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Taking creatine might build muscle even if you never lift a weight, according to a new study that made headlines this week.
As someone who has skipped the gym a lot this year, I found this big news and impulsively bought a tub of creatine (my last ran out months ago). Then I read the study itself. Yes, the volunteers who skipped exercise but took creatine did gain weight. But what was that weight made of? It’s probably not what you think.
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Scoop by scoop,
Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Healthline
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Written by Tim Snaith
October 15, 2026 • 2 min read
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Can creatine build muscle while you sit still?
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Your body makes a little of its own creatine every day, and eating meat and fish adds more. Most of it ends up in your muscles, where it acts like a backup battery for short, hard efforts such as carrying groceries up the stairs. A daily scoop tops up that battery, which is why weightlifters have used creatine for decades.
In a new study, researchers followed 64 adults ages 45 to 65 who didn’t exercise much. Some signed up for a workout and diet program. The rest carried on as usual. Everyone took either 10 grams (g) of creatine a day or a dummy powder (the placebo), and nobody knew which. (We should also mention that the lead researcher advises the company that makes the creatine powder used in the study.)
After 12 weeks, the creatine-takers who skipped workouts had gained about 2.4 pounds of lean mass (many people think lean mass is all muscle, but it also includes organs, connective tissue, water, and other materials), and they could lift more weight.
Those who took creatine and also worked out gained close to 3 pounds and lost the most fat. People on the placebo powder barely changed.
At least part of those gains is water. Creatine pulls fluid into muscle cells, and the scans can’t tell it apart from the tissue itself. A high starting dose often adds 2 to 4 pounds in the first week, some of which is water, but strength gains in the no-workout group suggest some enhancement in exercise performance. So creatine alone is contributing something without workouts, but what’s really going on here?
The researchers think creatine may make everyday activity feel easier, so people end up moving more. The study didn’t show that happening, so it’s only a hunch. There were also early signs of improved blood sugar and memory performance, but both findings need further testing.
Creatine also raises creatinine levels, a waste product doctors look for in blood tests to assess how well your kidneys work. More creatine in means more creatinine out, and research in healthy people has found no kidney harm behind the higher reading. Mention it to your doctor before a blood test, and check with them first if you have kidney problems.
Muscle loss becomes more common after 50, and strength exercises plus adequate protein remain your best defense. Creatine looks like a cheap, safe helper that works best alongside them. A few rounds of squats or push-ups a week give that scoop something to work with.
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| The Creatine Benefits Every Woman Should Know During Menopause |
| Did you know that creatine may benefit women going through menopause? Here are the fascinating ways creatine can support your body and mind during this transformative stage of life. |
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What we’re digesting
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