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The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Upper- and Lower-Body Strength and Power: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic review and meta-analysis (69 RCTs, n=1,937 adults) through September 2024: creatine plus resistance training vs placebo showed small but significant weighted mean improvements in bench/chest press (+1.43 kg), squat (+5.64 kg), vertical jump (+1.48 cm), and Wingate peak power (+47.81 W); pooled handgrip and leg press did not differ significantly; subgroup analyses reported clearer strength signals in younger adults and males—authors call for better-powered trials in women and older cohorts.
Design
- Databases / date: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science through 21 Sep 2024
- Included: RCTs in adults reporting creatine effects on strength (bench/chest press, leg press, squat, handgrip) and power (upper/lower-body jump and Wingate metrics), with exercise or no-exercise arms per inclusion rules
- Model: random-effects weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% CI; subgroup splits for age, sex, training status, dose, duration, training frequency
- Corpus: 69 studies, 1,937 participants (abstract-reported)
Pooled creatine + RT vs placebo (primary abstract narrative)
| Endpoint | WMD | p-value (abstract) |
|---|---|---|
| Bench / chest press | +1.43 kg | 0.002 |
| Squat | +5.64 kg | 0.001 |
| Vertical jump | +1.48 cm | 0.01 |
| Wingate peak power | +47.81 W | 0.004 |
| Handgrip | +4.26 kg | 0.10 (NS) |
| Leg press | +3.129 kg | 0.11 (NS) |
Subgroup snapshots (abstract)
- Age: significant bench/chest, leg press, and squat WMDs in younger adults; not in older adults for the same comparisons in this framing.
- Sex: significant leg press, squat, vertical jump, and Wingate signals in males; not observed in females in several outcomes—interpret as literature gap + possible power / program heterogeneity, not proof women cannot respond.
How to use next to Desai et al. 2024 (PMID 39074168)
Desai centers lean mass / fat mass / %BF with RT in adults <50 y; this row centers strength and power test deltas across a wider trial mix—both are needed for a complete training-oriented evidence map.
Evidence hygiene
- Effect sizes are small in absolute kg/cm/W units—contextualize against baseline strength and testing standardization.
- COI: abstract lists Forbes with prior creatine advisory / donation / ISSN roles and other author industry ties—read full COI block before citing in guidelines.
- Nutrients (MDPI) journal context: pair with ISSN and independent trial-level reading as usual.
Outcomes
- Performance ImprovementCreatine + resistance training vs placebo: bench/chest press strength WMD +1.43 kg (p = 0.002) and squat strength WMD +5.64 kg (p = 0.001) across 69 studies (n = 1,937) in random-effects meta-analysis.
- Performance ImprovementMuscular power: vertical jump WMD +1.48 cm (p = 0.01); Wingate peak power WMD +47.81 W (p = 0.004) vs placebo when combined with training.
- Effect Size (Cohen's d / SMD)No significant pooled differences vs placebo for handgrip strength (WMD +4.26 kg, p = 0.10) or leg press (WMD +3.129 kg, p = 0.11)—authors discuss test sensitivity and protocol heterogeneity.
- Effect Size (Cohen's d / SMD)Subgroup analyses (abstract): younger adults showed significant pooled gains on bench/chest, leg press, and squat versus older adults; males showed significant gains on leg press, squat, vertical jump, and Wingate versus non-significant patterns in females—calls for more powered trials in underrepresented groups.