Creatine Cuts Body Fat in Weight Loss, a Study First

A Texas A&M 12-week trial reports creatine helped middle-aged adults lose fat and gain lean tissue during dieting, a first, researchers say.

Researchers at Texas A&M University's Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab ran a 12-week randomized trial of 64 healthy adults ages 45 to 65, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Participants first chose whether to join a structured exercise-and-diet weight-loss program or a non-exercise group, then were randomly assigned to take either 10 grams of creatine monohydrate daily, split into two 5-gram doses, or a placebo. The study was led by Dr. Richard Kreider, who has studied creatine for more than three decades.

The striking result is what happened under dieting. Participants in the exercise group followed a modest calorie deficit, and after 12 weeks those taking creatine had added nearly three pounds of lean tissue while also losing fat mass, whereas placebo participants on the same program showed little change in lean tissue. According to the researchers, this is the first study to show that adding creatine to an exercise and diet-induced weight-loss program can reduce body fat percentage more than exercise and diet alone.

Even without exercise, creatine takers gained roughly 2.4 pounds of lean tissue and increased their leg press and bench press strength over the 12 weeks. In the exercise group, which performed resistance and aerobic training three times per week, creatine produced greater gains in leg press and bench press strength and time to exhaustion, though it did not improve aerobic capacity beyond exercise alone. Fox News Digital also reports the 10-gram dose supported improvements in select tests of memory and cognitive processing.

Adults naturally lose muscle mass and strength with age, a condition known as sarcopenia, and dieting can accelerate that loss. The findings suggest creatine helped counter that effect while people lost weight, protecting lean tissue rather than merely adding water weight. New York fitness coach Jacob Zemer, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that building lean mass even without exercise is 'remarkable' and that creatine's benefits extend far beyond athletes and bodybuilders.

The authors noted limitations: participants self-selected into the exercise or non-exercise groups before randomization, which could have introduced lifestyle differences, and the 12-week study included only healthy adults, leaving long-term effects and relevance to serious metabolic or neurological conditions unknown. On safety, ScienceDaily reports a 2025 analysis by Kreider and colleagues of 685 clinical trials found no significant difference in side-effect rates versus placebo, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements considers creatine generally safe for healthy adults, with possible bloating or water retention.

Experts emphasize creatine supplements rather than replaces exercise. Fox News Digital quotes Zemer: 'The benefits of exercise will always supersede those of creatine alone, and when the two are combined, they are both enhanced.' He recommends consulting a healthcare professional, choosing a reputable brand, staying hydrated, and taking it consistently, noting typical minimums of 3 grams daily for women and 5 grams for men versus the study's higher dose. ScienceDaily notes diet alone rarely delivers 10 grams daily, and the study was funded by the WoodNext Foundation.