Creatine did more than build muscle in this knee pain study
Forty patients with knee osteoarthritis (aged 40-70, grade III or lower) were split into two groups. Both received 4 weeks of physical therapy including heat, electrotherapy, manual therapy, and resistance exercises.
One group added 5g/day creatine while the other got a placebo (maltodextrin).
The creatine group saw significantly greater improvements in pain scores, fall risk, overall knee function (KOOS), isometric muscle strength, and body composition compared to placebo.
No additional benefit was found for range of motion or quality of life subscale scores.
My Thoughts
This is another brick in the wall for creatine doing more than just helping you lift heavier.
For runners dealing with knee pain or early-stage osteoarthritis, this study suggests creatine paired with strength work and rehab can meaningfully reduce pain and improve function beyond exercise alone.
The fall risk improvement is notable too, since it reflects better neuromuscular control, something every runner needs.
At 40-70 years old, these participants are squarely in the demographic of runners managing wear and tear.
If you’re already supplementing with creatine for performance, the joint health benefits are a compelling bonus.
Skipping breakfast before lifting? Your muscles don’t seem to care
This meta-analysis pooled 4 clinical trials comparing resistance training in a fasted state (typically after an overnight fast) versus a fed state.
The researchers found no significant differences in fat-free mass, muscle hypertrophy, or strength gains between groups.
The one notable finding: fasted training was associated with slightly greater reductions in body fat mass. However, 3 of the 4 included studies had a high risk of bias, so the evidence quality is limited.
My Thoughts
If you’re a morning lifter who dreads forcing down food before 6 AM, this is permission to stop stressing about it.
The strength and muscle gains appear to be the same either way. The slight body fat advantage for fasted training is interesting but based on weak evidence, so I wouldn’t chase that as a strategy.
The real takeaway for runners doing concurrent training is practical: your pre-lift meal timing matters less than actually doing the work consistently.
If eating first helps you perform better, eat. If training fasted fits your schedule and feels fine, that works too.
Total daily protein and calorie intake will matter far more than whether you had toast before your squats.
Your post-workout burger might be undoing some of your gains
Sixteen active adults did a resistance exercise session, then consumed either a high-fat pork burger (20g protein, 20.6g fat), a lean pork burger (20g protein, 4.4g fat), or a carbohydrate sports drink (0g protein, 73g carbs).
Over 5 hours of recovery, the lean pork group had significantly higher muscle protein synthesis rates (0.106%/h) than both the high-fat pork group (0.072%/h) and the carb-only group (0.056%/h).
The high-fat group’s muscle-building response was only slightly better than drinking a sports drink with zero protein.
My Thoughts
This one is genuinely surprising. Previous research from the same lab showed whole eggs and salmon (both higher in fat) boosted muscle protein synthesis more than their leaner counterparts.
But here, high-fat pork essentially wiped out the protein advantage.
The researchers think the lipid-rich matrix slowed amino acid absorption enough to blunt the anabolic signal.
For runners who strength train, the practical lesson is straightforward: your post-workout meal should prioritize lean protein sources.
Save the fattier cuts for other meals when rapid amino acid delivery matters less.
This doesn’t mean fat is bad. It means timing matters. A grilled chicken breast or lean turkey after lifting will likely serve your recovery better than a greasy burger, even if the protein content is identical.
