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9 min read<\/p>\n9 min read<\/p>\n
With so many supplements<\/a> on the market, it\u2019s tough to figure out what actually works\u2014let alone which products are even safe to begin with. Creatine<\/a> is one of the few (alongside protein powder<\/a>) that lives up to the hype. It\u2019s been studied to death for its ability to boost strength, enhance exercise performance, and promote muscle growth<\/a>\u2014and the science supporting these benefits is solid.<\/p>\n Basically, creatine helps supply your muscles with energy during workouts, so you can push harder and recover better. Think heavier lifts<\/a> and stronger sprints<\/a>, with the potential for less muscle soreness the next day. <\/p>\n What\u2019s even cooler? Creatine is super low-risk and might be especially helpful for women compared to men. Women of all ages can benefit from taking creatine\u2014especially if your goals include boosting your performance, going for strength gains<\/a>, or improving recovery, according to Nicole Lund, RDN, a clinical nutritionist, and Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a functional medicine practitioner and WH advisor. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is partly because women tend to have lower natural creatine stores than men,\u201d adds Dr. Lyon\u2014around 70 to 80 percent less, according to a 2021 study in Nutrients<\/a>. On top of that, women often get less creatine through their diets, making them good candidates for supplementation.<\/p>\n Ahead, learn more about the benefits of creatine for women, potential side effects, how to use it, and beyond.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Nicole Lund<\/a>, RDN, is an NYU Langone clinical nutritionist and certified personal trainer and has her master’s degree in public health from Hunter College. Gabrielle Lyon<\/a>, DO, is a functional medicine practitioner, WH advisor, and the founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine and author of Forever Strong<\/a>. Dana White<\/a>, RDN, MS, ATC, is an athletic trainer and registered dietitian-nutritionist. <\/p>\n What is creatine?<\/p>\n Creatine is a naturally-occurring organic compound that is mostly stored in your muscles, but is also found in a much smaller quantity in your brain. It plays a critical role in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main source of energy for your cells. \u201c[ATP] helps with muscle growth as well as improved endurance, power, and recovery,\u201d says Dana White, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist. Not only does creatine help supply energy to your muscles during a workout, but it also helps them flex and contract. <\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n Our bodies produce about one gram of creatine per day in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, but the majority of this compound comes from your diet, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. Creatine is found in foods like red meat, fish, poultry and even dairy products (though at much lower levels), but the average dose in these foods is about one to two grams per pound, says White. That\u2019s where creatine supplements come in handy, making it a heck of a lot easier and more realistic to get the three to five grams per day that most professionals recommend, says White. <\/p>\n 6 Benefits Of Creatine, Specifically For Women<\/p>\n Despite the massive body of research on creatine that exists, it wasn\u2019t until recently that women have started to be included in those studies. While Lund notes that more research is needed to further understand how creatine affects women specifically, the findings so far are promising.<\/p>\n 1. It may increase lean body mass.<\/p>\n When combined with resistance training, creatine supplementation can help you build and maintain muscle more effectively. Those who combined creatine supplementation with resistance training increased their lean body mass by 1.14 kilograms (2.5 pounds) compared to participants who resistance trained alone, according to a 2024 meta-analysis on the effect of creatine and resistance training on body composition in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n For older women experiencing sarcopenia\u2014the natural loss of muscle tissue that comes with age\u2014taking creatine can be especially beneficial. \u201cMuscle is more metabolically active, meaning the more muscle tissue you have on your body, the better your metabolism will be,\u201d says Lund. Beyond metabolism, maintaining muscle mass also helps with overall strength, balance, and mobility, which are essential pieces of the healthy aging puzzle. Plus, stronger muscles support stronger bones, making creatine a win-win for women prioritizing bone density. <\/p>\n 2. It can boost energy to level up workouts.<\/p>\n Creatine increases ATP production, which not only gives you quick bursts of energy during high-intensity workouts like sprinting or lifting, but also helps your body maintain balance and recycle energy efficiently. This process can keep you going strong and make your workouts feel more manageable, helping you progress, says Dr. Lyon. Related Stories<\/p>\n With more energy available, creatine can also help improve your exercise performance and capacity. It’s been shown to help women take on greater workout intensity and volume, as well as recover better following resistance training, per a 2025 review of articles on creatine and women’s health in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/a>. If you can lift heavier or run faster or longer before your muscles burn out, you\u2019ll get stronger and fitter over time, adds Lund. <\/p>\n 3. It might enhance muscle recovery.<\/p>\n Creatine can also help you recover better between workouts, says Lund. The energy you’ll feel from the increased ATP doesn\u2019t just help you power through tough workouts; it also supports faster recovery afterward, according to the Nutrients report. <\/p>\n There\u2019s more research backing this up: Creatine supplementation likely accelerated recovery and boosted ATP production among female college student participants while they weren\u2019t exercising, according to one small study<\/a>. However, more research linking creatine supplementation and recovery is needed.<\/p>\n 4. It may improve cognitive function.<\/p>\n On top of physical perks, creatine also plays a role in cognition (thinking and learning), and supplementation can give your brain a boost, says Dr. Lyon. Taking creatine can also help with tasks involving the frontal cortex, such as learning, memory, and attention, according to the Nutrients report. Additionally, creatine might be helpful in treating neurological conditions<\/a> such as congenital creatine deficiency syndromes, age-related cognitive decline (like Alzheimer\u2019s disease), and neurodegenerative diseases (like Parkinson\u2019s disease and Huntington\u2019s disease). <\/p>\n Related Stories5. It might curb the effects of short-term sleep deprivation.