If you haven’t noticed already, protein is everywhere — whipped into coffee, baked into brownies, practically rebranded as a personality trait. Away from the mainstream spotlight, however, sits another performance-enhancing supplement that hasn’t enjoyed the same buzz, but is equally well-researched and evidence-backed. Creatine. Frequently recommended by nutritionists and personal trainers, creatine is best known for supporting muscle growth and recovery after strength training, but that’s only the beginning of its résumé… especially for women.
What is creatine?
Just like protein, creatine is a naturally occurring compound produced by the body and is stored mostly in your muscles. “It is made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine, and is made in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, but about 95 per cent of it is stored in the skeletal muscle,” says Pupinder Ghatora, pharmacist and co-founder and CEO of Ingenious. “It helps your body regenerate adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP, which is the primary energy currency of cells.”
ATP is especially important for muscle contraction, short bursts of high-intensity activity such as sprinting or HIIT workouts, and even brain energy metabolism. “In simple terms, it helps you produce quick, powerful energy,” explains integrative nutritionist and health psychologist Karishma Shah.
Creatine versus protein
In the realm of workout and health supplements, protein and creatine may seem interchangeable; however, they both serve very different roles. According to Emily English, nutritionist and founder of gut-health supplement Epetōme, protein is the building material for muscle, hormones, enzymes, immunity, and staying full, and therefore, creatine is not a replacement for it. “It’s more like support that helps your muscles perform, so that you can get more out of training,” she says.
Creatine and protein combined are beneficial for your health and wellbeing in different ways — creatine provides quick energy to the muscles and brain, while protein helps build and repair muscle tissue, rather than providing energy. Creatine supports performance, whereas protein supports recovery.
Significance for women
When it comes to fitness, English notes that many of the women she works with are prioritising strength, muscle preservation, and actually feeling good in their bodies. The reality, however, is that they’re also juggling busy, high-stress lives, with training weeks that are anything but consistent. “Creatine can help make sessions feel more productive because you can often push a little more, which adds up over time,” she says. “Additionally, many women eat less red meat or fish, which are the main dietary sources, so baseline stores can be a bit lower.”
According to Dr Louise Rix, medical doctor and clinical lead at Unfabled, much of the early research on creatine was conducted in men — leaving women’s physiology, including cyclical hormone fluctuations and midlife shifts, largely unaccounted for. Thankfully, newer studies are beginning to close that gap, examining how these hormonal changes may influence the way women use, respond to, and potentially benefit from creatine supplementation.