Athletes Who Consume Creatine Have a Greater Muscle Mass and Sports Performance: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Creatine monohydrate supplementation is used in numerous sports to enhance an athlete’s performance by improving lean muscle mass. Athletes and men and women, who participate in recreational sports, take creatine before, during, or after training whether they are in the weight room or on the field/court. Creatine can also improve muscle recovery from intense exercise. This systematic review aims to assess the effects of creatine supplementation on an athlete’s muscle mass growth. A literature search was conducted utilizing two databases which included PubMed and Sports Discus. The databases discovered randomized controlled trials published between 2014 to 2024, using combinations of the search terms: “athletes,” “sports,” “athletics,” AND “creatine,” AND “muscle mass,” “hypertrophy,” AND “sports performance.” Reference lists of appropriate studies were manually searched for additional articles. The thirty-three studies offer support for the usage of creatine to improve lean muscle mass and sports performance. The results of this systematic review indicated muscle mass in athletes can increase significantly by creatine supplementation.