Creatine enhances strength in elderly

Lower muscle mass and an increase in body fat are common consequences of growing older. While exercise is a proven way to prevent the loss of muscle mass, a new study led by McMaster University, Canada, professsor of pediatrics and medicine Mark Tarnopolsky shows that taking a combination of creatine monohydrate (CrM) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in addition to resistance exercise training provides even greater benefits.

The study to be published on October 3 in PLoS One, an international, peer-reviewed on-line journal of the Public Library of Science, involved 19 men and 20 women who were 65 years or older and took part in a six-month program of regular resistance exercise training.

In the randomized, double-blind trial, some of the participants were given a daily supplement of creatine (a naturally-produced compound that supplies energy to muscles) and linoleic acid (a naturally-occurring fatty acid), while others were given a placebo. All subjects took part in the same exercise program.