Buzzy supplements ebb and flow with the trends, but creatine seems to have taken up residency in the spotlight. Widely recognized for its performance benefits like improved strength and increased muscle mass gains, creatine has been getting more attention lately for its other benefits—from brain health to healthy aging, and now bone health, too.
Whether you’re a pro athlete or an older adult, creatine’s ability to support strong bones in addition to strong muscles is a perk that should definitely be on your radar. But how exactly does creatine affect bone durability? Allow the experts to break it all down.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Katherine Maslen, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor, nutritionist, and founder of The Shift Clinic. Shivani Amin, M.D., is a functional medicine physician. Chelsea Stegman, M.S., R.D.N., is a registered dietitian at Nourish.
Creatine 101
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine, according to Katherine Maslen, N.D., a naturopathic doctor, nutritionist, and founder of The Shift Clinic. The kidneys, pancreas, and liver make some of the creatine your body needs (around one to two grams per day), and the compound is also found in red meat and fish, as well as supplements, she says.
The majority of your creatine is stored in your skeletal muscles, as it plays a crucial role in energy production, especially during high-intensity, short-duration exercise like sprinting or weightlifting, according to functional medicine physician Shivani Amin, M.D. “In the body, creatine primarily functions as a rapid energy source and helps replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that provides energy for nearly all cellular processes,” she says. “During intense physical activity, your body quickly depletes ATP stores, but creatine steps in to regenerate ATP, allowing you to maintain energy levels and continue performing at your best.”
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Creatine’s influence doesn’t end there, though. Outside of athletic performance, the compound plays roles in muscle hydration, cell signaling, and muscle growth—functions that collectively support not just your muscles, but potentially other tissues, including your bones.
Research also suggests that creatine supports functional strength and fitness in older adults, supporting them in moving through all sorts of activities of daily living with greater ease and independence. Because of its believed effects on glucose metabolism, creatine may also support healthy blood sugar, especially when combined with exercise. Finally, given that the brain has high ATP needs (after all, it’s working all the time!), creatine has more recently been highlighted as supportive of all sorts of cognitive functions, including focus, memory, and reasoning.
Creatine’s Impact On Bone Health
At a basic level, more creatine equals more available energy, which equals increased muscle performance and, ultimately, strength gains. Since stronger muscles exert more force on bones during physical activity and, in turn, stimulate bone formation, increased strength also indirectly supports bone density, Amin explains.
To break it down a bit more, any activity that puts stress on your bones can result in stronger, denser bones, which is why resistance training is a common tool for improving bone density and preventing osteoporosis as you age, according to Chelsea Stegman, M.S., R.D.N., a registered dietitian at Nourish. Add creatine to the mix and you can increase the amount of stimulation placed on your bones, thus encouraging even more significant healthy bone growth, she says.
A 2020 study, which specifically investigated creatine supplementation in older women, found the compound improves high-intensity exercise performance, aids in recovery, and helps with injury prevention and rehabilitation. “Although the research on creatine’s direct impact on bone health is still emerging, these benefits suggest that creatine could indirectly support bone health by enhancing physical performance and reducing injury risks, which is particularly relevant for older populations who are more prone to bone loss and fractures,” says Amin.
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For the general population, this could imply that creatine might offer supportive benefits for bone health when combined with resistance training and may be a valuable tool in maintaining bone density as you age, Amin adds.
In fact, research from 2023 found that creatine monohydrate supplementation had favorable improvements on aging muscle and bone when combined with resistance training, according to Maslen. Although the supplement did not have a direct effect on bone mineral density, it did improve other measures of bone health (specifically in the femur).
On top of that, creatine can enhance energy production within bone cells, particularly osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are responsible for building new bone tissue. “These cells are crucial for the continuous process of bone remodeling in which old bone is resorbed, and new bone is formed,” Amin explains. “By improving the efficiency of these cells, creatine may promote stronger, denser bones.” Research also supports this, suggesting that creatine supplementation can increase osteoblast activity and reduce bone resorption (loss) when paired with resistance training.
Should You Try Creatine For Bone Health?
Creatine is generally well-tolerated and safe for long-term use, and supplementation may be particularly beneficial for older adults, postmenopausal women, and anyone with concerns about bone density, says Amin. Those on plant-based diets might also find creatine supplements especially useful since they’ll naturally consume less creatine through diet alone, she adds.
Before starting creatine, Amin recommends consulting with your healthcare provider. In particular, those with pre-existing kidney issues should approach creatine with caution since the supplement can overwork the kidneys and possibly worsen kidney dysfunction, she says. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also avoid creatine since its safety hasn’t been thoroughly studied in these populations.
Of course, remember that creatine is not the one-and-only magic solution for strong, healthy bones. “Bone health is multi-layered, and creatine may be part of a wider strategy, but can’t be relied upon on its own,” says Maslen. In addition to creatine, be sure to eat a diet rich in vitamin D (think salmon, mushrooms, eggs, and tuna) and calcium (think yogurt, cheese, beans, and lentils), and incorporate resistance training two to three times a week, she suggests.
How To Take Creatine For Bone Health
Ready to add creatine to your routine in the name of supporting healthy, resilient bones? Keep these quick tips in mind.
Look for Quality
As with all supplements, quality is non-negotiable when it comes to creatine, so it’s imperative to shop from a reputable source. To ensure purity and safety, Stegman recommends looking for a supplement that has been third-party tested. This means an unbiased party has confirmed the product only contains the ingredients and quantities listed on the label.
In terms of the type of creatine you should go for, all three experts suggest powdered creatine monohydrate since it’s the most widely used and researched form for supporting bone health. BodyTech 100% Pure Creatine Monohydrate is a great place to start.
Dose Appropriately
Once you have a top-notch product in hand, Amin says a daily dose of three to five grams of creatine monohydrate is effective for promoting bone health. Just note the most important aspect of creatine supplementation is consistency, so take your supplement every day to fully reap the benefits.
Timing wise, you can take creatine with or without food, but post-exercise is generally best for supporting muscle growth and bone health. Add it to a post-workout smoothie, bowl of oatmeal, or protein shake for easy consumption.