New Study Shows How Creatine Impacts Squats, Chess Presses & Jumps

Are you ready to consistently pick up heavier weights at the gym? In addition to actually starting to pick up heavier weights (this is called progressive overload) for certain sets or on days you feel great, you can also support your strength outside the gym with creatine supplements. 

Now, hundreds of studies have been conducted on creatine’s safety profile and benefits. There’s so much data on the supplement that researchers are pooling the data to look at more nuanced effects of the supplement. 

Researchers wanted to see how creatine supplementation affects different types of strength and power, and whether it helps more with upper body exercises (like the bench press) or lower body exercises (like squats, leg press, vertical jump). 

Over the years, many trials and reviews have shown that creatine can improve strength and power.* But the research has been somewhat fragmented: different studies use different measures, populations, and dosing strategies, making it hard to get a clear, big-picture view.

And that’s exactly what this study aimed to do. 

Researchers analyzed and pooled data from 69 randomized controlled trials (almost 2,000 people total) that tested creatine, with or without exercise, measuring strength and power in these common exercises. And they also looked at whether age, sex, or other factors change the effects.

Further analysis of the 2,000 participants from these 69 studies revealed that people under 50 saw more significant changes than folks over 50, and men saw more significant changes than women. Why is this the case? 

Much of the sports performance research to date has been conducted in younger, male athletes, meaning women and older adults are chronically underrepresented. This makes it hard to know the true scope of benefits for these groups, especially since many of the trials weren’t designed around women’s hormonal cycles or included a less intense exercise program. 

But here’s the key: creatine may actually be even more impactful for women and older adults. 

Women tend to have lower baseline creatine levels, so supplementation could help close that gap.

And for older adults, creatine offers meaningful support for maintaining muscle mass and strength. A review article published in 2024 that specifically looked at creatine and strength training benefits in adults over 50 did found creatine supplements improved lean muscle mass, cognitive function, and bone geometry.* 

The 69 studies in this analysis included a wide range of dosing strategies, but the most common and effective approach remains simple: 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day. (Although other studies have shown that taking around 10 grams a day better supports cognition).*

You can take creatine anytime of day, it’s just important to take it daily (even on rest days!). 

There are so many creatine supplements to choose from, but a great place to start is with mindbodygreen’s creatine with taurine+. Each serving provides 5 grams of creatine monohydrate with 2 grams of the amino acid taurine to further support performance, recovery, and overall heart health.* 

Creatine is one of the most effective supplements for boosting strength and power, especially when combined with resistance training.* Up until the last 5 to 10 years, the majority of studies on creatine have been conducted in healthy young men, so it’s no surprise that this analysis showed it was that group who benefited the most.