September 30, 2026
Gupta Sahil/Pexels
Creatine supplements are not regulated by the FDA, but generally taking 3 to 5 grams a day is safe to help build muscle strength, experts say.
After sprinters and other gold medalists revealed that they used creatine to enhance their performance at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, the supplement's popularity surged among athletes and body builders. Creatine supplement sales rose from about $50 million in the mid-1990s to about $400 million by the early 2000s.
Nowadays, creatine is touted by influencers as an everyman's supplement, good for regular people who want to build strength and muscle power and improve muscle recovery.
A growing body of research suggests creatine may help older adults maintain muscle mass during a stage of life when it tends to go into decline. Creatine may even help build lean muscle and strength in people who do not exercise, a small, new study suggests.
The research, conducted over a 12-week period, involved 64 healthy adults ages 45 to 65. Some of the participants took part in a structured exercise and diet program for weight loss, and others opted out of the exercise program. Within those groups, people were randomly assigned to take 10 grams of creatine monohydrate or a placebo each day.
People who were not in the exercise group but who were taking creatine gained about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue over the course of the study. People in that group also saw improvements in leg and bench press ability, even without working out.
People in the exercise program, which included a modest calorie-reduction diet, took part in resistance training and aerobic workouts three times a week. People in that group who also took creatine added about 3 pounds of lean tissue and lost body fat over the 12 weeks.
They also had even greater gains in leg and bench press ability than people who took creatine but did not exercise. Additionally, the group that took creatine combined with exercise were able to extend how long they could resistance train before having to stop due to fatigue, which is called time to exhaustion.
Creatine did not seem to benefit people's aerobic performance.
Creatine is a natural source of energy that fuels muscles, especially during exercise. The liver, kidneys and pancreas produce creatine and send it to the body's muscles, as well as to the heart and brain.
The body is able to produce about half of its creatine needs.
Red meat, fish and animal milk all contain creatine, but many people do not get a sufficient amount through their diets, the Cleveland Clinic says.
People looking to increase their creatine intake may take it as a supplement in the form of powder, capsules or tablets. Creatine is also available as a supplement in other products, such as energy bars and drinks.
As with many other supplements, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate creatine supplements, meaning that these products have not been tested by the federal agency before coming to market. Because of this, the amount of creatine may vary from product to product, and there's no guarantee that the creatine contents are consistent with what is listed on labels. Also, without FDA regulation, creatine supplements may have other ingredients that could be harmful.
But, according to Harvard Health, it is generally safe for adults to take 3 to 5 grams of creatine a day.
People who are breastfeeding or who have diabetes or kidney or liver disease are advised to consult a healthcare provider before taking creatine supplements. Creatine may increase the risk of mania in people with bipolar disorder, the Cleveland Clinic says.
