Creatine HCl Supplementation in Sarcopenia: A Randomized Controlled Study (SARCOPA)

December 27, 2025 updated by: Center for Health Sciences, Serbia

Impact of 12-Week Creatine HCl Supplementation on Body Composition, Functional Muscle and Brain Performance, Blood Biomarkers, and Tissue Creatine Levels in Older Adults With Sarcopenia

The CONCRET-SARCOPA trial is a 12-week, double-blind, randomized controlled study designed to evaluate the efficacy of creatine HCl supplementation in older adults with sarcopenia. The trial investigates whether daily creatine HCl improves body composition, enhances functional muscle and cognitive performance, and favorably alters key blood biomarkers associated with muscle health and metabolic status. Additionally, the study assesses changes in tissue creatine levels using non-invasive and biochemical methods to clarify mechanistic responses to supplementation. Findings from this trial will provide critical evidence on the therapeutic potential of creatine HCl as a targeted nutritional strategy for managing sarcopenia in the geriatric population.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Serbia
      • Belgrade, Serbia, 11000
        • Recruiting
        • Center for Health Sciences
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nikola Todorovic, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age > 60 years
  • Low muscle strength by handgrip (SDOC criteria for sarcopenia): < 35.5 kg in men and < 20 kg in women
  • Sign free and informed consent
  • Demonstrate interest, conditions and availability to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients undergoing interventional treatment for sarcopenia
  • Physical amputation
  • Cognitive impairment (MSSE < 25)
  • Unwillingness to return for follow-up analysis
  • Participation in other clinical trials

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Experimental 1
2 capsules of creatine HCl per day
Dietary supplement: Experimental 1
Creatine HCl
Placebo Comparator: Experimental 2
2 capsules of inulin HCl per day
Dietary supplement: Experimental 2
Innulin (placebo)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hand-grip strength
Time Frame: Change from baseline hand-grip strength at 12 weeks
Handgrip strength quantifies maximal voluntary force generated by the hand using a dynamometer, serving as a simple, reliable indicator of overall muscle function and sarcopenia severity.
Change from baseline hand-grip strength at 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Senior fitness test score
Time Frame: Change from baseline senior fitness test score at 12 weeks
The Senior Fitness Test score reflects aggregated performance across multiple functional tasks, providing a quantifiable index of an older adult's overall physical capability, mobility, and age-related fitness status.
Change from baseline senior fitness test score at 12 weeks
Mini-Mental State Examination Score
Time Frame: Change from baseline Mini-Mental State Examination Score at 12 weeks
The Mini-Mental State Examination score quantifies global cognitive function by assessing orientation, memory, attention, language, and visuospatial abilities, offering a validated measure for detecting cognitive decline in older adults.
Change from baseline Mini-Mental State Examination Score at 12 weeks
Appendicular muscle mass
Time Frame: Change from baseline appendicular muscle mass at 12 weeks
Appendicular muscle mass quantifies lean soft tissue in arms and legs serving as a key indicator of skeletal muscle quantity and sarcopenia-related muscle depletion.
Change from baseline appendicular muscle mass at 12 weeks
Brain creatine
Time Frame: Change from baseline brain creatine concentrations at 12 weeks
Magnetic resonance spectra for brain creatine concentrations
Change from baseline brain creatine concentrations at 12 weeks
Irisin
Time Frame: Change from baseline serum levels of irisin at 12 weeks
Serum levels of irisin
Change from baseline serum levels of irisin at 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Center for Health Sciences, Serbia

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Sergej Ostojic, MD, PhD, Center for Mitochondrial Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 3, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 3, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 16, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 27, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 4005-31-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data obtained through this study may be provided to qualified researchers with academic interest in sarcopenia. Data will be coded, with no PHI included. Approval of the request and execution of all applicable agreements are prerequisites to the sharing of data with the requesting party.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data requests can be submitted starting 9 months after article publication and the data will be made accessible for up to 24 months. Extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data obtained through this study may be provided to qualified researchers with academic interest in perimenopause.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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