Creatine for women: it’s benefits and misconceptions

Creatine has long been associated as a supplement orientated that improves muscle performance orientated towards bodybuilders. 

Creatine supplementation is often not considered by women despite its wide ranging benefits due to its stigma. The following blog will touch on the significant benefits of creatine supplementation for women, particularly during periods such as menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum and during or after menopause (1).

What is creatine?

Creatine is a nutrient that has a significant physiological and energetic role in the human body. However, creatine metabolism varies between men and women.

Research indicates that hormonal changes throughout a woman's life significantly affect creatine kinase, the key enzyme regulating creatine metabolism. These changes also impact the body’s natural creatine production and the transport of creatine to various tissues (1)

The role of creatine in supporting women's unique physiological processes?

Figure 1 - a breakdown on the menstrual cycle (9).

During the luteal phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle, when estrogen and progesterone levels are higher, several changes occur in the body:

1. Protein and energy use: The body breaks down more protein for energy, while storing less carbohydrate.
2. Fluid balance: There’s more water outside the cells but less inside, which can lead to dehydration. This can make it harder for the body to regulate temperature, affecting sports performance and overall health.
3. Recovery and fatigue: The heart rate tends to be lower, and women may feel more tired and recover more slowly compared to the follicular phase (the earlier part of the cycle).

Creatine is an effective supplement to mitigate the effects of these physiological changes. It helps reduce the impact of protein breakdown, dehydration, and slower recovery, providing a stabilising effect on energy production, hydration, and performance during the luteal phase (2,3,4).

 

Why supplement creatine?

Getting enough creatine through diet alone, especially for women, can be difficult, as it is primarily found in animal-based foods. Creatine monohydrate supplementation provides a practical and effective way to ensure the body has a sufficient store of creatine (5). 

A normal diet contains 1-2 g of creatine per day, saturating creatine stores by 60-80%. Therefore, supplementing creatine increases stores within the muscles by 20–40%, increasing its availability for physiological processes (6). 

Unique advantages of creatine supplementation for women

1. Hormonal Cycle Support: Creatine helps balance fluid levels in the body during the luteal phase by improving hydration without causing bloating. It also reduces protein breakdown and helps maintain glycogen levels, which protects muscle mass (7).
2. Mood and Cognition: Creatine has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of antidepressants, improve memory, and support cognitive function. By restoring and increasing energy levels in the brain, it can positively impact mood and mental clarity (6).
3. Support for Plant-Based Diets: Women following plant-based diets, which typically lack creatine, can use supplementation to address nutrient deficiencies and improve health outcomes (6).
4. Exercise and Recovery: For premenopausal women who exercise regularly, creatine improves strength and performance. In postmenopausal women, higher doses of creatine can increase muscle size and function without adverse effects, even enhancing bone health when combined with exercise. For example, a two-year study showed that a daily dose of 0.14 g/kg (approximately 8.4 g for a 60-kg woman) improved bone structure at the proximal femur (1).

Do women gain weight from taking creatine?

It’s worth debunking the common myth that creatine causes significant weight gain in women. Research shows no meaningful increase in body mass from creatine supplementation, even during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Instead, creatine increases total body water by drawing fluid into cells, which supports hydration and muscle function without causing extracellular water retention (commonly associated with bloating) (2).

Creatine should be recognised as a nutrient and its physiological role beyond energy and sports performance, particularly for women. Women, with their unique physiological characteristics, also benefit from disease prevention and improving health, extending from body composition, physical fitness, cognition and mood.

How much creatine should women take?

There are a variety of approaches to creatine supplementation. A ‘loading phase’ is common, where users take 20 g per day for 6 days to quickly increase muscle creatine stores. While this method shows short-term benefits, research shows that long-term supplementation of just 3 g per day is just as effective for maintaining elevated creatine levels (6). 

After 4 weeks of daily supplementation a lower 3 g does is sufficient to achieve the same results, making it a more sustainable and cost-effective approach (8). Credible bodies recommended habitual low dosage (e.g. 3g) creatine ingestion for long term benefit. 

Figure 2 - a graph demonstrating the effect of muscle creatine stores from different approaches to creatine supplementation (8).

Is creatine safe for women? 

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) regards creatine as safe and concludes it to be the most beneficial sports supplement available. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements, consistently shown to be safe with minimal side effects when used as directed (6). 

 

While creatine is often taken as a powder mixed with water, a convenient and mess-free alternative is Elevate’s 1-gram Creatine Monohydrate gummies. They offer a tasty and easy way to supplement your routine. 

Interested? Learn more here.

 

1. Smith-Ryan, A. E., Cabre, H. E., Eckerson, J. M., & Candow, D. G. (2021). Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients, 13(3), 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877

2. Moore, S. R., Gordon, A. N., Cabre, H. E., Hackney, A. C., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2023). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Changes in Fluid Distribution across Menstrual Phases with Creatine Supplementation. Nutrients, 15(2), 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020429

3. Gordon, A. N., Moore, S. R., Patterson, N. D., Hostetter, M. E., Cabre, H. E., Hirsch, K. R., Hackney, A. C., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2023). The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Loading on Exercise Recovery in Active Women throughout the Menstrual Cycle. Nutrients, 15(16), 3567. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163567

4. Clarke, H., Hickner, R. C., & Ormsbee, M. J. (2021). The Potential Role of Creatine in Vascular Health. Nutrients, 13(3), 857. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030857

5. Graeme, M., Kasper, A., Walsh, N., & Maughan, R. (2022). “Food first but not always food only”: Recommendations for using dietary supplements in sport. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0335

6. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D. G., Kleiner, S. M., Almada, A. L., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z

7. Moore, S. R., Gordon, A. N., Cabre, H. E., Hackney, A. C., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2023). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Changes in Fluid Distribution across Menstrual Phases with Creatine Supplementation. Nutrients, 15(2), 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020429

8. Antonio, J., Kalman, D., & Stout, J. R. (2008). Essentials of creatine in sports and health (1st ed. 2008.). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-573-2

9. Whelan, C. (2024, September 18). Menstruation: Luteal phase: Physical effects and describing emotions. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/luteal-phase-physical-effects-and-describing-emotions-5184841