Study
Creatine supplementation modifies fat deposition in arm and leg tissues in individuals with Down syndrome.
In 50 people with Down syndrome, 6 months of creatine reduced regional arm and leg fat but not total fat or lean mass.
Summary Can creatine change body fat in people with Down syndrome? Show / hide ↓
Researchers gave 50 people with Down syndrome either creatine or a look-alike sugar pill for six months. They used DXA, a scan that measures fat and muscle, before and after treatment. Creatine reduced the percentage of fat in the arms and legs compared with the sugar pill, especially among females. It did not clearly reduce total body fat or increase lean mass, meaning muscle and other non-fat tissue. Blood tests found no kidney or liver problems during the study.
What this means for you: This small study does not show that creatine builds muscle or reduces overall body fat. People should not buy creatine for these purposes based on this result alone, especially since the finding needs confirmation and applies specifically to people with Down syndrome.
early evidenceThis double-blind trial enrolled 50 people with Down syndrome and compared oral creatine with dextrose placebo. Creatine was given at 20 g/day for 5 days, then 5 g/day for 6 months. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured body composition, while renal and hepatic laboratory markers were checked at baseline and six months.
After 6 months, the creatine group had a significant reduction in fat percentage in the arms and legs relative to placebo. The abstract says this pattern was particularly apparent among females. It did not report a significant change in total body fat or lean mass. Renal and hepatic biomarkers showed no adverse effects during the study.
This is a body-composition study in a clinical population with Down syndrome, not evidence that creatine changes ageing or longevity. The result is limited to regional adiposity measured by DXA. It does not show a gain in lean mass, and the abstract provides neither effect sizes nor p-values for the regional-fat finding. The authors recommend further work combining supplementation with exercise.
Creatine was safe during the study and promoted a selective reduction in regional adiposity in people with Down syndrome.
The 50 participants had Down syndrome, so the findings do not directly generalise to healthy adults. The reported benefit was regional fat percentage, while total fat and lean mass did not change over 6 months.
Cited by
1 encyclopedia entries reference this study.