Creatine has long been a go-to supplement for athletes, but new research suggests it may have benefits for a much wider audience — including people who never set foot in a gym.

A 12-week study out of Texas A&M University, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, examined how creatine affects muscle and cognitive function in adults ages 45 to 65.

What the study found

The study included 64 adults who were divided into two groups: one followed an exercise-and-diet weight-loss program, the other did not. Researchers randomly assigned participants in each group to either 10 grams of creatine monohydrate daily or a placebo.

Even without exercise or a weight-loss diet, participants taking creatine gained about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue and showed strength improvements.

In the exercise-and-diet group, those taking creatine gained nearly three pounds of lean tissue and had a greater reduction in body-fat percentage than those taking the placebo.

Richard Kreider, director of the Texas A&M Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab, has studied creatine for more than 30 years. He says the results point to broad potential.

“If you take creatine and don’t train, you get some effect,” Kreider said. “When you train, you can get more because the exercise actually helps with brain function — so the take home is creatine is for everybody.”

Cognitive benefits still being explored

Researchers also reported improvements on selected cognitive and memory measures, but say those results are exploratory and need further confirmation.

Still, Kreider says the overall picture is encouraging.

“Really no reason to not take creatine,” he said. “Everything is particularly positive in human studies.”

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in meat and fish. According to Kreider, it serves as a primary energy source in the body — functioning similarly to an amino acid, though not exactly like one.