As folks age, they usually lose muscle and bone power, which makes them weaker and extra more likely to fall or break a bone. This situation, known as osteosarcopenia, can result in frailty, fractures, and even early demise.
It is outlined as an age-related situation characterised by concurrent reductions in bone mineral and structure, muscle mass (amount and high quality), power, and purposeful potential(1).
The situation is multifactorial, with contributing elements together with genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, impaired protein homeostasis and autophagy, lowered nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, mobile senescence, stem cell exhaustion, elevated oxidative stress, irritation, adiposity, and intestine dysbiosis(2).
Globally, the prevalence of osteosarcopenia in older adults is estimated at 18.5%.
People with osteosarcopenia face a considerably greater danger of hostile outcomes, together with falls, fractures, frailty and untimely mortality(1).
Malnutrition is recognized as a big predictor of osteosarcopenia. Present dietary interventions for osteosarcopenia are restricted, highlighting the necessity for additional cost-effective methods. Ample protein consumption, vitamin D and calcium are effectively tolerated and look like efficient at mitigating some features of osteosarcopenia; nevertheless additional cost-effective methods are warranted(3).
Creatine monohydrate supplementation is proposed as a possible dietary technique for managing osteosarcopenia.
Creatine Supplementation and Muscle Well being in Older Adults
Creatine is synthesized endogenously and may also be obtained by weight loss plan (animal merchandise) or supplementation. Upon ingestion, creatine is absorbed and transported into skeletal muscle, the place it’s phosphorylated to phosphocreatine.
Creatine and phosphocreatine are essential for sustaining mobile power stability, significantly throughout high-intensity actions(4).
Increased intramuscular creatine ranges are related to a lowered danger of decrease power in older adults. Creatine monohydrate supplementation, particularly when mixed with resistance coaching, has been proven to extend whole creatine shops in muscular tissues, probably enabling more practical train and resulting in enhancements in physique composition and efficiency.
Supplementation of creatine monohydrate throughout resistance coaching will increase whole creatine content material by 27% and improves whole-body lean tissue mass and muscle power in comparison with placebo in older adults.
Meta-analyses and evaluations as much as 2023 point out that creatine monohydrate mixed with train coaching gives muscle advantages for older adults.
Advantages embody:
- Vital will increase in whole-body lean tissue mass
- Enhancements in lower-leg muscle density
- Enhancements in muscle power, significantly upper-body power
Latest randomized managed trials additional help these findings, displaying that
creatine monohydrate with train can enhance lean tissue mass and gait velocity in older ladies, and power throughout varied workout routines in older adults.
Potential mechanisms for these muscle advantages embody influencing mobile hydration, gene expression, development elements (IGF-I, myostatin), myogenic transcription elements, satellite tv for pc cell exercise, protein synthesis pathways, irritation, and oxidative stress.
Determine: Purported mechanisms outlining how creatine mixed with resistance coaching can mitigate bone and muscle loss in older adults (tailored from Candow et al 2025(5))
Nonetheless, these mechanisms want additional validation in older adults. Creatine monohydrate supplementation mixed with resistance coaching has additionally proven potential in lowering physique fats share(6).
Creatine Supplementation and Bone Well being in Older Adults
Creatine can affect bone tissue, as osteoblast cells depend on the creatine kinase response for ATP manufacturing. In vitro (exterior the physique) research counsel creatine can improve osteoblast metabolic exercise and differentiation, probably stimulating osteoprotegerin manufacturing, which inhibits bone resorption.
Not directly, elevated muscle mass from
creatine could exert mechanical forces on bone, selling bone formation.
Analysis on the efficacy of creatine monohydrate on bone measures is blended.
Some particular person research have proven that creatine monohydrate with supervised resistance coaching can improve upper-limb bone mineral content material, lower-limb bone space, and femoral shaft subperiosteal width, in addition to attenuate hip bone mineral density loss and cut back bone resorption in older adults.
A protracted-term research (2 years) confirmed that creatine monohydrate with train preserved geometric properties of the femur (part modulus, bone buckling ratio, cortical thickness, subperiosteal width) indicative of fracture safety in older ladies(6).
Nonetheless, this similar research discovered no impact of creatine monohydrate on bone mineral density of the entire physique, hip, backbone, or bone velocity of sound. A current meta-analysis discovered no important advantages of creatine monohydrate and resistance coaching on bone mineral density of the entire physique, femoral neck, or lumbar backbone(7).
Proof means that creatine monohydrate with resistance coaching doesn’t persistently have an effect on measures of bone formation or metabolism. There isn’t any proof that creatine monohydrate alone (with out train) gives bone advantages in older adults(4).
What’s Subsequent?
Present analysis signifies that creatine monohydrate with resisitance coaching reveals promise for enhancing lean mass, regional muscle density, and muscle power in wholesome older adults. The transferability of those muscle advantages to people recognized with sarcopenia wants additional investigation.
Some research counsel that creatine monohydrate with supervised resistance coaching can enhance bone geometry, probably providing fracture safety, however doesn’t seem to extend bone mineral density in wholesome older adults. The consequences of creatine monohydrate in older adults with pre-existing bone situations (osteopenia, osteoporosis) or frailty, and on fracture incidence, are presently unknown.
No research have but investigated the results of creatine monohydrate in older adults particularly recognized with osteosarcopenia.
Given the optimistic findings in wholesome older adults, there’s potential for creatine monohydrate to be a useful adjunct to train coaching within the administration of osteosarcopenia.
Implications
The knowledge means that creatine supplementation, significantly
when mixed with resistance train, holds promise for enhancing muscle well being in older adults, which could possibly be useful within the context of osteosarcopenia. Whereas some proof signifies potential optimistic results on bone geometry and fracture danger, the affect on bone mineral density is much less clear.
Additional analysis, particularly specializing in people with osteosarcopenia is essential to find out the medical utility of creatine in managing this complicated situation.
Your physique is both getting stronger—or it’s breaking down. If you happen to’re critical about muscle, power, and efficiency, creatine isn’t non-compulsory. It’s important.
ATP-Fusion is creatine monohydrate enhanced with a performance-focused dose of sodium and potassium, with the intention to higher support with creatine absorption and utilization inside the physique. Trusted by elite athletes to gasoline explosive energy, sooner restoration, and long-term muscle well being, it may be used any time of day, together with pre or post-workout.
Elevated power. Extra endurance.
References:
1. Chen S, Xu X, Gong H, et al: World epidemiological options and affect of osteosarcopenia: A complete meta-analysis and systematic evaluate. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 15:8-20, 2024
2. Franulic F, Salech F, Rivas D, et al: Deciphering Osteosarcopenia by the hallmarks of getting old. Mech Ageing Dev 222:111997, 2024
3. Kirk B, Prokopidis Okay, Duque G: Vitamins to mitigate osteosarcopenia: the function of protein, vitamin D and calcium. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 24:25-32, 2021
4. Candow DG, Moriarty T: Results of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Muscle, Bone and Mind- Hope or Hype for Older Adults? Curr Osteoporos Rep 23:1, 2024
5. Candow DG, Kirk B, Chilibeck PD, et al: The potential of creatine monohydrate supplementation within the administration of osteosarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2025
6. Chilibeck PD, Candow DG, Gordon JJ, et al: A 2-yr Randomized Managed Trial on Creatine Supplementation throughout Train for Postmenopausal Bone Well being. Med Sci Sports activities Exerc 55:1750-1760, 2023
7. Hong M, Wang J, Jin L, et al: The affect of creatine ranges on musculoskeletal well being within the aged: a mendelian randomization evaluation. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 25:1004, 2024
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