<\/p>\n Because of creatine\u2019s ability to support brain function, it can help lessen the blow of adverse cognitive effects caused by sleep deprivation<\/a>. It won\u2019t help you get better rest, but it might help you \u201crebound\u201d after a poor night\u2019s sleep, says White. <\/p>\n In fact, a 2024 study in Nature<\/a> had subjects take a singular dose of creatine monohydrate\u2014the most effective and well-studied form of creatine\u2014then perform cognitive tests during sleep deprivation. The tests showed that creatine supplementation may help reverse fatigue-related cognitive deterioration.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n That being said, we still totally recommend that you get a good night\u2019s sleep<\/a> to support your fitness goals and overall well-being.<\/p>\n 6. It can help you maintain homeostasis throughout the hormonal journey.<\/p>\n Throughout each phase of the menstrual cycle, dramatic shifts in hormones like estrogen and progesterone affect the body\u2019s natural creatine levels, sometimes dipping inadequately low. Supplementing creatine helps keep levels more consistent throughout the menstrual cycle<\/a>, says White. Having a regular daily dose of creatine from a supplement can help ensure creatine is present in adequate amounts throughout the cycle, she says.<\/p>\n Women who are pregnant, postpartum, or experiencing post-menopause also have altered creatine levels due to hormonal changes. While creatine supplementation may help address these shifts, it\u2019s important to consult your healthcare provider before adding it to your routine to ensure it\u2019s safe and appropriate for you.<\/p>\n How To Choose A Creatine Supplement<\/p>\n Creatine is one of the most straightforward supplements to shop. A good option contains only one ingredient (more on this in a sec) in a standard five-gram serving\u2014no flavors, no frills. However, there’s a lot of junk on the market, so here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping.<\/p>\n Look for creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is \u201cthe optimal form of creatine for our bodies\u201d that has been studied the most, Lund says.Look for third-party testing. Make sure the supplement you buy is third-party tested, which you can confirm by spotting the \u201cNSF Certified for Sport\u201d or \u201cInformed Choice\u201d badge on the container. That means it\u2019s been tested by a trusted third-party regulatory body to certify the absence of contaminants (and other additional ingredients you don’t want) in the supplement.Go with a brand name. Also, consider whether the brand and supplement has been around for a while, if it\u2019s trusted by consumers, and what their reputation is, Lund and Dr. Lyon recommend. If you want, you can also contact the company directly to look into their sourcing and where they make the supplement, Dr. Lyon adds.Scan for additives and other ingredients. Less is more here, and look for pure creatine monohydrate, experts say. \u201cI would stay away from anything that has anything extra that you may or may not know how it’s going to impact your body,\u201d Lund adds. Now 26% Off<\/p>\n Credit: Joe Lingeman Now 25% Off<\/p>\n Credit: Joe Lingeman<\/p>\n How To Use A Creatine Supplement<\/p>\n How much should you take?<\/p>\n You should take five grams (one serving) once, daily. The “every single day” recommendation is key here. There are “benefits for taking it consistently\u2014even on rest days\u2014to keep the muscle creatine levels high” and get all those benefits above, Lund says.<\/p>\n Should you take creatine before or after your workout?<\/p>\n \u201cResearch is inconclusive about timing,\u201d says Lund, meaning it\u2019s basically up to you. There are limited studies on this topic, and the current ones show that both taking creatine both before and after workouts creates similar muscle benefits, according to a 2022 review of articles on the timing of creatine supplementation in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n Plus, benefits of both pre-workout and post-workout ingestion within an hour of working out have been reported for women, so go with whatever is most convenient for you. <\/p>\n What can you mix creatine powder with?<\/p>\n You can mix creatine powder with anything, Dr. Lyon and Lund say. People typically mix it with water, juice, or another beverage. (If you also include protein powder<\/a> in your diet, you can even mix both of them into your smoothie together for an efficient combo.) <\/p>\n Plus, there are some benefits that come with taking creatine powder with protein and carbs, Lund says. Combining creatine with 50 grams of protein and 50 grams of carbohydrates is more effective than taking creatine solo. Tripling up on these helps store more creatine in the muscles, ready to use for fuel, according to the Frontiers in Sports and Active Living review.<\/p>\n Are there any side effects of taking creatine?<\/p>\n The side effects of taking creatine are virtually non-existent, experts agree. One common misconception is that creatine causes water retention. However, there is no strong evidence to support this as a side effect of supplementation. While creatine does draw water into muscle cells as part of its natural osmotic process, this doesn\u2019t translate to overall water retention, says Lund. <\/p>\n However, bloating and gastrointestinal issues are pretty common early on. A 2025 study in medRxiv<\/a> had 24 healthy women and men take creatine monohydrate over 28 days. One group took five grams a day, while the other took 20 grams a day for 14 days, then five grams a day for the next two weeks. Eighty-one percent of the women reported bloating, water retention, puffiness, and stomach discomfort. However, these symptoms will likely go away as your body adapts to the supp.<\/p>\n Another major myth is that creatine leads to excessive weight gain, which is much less common in women compared to men, especially when dosed appropriately. In women, studies have shown no significant changes in body composition attributable to creatine use, White says, pointing to one review<\/a> that found this to be true.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n Creatine also shouldn\u2019t cause hair loss. In 2009, one study conducted on male rugby players found an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that is linked with hair loss over time, but the results have never been replicated, and the link is not supported by evidence, one study says<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Capsules<\/p>\n![\"Creatine\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1754924332-wmh250107-digital-ecomm-bestcreatine-momentous-135-689a05091bcb6.jpg\" "\\"Creatine\\"")
<\/a>Momentous Creatine<\/p>\n
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