Creatine 5g helps older women

A new review is adding to the evidence that creatine is not just a gym supplement for young men. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis found that creatine monohydrate helped postmenopausal women preserve lean body mass, with the strongest signal in studies using at least 5 grams per day. The analysis pooled randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving more than 600 participants, according to the paper and a May 20 report by SupplySide Supplement Journal. The authors said the benefit was modest, and they tied the clearest gains to creatine used with resistance training. ### What did the review actually find? The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition published the review article, titled “Creatine monohydrate for lean mass, strength, and bone density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The authors said they examined randomized, placebo-controlled trials comparing creatine with placebo in postmenopausal women, with outcomes including lean body mass, muscle strength, bone health, physical function and safety. (supplysidesj.com) The review concluded that creatine, “particularly” at doses of 5 grams per day or more and used with resistance training, produced small but meaningful gains in lean mass and strength in postmenopausal women. The paper said effects on bone density were unclear, and it reported no evidence of harm in the studies analyzed. ### Why does the 5-gram dose keep showing up? The 5-gram figure comes from subgroup analyses in the meta-analysis and from the way creatine is commonly studied in exercise nutrition. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) SupplySide Supplement Journal reported on May 20 that the age-specific analysis pointed to 5 grams daily of creatine monohydrate as the dose associated with preserving muscle in postmenopausal women. The paper itself was more specific about context than many social-media summaries. The authors said the clearest benefits appeared when creatine was paired with resistance training, which means the finding was not simply that any postmenopausal woman taking creatine alone would necessarily gain muscle. ### Does this mean creatine is proven for bone health too? The review did not make that claim. (supplysidesj.com) The authors said bone-density effects remained unclear after pooling the available trials. That matters because creatine is often discussed more broadly in menopause-related wellness coverage. A University of Colorado Anschutz article published in 2025 said creatine may help women build and preserve muscle as they age, but it also quoted researcher Abbie Smith-Ryan saying people cannot expect the supplement alone to do the work without training. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) ### How big was the evidence base? The meta-analysis covered more than 600 subjects across randomized trials, according to both the journal abstract and the SupplySide report. The authors searched major databases through August 2025 and assessed trial quality, reporting that most studies carried “some concerns” for risk of bias, while one large preregistered double-blind trial was rated low risk. (news.cuanschutz.edu) That makes this a stronger signal than a single small study, but still not the last word. The review was not prospectively registered, according to the abstract, and the authors said more work is needed on bone outcomes, function and longer-term use. That is an inference from the limits they described in the paper. ### What should readers watch next? The next place to look is the full paper in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which sets out the subgroup analyses, dosing details and outcome measures. (supplysidesj.com) Future randomized trials in postmenopausal women will determine whether the lean-mass signal holds up across longer follow-up periods, different training programs and bone-health endpoints. (tandfonline.com) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)