A 64-person trial found creatine helped middle-aged adults' muscle and memory, even without exercise. The researchers call it exploratory.

Here's a study worth reading carefully, because the headlines are bigger than the study. Women's Health reports on a small randomized clinical trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Researchers recruited 64 adults ages 45 to 65 and split them into four groups. Two groups took 10 grams of creatine monohydrate a day and two took a placebo, and participants chose whether to join a supervised program of resistance and aerobic training three times a week plus a diet cutting 300 to 500 calories a day. Everyone had body measurements, blood tests and cognitive assessments at the start, at six weeks and at 12 weeks. People who took creatine without the diet and exercise program still gained lean tissue mass, strength and muscular endurance, and showed better cognitive function and memory. Those who took creatine and followed the program also lowered their body fat percentage. The authors concluded creatine "may help middle-aged and older adults maintain muscle mass and strength while favorably affecting selected markers of health and cognitive function." Now the caveats. Sixty-four people split four ways is small, and the researchers themselves call the findings "exploratory." Co-author Richard Kreider of Texas A&M has previously conducted sponsored research on creatine and sits on the board of the company that provided the creatine used; the other co-authors reported no conflicts. Shane Davis, a sports medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center, called the no-exercise result "potentially new information," noting that providers have generally believed creatine mostly helps when combined with exercise. He also pointed out, "Those who did combine [creatine] with exercise did see more substantial improvements than those who did not." So the gym still matters. If you're curious about creatine, talk with your doctor before starting any supplement, and remember that a scoop of powder can't do your pushups for you.