Effects of different creatine monohydrate supplementation strategies and resistance-band training in untrained healthy adults (≥ 50 years of age)

The age-related reduction in lean mass, strength and functional ability is a global health concern. As a possible countermeasure, there is accumulating evidence that the combination of resistance training and creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) can improve lean mass, strength and functional ability in older adult populations. However, the effects of different low-dose CrM strategies are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different dosages of CrM (5 grams vs. 3 grams) and high-repetition resistance-band training on measures of body composition, muscle performance and functional ability in untrained healthy adults (≥ 50 years of age). Participants were randomized to one of three groups: Creatine-5 (n = 13; 5 grams of creatine monohydrate + 3 grams of placebo [corn-starch maltodextrin] in the morning), Creatine-3 (n = 13; 3 grams of creatine monohydrate + 5 grams of placebo in the morning) and Placebo (n = 13; 8 grams of placebo in the morning). Supplementation occurred daily during 16 weeks of high-repetition resistance-band training. Those supplementing with 5 grams of CrM / day experienced a greater increase in skeletal muscle mass index (p < 0.001) and lower-body lean mass (p < 0.05) compared to the other groups. The daily ingestion of 3 grams of CrM resulted in a greater relative (%) increase in chest press strength (p = 0.013) compared to placebo and a decrease in total subcutaneous fat (p = 0.031) compared to the daily ingestion of 5 grams of CrM. CrM, independent of dosage, resulted in greater chest press strength over time compared to placebo (p = 0.026). When combined with 16 weeks of high-repetition resistance-band training, 3 and 5 grams of CrM/day improves some measures of body composition and strength in untrained healthy adults (≥ 50 years of age). These results may have application for the design of effective interventions in the treatment of age-related sarcopenia.