Creatine has moved well beyond the weight room. Once mostly associated with bodybuilders and athletes, the supplement is now often discussed in conversations about aging, brain health, women’s health, energy and inflammation.
A new review suggests one of those claims deserves a closer look. Researchers in Brazil found that creatine does not appear to meaningfully lower common signs of inflammation in the body, based on the clinical trial evidence available so far.
That does not mean creatine is useless. Its benefits for certain types of physical performance are much better established. But the findings are a reminder that one well-supported supplement claim does not automatically make every other claim true.
The study, published in Frontiers in Immunology, reviewed eight human clinical trials that compared creatine with a placebo. The researchers focused on substances in the blood that are often used to track inflammation.
Two of the most common were C-reactive protein, or CRP, and interleukin-6, often shortened to IL-6. Across the studies, creatine did not meaningfully lower either one.
“Many people claim that creatine is anti-inflammatory based on the results of studies done on animals or isolated cells in a lab. The problem is that these basic research findings don’t always translate into clinical effects in humans,” said Vitor Engrácia Valenti, study adviser and group coordinator.
That distinction matters. A supplement can look promising in lab or animal studies without showing the same effect in people.
The review found some hints that context may matter. A few studies involving strenuous endurance events, such as long-distance running or triathlons, reported lower inflammation markers after short-term, high-dose creatine use. But those findings were not consistent across different groups or health conditions.
Studies involving older adults or people with osteoarthritis, for example, did not show clear reductions in inflammation markers after weeks of supplementation. In some cases, improvements in strength or other outcomes appeared more likely to come from exercise itself than from creatine.
The researchers concluded that, based on current human evidence, creatine should not be promoted as a reliable anti-inflammatory supplement. The evidence base is still limited, with only eight trials included in the review and differences in study populations, doses, timing and outcomes.
That leaves room for future research, but it also calls for caution in how the supplement is marketed.
The findings also point to a bigger issue in supplement culture: inflammation has become a broad wellness buzzword. It is often used as shorthand for everything from soreness to chronic disease risk, but inflammation is not always bad.
After exercise, the body produces inflammatory signals that help with muscle repair and adaptation. In that setting, a short-term inflammatory response is part of how the body responds to stress and gets stronger. The question is not whether inflammation exists, but whether a supplement meaningfully changes it in a way that improves health.
Creatine may still be useful for many people. It is best known for supporting short bursts of intense activity, which is why it has been widely studied for strength, power and high-intensity exercise performance.
The review also found creatine was generally well tolerated in the studies analyzed. The researchers did not identify major safety concerns in the included trials, including studies with athletes, healthy adults, older adults and people with osteoarthritis.
Still, that does not mean everyone needs it or that more is better. Supplement decisions can depend on age, activity level, kidney health, medications, diet, training goals and medical history.
The study received financial support from FAPESP, a public research foundation that supports scientific research across fields of knowledge, and the São Paulo Research Foundation. Dr. Vitor E. Valenti also receives support from Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, which is linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications.