Should Women Take Creatine? Here’s What a Dietitian Says

Creatine is a compound found in your body and in certain foods, such as meat and fish. It can also be taken as a supplement.

Creatine supplements are generally safe and have been linked to many health benefits, like building muscle and increasing strength. However, creatine supplements are often associated with men and male-dominated sports, like bodybuilding. Creatine supplements also offer many health benefits for women.

Research on creatine has primarily been conducted in males. Although the effects of creatine on females are not well understood, some evidence suggests that creatine supplements may benefit women by improving muscle strength and brain health.

Compared to men, women have up to 80% lower body creatine stores and consume significantly less dietary creatine. This suggests that women could benefit from taking creatine supplements.

The storage form of creatine, creatine phosphate, is the main fuel source used to replenish a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in cells. ATP provides the energy needed for processes such as muscle contraction and nerve function.

Your body makes about half of your daily needs, while the rest must be obtained through diet or supplementation. Because women consume less dietary creatine than men, they may benefit from taking supplemental creatine.

May Improve Strength

Taking creatine may help women gain muscle strength.

• One review found that women over the age of 60 who combined creatine supplements with resistance training experienced significant gains in muscle strength, especially when resistance training lasted for at least 24 weeks.
• Findings from older research suggest that supplementing with creatine while strength training may increase muscle strength by up to 25% in untrained women.
• One review found that creatine supplementation, combined with resistance training, was more effective in enhancing upper— and lower-body muscle strength in men over the age of 50 than in women.

More research is needed to understand how creatine affects muscle strength in women.  

May Enhance Exercise Performance

Taking creatine supplements helps increase creatine levels in your muscle cells, which can improve your performance by replenishing ATP during exercise. 

One older study of 15 healthy college-aged women found that women who supplemented with 20 grams of creatine per day for five days experienced a significant decrease in muscle fatigue during a cycling test compared to women who took a placebo.

Another study found that female athletes who took 0.25 grams per kilogram per day of creatine for seven days experienced significant improvements in speed, leg strength, and agility compared to a placebo group.

However, a more recent large review found that there is not enough research available to understand how creatine supplementation affects sports performance in active females.

May Benefit Bone and Muscle Health  

Studies show that creatine supplements may have some favorable effects on bone health in older women.

In one study of 50 older adults, including 31 women, participants either took a placebo or 0.1 grams per kilogram of creatine per day. The study suggested that, when combined with resistance training, creatine may strengthen bones and muscles, reducing the risk of fractures and falls.

May Improve Cognitive Function

Creatine may offer benefits for brain health. Taking creatine supplements boosts brain creatine stores, which may positively affect cognitive function and memory.

One review found that creatine supplements had significant positive effects on memory, attention time, and processing speed. Creatine supplementation was more beneficial for cognitive health in females than males.

Creatine is one of the safest and most well-researched dietary supplements. Its use hasn’t been linked to any significant health concerns, and studies show that its use is safe in both men and women.

One review investigated the safety of creatine supplements in females and found that when consumed in recommended doses, creatine was safe and not associated with any health risks.

Side Effects

Taking creatine in doses of 20 grams per day may lead to temporary water retention. Doses higher than 10 grams per day may trigger gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like diarrhea.

To avoid these side effects, most experts recommend avoiding loading doses of creatine, or 20-25 grams per day for 5-7 days, and instead taking smaller daily doses of creatine for longer time periods, such as 3-5 grams per day for four weeks.

Taking creatine may temporarily raise creatinine levels in the blood. Creatinine is used as a marker of kidney function, and higher levels could indicate kidney impairment.

This increase is temporary, and creatine supplementation is safe for people with healthy kidneys. However, if you have kidney disease, it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider before taking creatine supplements.

If you’re interested in taking creatine, here are a few things to keep in mind: 

1. Use smaller doses: Studies show that supplementing with between 3-5 grams of creatine per day for at least 4 weeks is just as effective for increasing creatine levels in muscle cells as taking loading doses of creatine and is associated with fewer side effects.
2. Larger doses are more likely to cause side effects: Taking loading doses of creatine, such as doses between 20-25 grams per day for 5-7 days, is more likely to cause side effects like temporary water retention and diarrhea.
3. Pair creatine with resistance training: Research shows that participating in resistance training while supplementing with creatine can benefit muscle strength and bone health.
4. Choose creatine monohydrate: While several forms of creatine are found in dietary supplements, creatine monohydrate is the most researched, effective, and affordable form.

Studies show that the timing of taking creatine, such as before or after a workout, doesn’t really matter.

What’s most important is to make sure you’re taking creatine consistently to ensure your muscle cells are saturated with creatine.

Though creatine supplements are often associated with men and male-dominated sports, like bodybuilding, creatine can also benefit women.

While research in female populations is limited, some evidence suggests that creatine supplements could improve muscle strength and exercise performance, protect bone health, and enhance brain function in women.