Creatine Alone Not Enough for Muscle Gain, Resistance Training Key, Study Suggests

Creatine may boost performance-but its real power depends on how you train.

A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition reveals that the benefits of creatine supplementation are strongly influenced by training context, particularly resistance training. Researchers analyzed 39 randomized controlled trials involving healthy men aged 18 to 30 to understand how creatine affects strength, anaerobic performance, and body composition.

Creatine is widely known for enhancing the phosphocreatine system, which helps rapidly regenerate ATP—the body’s primary energy source during short, high-intensity activities. This makes it a popular supplement among athletes and gym-goers aiming to improve performance.

The study found that creatine significantly improved squat strength (1RM) and anaerobic power, including peak and mean performance in Wingate cycling tests. These benefits were observed across both resistance-trained (RT) and non-resistance-trained (non-RT) individuals, suggesting that creatine can enhance explosive performance regardless of training background.

However, when it came to body composition, the effects were more selective. Increases in lean body mass (1.61 kg) and fat-free mass (2.32 kg) were seen only in participants engaged in resistance training. This supports the idea that creatine works best as a “training amplifier,” enhancing the adaptations triggered by structured strength training rather than independently building muscle.

Interestingly, improvements in jump performance were modest and inconsistent, becoming significant mainly in longer studies (eight weeks or more) and among competitive athletes. No meaningful differences were found between daily and non-daily supplementation strategies.

The findings also highlight variability across studies due to differences in training protocols, participant fitness levels, and supplementation methods. Importantly, some of the early gains in lean mass may reflect increased water retention in muscles rather than true muscle growth.

Overall, the research underscores a key takeaway: while creatine can enhance strength and power broadly, pairing it with resistance training is essential for meaningful muscle gains.

REFERENCE: Gu, J. et al. (2026). Creatine supplementation in young men under resistance versus non-resistance training: A systematic review and meta-analysis of strength, performance, and lean mass. Frontiers in Nutrition. 13, 1800546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1800546. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1800546/full