UNSW: low‑dose creatine flop
A UNSW study shared on social suggests 5 g/day of creatine produced little effect on muscle growth in that trial — the finding is sparking debate about dosing during intense blocks (x.com). Lifters on social counter with anecdotal wins using creatine in heavier training phases, so coaches are weighing protocol, not just a binary verdict (x.com).
The paper appears in Nutrients on 19 March 2025 and lists Imtiaz Desai as first author with Amanda D. Hagstrom among the senior authors (DOI 10.3390/nu17061081). (mdpi.com) The trial initially randomized 63 adults (34 female, 29 male; mean age 31 ± 8 years) and used dual‑energy X‑ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to measure lean body mass. (mdpi.com) Researchers implemented a 7‑day supplement “wash‑in” followed by a 12‑week supervised resistance‑training program, and reported that both arms gained about 2.0 kg of lean mass after the training phase with no between‑group difference (p = 0.71). (mdpi.com) (unsw.edu.au) After the 7‑day wash‑in the supplemented group showed a small average lean‑mass increase of 0.51 ± 1.79 kg versus controls (p = 0.03), and a sex‑specific analysis showed a 0.59 ± 1.61 kg lead for females in the supplement arm (p = 0.04). (mdpi.com) The authors say the early gain likely reflects short‑term fluid changes rather than true hypertrophy and recommend future trials measure body water, track menstrual cycle effects, assess creatine absorption and run larger/longer protocols. (mdpi.com) (rpassistants.com.au) The paper concludes that a maintenance dose higher than the standard recommendation may be necessary to augment lean‑mass growth and the team calls for dose‑comparison studies — some coverage has suggested future work might test higher maintenance levels (around 10 g/day) as a next step. (mdpi.com) (technologynetworks.com)
