Studies
Explore research connecting ingredients and health goals.
11 ingredient–goal connections
Weight GainandCreatine
87published studies
The available research supports creatine, particularly creatine monohydrate, for increasing lean body mass alongside resistance training. Pooled trials in younger and older adults generally show added gains compared with training alone. Direct muscle measurements also suggest a benefit, although the extra muscle growth is smaller than changes in total lean mass might imply.
A rise on the scale does not necessarily represent new muscle tissue. Creatine can alter body water, and early changes in measured lean mass can reflect that shift. Training-associated gains provide a different kind of evidence from an initial increase after starting supplementation, and the overall findings do not suggest that increased body fat is the usual source of weight gain.
Responses vary. Some controlled trials find no additional weight or lean-mass benefit, and pooled results are less convincing without resistance training or in certain female and cancer populations. Creatine therefore has a supported role in gaining lean mass with strength training, but it is not a dependable way for every person to gain weight regardless of activity or health status.
87 linked studies · 23 sampled for detail · Sep 27, 2026
Study types
- Randomized trial58
- Meta-analysis12
- Narrative review10
- Clinical trial3
- Systematic review3
- Non-randomized trial1
Published by year
- 41Earlier
- 12010
- 32011
- 12012
- 12013
- 42014
- 12015
- 22016
- 02017
- 22018
- 02019
- 12020
- 32021
- 52022
- 32023
- 52024
- 62025
- 82026
Findings over time
Numbers above bars show study counts. Earlier groups years before 2010.
20268 studies
- Supportive5(62.5%)
- Mixed2(25%)
- No effect1(12.5%)
- Adverse0(0%)
- Unclassified0(0%)
Population over time
Reported participants by publication year. Select a year to see the total and reporting coverage.
— Participant count not reported. Earlier groups years before 2010.
20261,331 reported participants
Counts reported by 6 of 8 studies. 2 without a reported count.
Totals sum reported counts across studies and reviews; participants may overlap between sources.
Showing 5 top-ranked studies for Creatine and Weight Gain.
Top studies
Creatine · Weight GainHighest ranked first- Short-Term Creatine Supplementation and Repeated Sprint Ability-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.SupportiveView source for Short-Term Creatine Supplementation and Repeated Sprint Ability-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (opens in a new tab)
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism
Finding Relative to placebo, short-term creatine increased body mass by 0.79 kg and mean power output during repeated sprint tests.
- Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition.SupportiveView source for Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition. (opens in a new tab)
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
Finding Creatine-group body mass increased significantly from 86.7 kg to 88.7 kg over the training period.
- Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults.SupportiveView source for Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults. (opens in a new tab)
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Finding Lean tissue mass increased over time in the trial.
- Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis.SupportiveView source for Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. (opens in a new tab)
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism
Finding Small but statistically significant effect sizes were reported for body composition and ATP-PCr, glycolytic and oxidative tasks, with the stated sample counts and estimates.
- Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults-a meta-analysis.SupportiveView source for Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults-a meta-analysis. (opens in a new tab)
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
Finding Adding creatine to resistance training increased total body mass and fat-free mass versus resistance training alone, with no effect on fat mass.
Counts reflect published studies in our database, not the strength of a benefit. A study may appear in more than one connection.