Should Women Take Creatine?

Creatine is one of the most well-researched and popular supplements in the fitness industry, but should women take creatine too? Here is everything you need to know about creatine, how it affects women, and some tips on how to pick a good creatine supplement.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound produced by the body and is derived from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine, which are the building blocks of protein (1). Creatine is primarily made by the liver and the vast majority of creatine, roughly 95%, is stored in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, while the remainder is stored in the brain and testes.

While creatine is naturally produced by the body, it is also found in protein-rich foods such as red meat, seafood, and animal milk, and supplements, and both dietary creatine and endogenous production equally contribute to the body’s creatine stores (2, 3). More specifically, the body biosynthesizes roughly 1 gram of creatine per day and derives the other 1 gram per day from the diet (4).

Since creatine can be metabolized by the body, it is not considered a conditionally essential nutrient, however, creatine supplementation has been shown to have many health benefits.

How does creatine work?

Put simply, creatine helps your muscles produce more energy during exercise.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is your body’s fuel source and it drives almost every process in the body. ATP is made up of one adenosine molecule and three phosphate groups and when de-phosphorylated, or a phosphate group is removed, energy is created for your muscles, which results in which results in adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creatine stores high-energy phosphate groups in the form of phosphocreatine, which are “donated” ADP to regenerate it to ATP (5, 6).

More creatine results in a higher potential for ATP regeneration, or energy for our cells, which is particularly relevant under conditions of high energy demand, such as high-intensity exercise.

Benefits of Creatine

Here is a list of the pros of creatine supplementation.

Increases strength and power output.

The primary benefit of creatine is its improvement in strength and power output, especially in resistance training. Creatine supplementation can help to increase energy stores and improve performance during high-intensity exercise which requires maximal muscle efforts ranging from 30 to 150 seconds, such as weightlifting and sprinting (4). Not only have these effects been seen in trained athletes, but the supplementation of creatine for this has been well-researched in the general population, including the elderly and women (7, 8, 9, 10).

Increases lean muscle mass.

Muscle hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle mass, size, and strength, is the inevitable result of progressive increases in resistance training. When creatine is used in conjunction with effective resistance training, it can modestly increase the rate of lean muscle mass development and improve body composition (7, 9, 11, 12).

Supports muscle recovery.

While creatine appears to play an important role in muscle damage and recovery, it seems to have a paradoxical effect. Several studies have shown that creatine supplements help to promote recovery from muscle-damaging exercise, however, some research suggests that chronic, long-term supplementation may have the opposite effect (13). One possible explanation for this is that individuals who regularly supplement with creatine can work harder than they would otherwise, which could lead to great muscle damage.

Improves cognitive function.

Some newer research suggests that creatine may improve cognitive function in acute conditions, such as sleep deprivation and exercise, as well as in chronic conditions, such as brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and aging (14). There is also some early research suggesting that creatine supplementation may be helpful for individuals with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder (15).

Side Effects of Creatine

Here is a list of the cons of creatine supplementation.

Water weight gain.

Creatine supplementation can cause some short-term weight gain due to an increase in total body water weight. This increase in weight is not an increase in body fat. Creatine is an osmotically active substance that draws water into your cells, which may temporarily cause weight to increase and may even cause your muscles to appear larger. Weight gain after a creatine loading phase ranges between 2-4 pounds, however, some research found that men experience more water retention than women (16, 17).

Digestive discomfort.

Excessive doses of creatine can cause digestive issues including diarrhea, gas, and/or bloating (18). For this reason, individuals should follow the recommended dosing or reduce the dose, take it with meals, and/or spread their dose throughout the day if needed.

Is creatine safe?

To be clear, creatine is NOT a steroid. Creatine is one of the most well-studied supplements and most effective at improving exercise performance. Overall, the research suggests that creatine is safe for most people to take. There is no evidence to suggest that creatine has a negative effect on the liver or kidneys, however, individuals with preexisting liver or kidney concerns should consult with their doctor before taking a creatine supplement.

How does creatine affect women?

Although much of the creatine research has been conducted on men, creatine supplementation has been shown to have several health benefits in women. In addition to increasing strength and power output and increasing lean body mass, research has shown that creatine supplementation may be of particular importance during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, as well as during and post-menopause (19).

When paired with resistance training, creatine further augments body composition and bone mineral density, particularly in post-menopausal females (20).

Creatine supplementation was shown to have a positive effect on memory and cognition, especially in menopausal women who are more prone to inflammation, and mood swings induced by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle (19).

Moreover, the increase in water retention from creatine can help to increase hydration which may be beneficial during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (21). This may help with thermal regulation and hydration during the luteal phase, which may be beneficial for exercise performance.

Creatine supplementation has also shown to be particularly helpful for women who are vegan or vegetarian, as they tend to have lower creatine stores due to their reduced intake of animal foods, which are the primary source of dietary creatine (22).

Overall, creatine supplementation is as safe and effective for women as it is for men.

How much creatine should women take?

While there are no hard rules for creatine supplementation, it is recommended that individuals begin with a loading phase to maximize muscle creatine stores before starting a maintenance dose to maintain elevated stores.

The loading dose is typically recommended at roughly 20 grams per day (0.3 g/kg/day) for at least 3 days, before beginning the maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day (0.04 to 0.07 g/kg/day) (23).

As noted, the loading phase has been associated with temporary weight gain due to water retention, but this is generally a short-term effect that does not impact long-term weight. It is important to drink extra water during this phase to ensure proper hydration.

Does creatine work for everyone?

While creatine is highly effective for most people, there is a small segment of the population referred to as “non-responders” that show little to no benefit from creatine supplementation (24).

Can creatine help with weight loss?

While creatine supplementation does not directly cause weight loss, when consumed in consumption with a calorie deficit, it can indirectly support weight loss and improve body composition by increasing lean body mass and supporting metabolism.

Although some individuals may experience weight gain from increased water retention after taking creatine, this is temporary and not reflective of an increase in body fat.

How to Choose a Creatine Supplement

Creatine powder is a tasteless and odorless powder, and relatively inexpensive compared to other supplements. Here are some tips on how to choose the best creatine supplement:

1. Look for creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is the most extensively researched and cost-effective creatine derivative on the market. While there are many forms of creatine, creatine monohydrate supplementation has consistently shown benefits (25).
2. Look for third-party testing. Much like protein powder, creatine supplements are not regulated by the FDA, therefore, it is beneficial to opt for creatine powders that have been third-party tested to ensure that they contain all the ingredients in the amounts listed on the label. Whenever possible, opt for creatine supplements that are labeled with NSF Certified for Sport or Informed-Sport logos.
3. Read the ingredients. Learn how to read a label and opt for creatine supplements without added sugar, fillers, food dyes, or chemicals.

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