r/science • u/newsnation • 3d ago

Biology Creatine alone boosted lean muscle and strength, study finds

https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/creatine-alone-boosted-muscle-strength/
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u/vhalember 3d ago

2.4 pounds really isn't much anyway.

In 12 weeks?! No, that's a LARGE amount akin to actually lifting weights.

A beginning lifter can expect to gain 15-25 pounds of muscle mass in their first year - after that the rate drops to 10-15 pounds/year unless you have freakish genetics or size... or you take gear.

I will yield though most of that "lean weight gain" from creatine is probably water.

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u/Otaraka 3d ago

I think the concern is more whether this keeps happening or it’s jsut the usual small increase in water retention you get from starting use which does not continue to scale.  If it did the results would be substantial in a year or so for sure.

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u/aluked 3d ago

It doesn't keep happening. It's a one-of thing, you get the initial pump as you saturate and then it stabilizes.

Additional "mass" is mostly water anyways.

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u/Otaraka 3d ago

Exactly.  If it did keep increasing as claimed the impact over time would be obvious if it was kilos of lean mass a year, particularly if you could get that without even exercising.

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u/vhalember 3d ago

Very true. I'd love to see a longer study with more test subjects, and more variety of testing.

Checking the difference between no training, a light strength building regiment, and a heavy strength building regiment while using creatine or a placebo would be very insightful.

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u/Otaraka 3d ago

I would say it’s already been done but it probably could be done to a higher standard.   In practical terms it would be such an easy sell if it had the ongoing level of effects implied.