long and sometimes frequent periods of physical inactivity or immobilization. These cumulative insults drive older adults toward a disability threshold from which they might not recover. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may reduce the risk of catabolic crisis. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Chris McGlory.