This Has Been Marketed As A ‘Man’s Supplement’ But Women Need It, Too

Creatine has been one of the most widely used sports supplements for decades, but there are still a lot of misconceptions about it. Namely, there's confusion around who should be taking it, and how much they're supposed to take. It turns out that more isn't always better with creatine, and many people—particularly women—could benefit from adding a low dose of it to their daily routine.

We spoke with three nutrition experts to get a consensus on the science behind creatine and how much you actually need to take to reach your goals.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound derived from the amino acids glycine and arginine that plays a role in energy production during high-intensity, short-duration activities such as weightlifting, sprinting, and other forms of intense physical exercise. Its main function is to help produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's primary energy currency. 

Creatine is considered a nonessential nutrient because it is found in small amounts in certain foods and can be made within the human body. The top creatine-containing foods are herring (3.0 to 4.5 grams per pound), pork (2.3 grams per pound), beef, and salmon.

As a popular dietary supplement, creatine is used to enhance exercise performance and promote muscle growth. Creatine monohydrate is the most research-backed and superior form. You can find creatine supplements in powder or capsule form, and there are even brands coming out with creatine gummies.

Summary

Creatine is a compound that helps the body produce energy in the form of ATP. While some foods contain small amounts of it, many people choose to supplement with creatine to improve their performance.

Creatine is one of the most thoroughly studied and widely used dietary supplements for enhancing exercise and sports performance. Creatine supplementation may also have therapeutic and clinical applications, making it a subject of ongoing study.

By the way, unlike popular misconceptions would have you believe, creatine is not a steroid, it won't make you bulky, and it certainly isn't only for male athletes! Here are seven science-backed reasons to take creatine. 

1.

Food alone won’t maximize your creatine stores.

While you can get creatine from foods like red meat and fish, the amount you’d have to eat to optimize your creatine stores and take advantage of creatine’s benefits exceeds what most people can (and should) safely eat. 

“One pound of uncooked beef and salmon provides about 1-2 grams of creatine, which can cover about half of the body’s daily need for creatine,” says Emily N. Werner, Ph.D., RD, CSSD, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist. “In order to achieve supplemental dosages of creatine, you would need to eat five or more pounds of raw beef or salmon per day.” 

Werner adds that an argument could be made that females need creatine supplementation more than males. “Females typically have 70-80% lower creatine stores than males. Females [also] typically consume less dietary creatine (e.g., red meat) than males.” 

Since creatine is naturally found in animal tissues, individuals who follow a plant-based diet get little to no dietary creatine. Creatine supplementation may offset this concern.

2.

Creatine enhances exercise performance.

Decades of research have demonstrated that creatine is safe and effective for increasing power output and anaerobic endurance for explosive and high-intensity movements like sprinting, jumping, and powerlifting.

“When taken over time in conjunction with a good training program, creatine enhances muscular strength, endurance, and recovery, says sports dietitian and author Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., CSCS, CSSD.

3.

Creatine may help with recovery.

While creatine is well-known for its performance-enhancing effects, research has shown that creatine supplementation may also enhance post-exercise recovery, help with injury prevention and rehabilitation, and may offer concussion and spinal cord neuroprotection. 

“Creatine may help you recover strength faster after an acute injury or being immobilized for a period of time,” says Spano. Some research also suggests creatine may help decrease the damaging effects of a concussion.”  

Performance dietitian and consultant Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD recommends creatine "loading" (more on this below) to individuals who experience a concussion or traumatic brain injury, encounter an athletic injury, or undergo surgery that limits their training and increases sedentary behavior.

4.

Taking creatine may have mental health benefits.

Researchers have been investigating the potential antidepressive effects of creatine since the 1980s. Although more research is needed, some evidence suggests that creatine may help individuals manage some types of depression and anxiety disorders. 

“Creatine may have a positive effect on brain chemistry and energetics, supporting the theory that creatine could positively effect sleep, cognition, depression, and mood disorders,” explains Werner. “With depression rates in females being twice that of males, this is one more aspect in which females may benefit more than males from creatine supplementation.” 

Jones adds that there may be mental health benefits for females, in particular, with studies done on adolescent girls and otherwise healthy adult females who are on medication for depression. 

5.

Creatine protects from age-related muscle loss.

Women who have reached menopause may find that supplementing with creatine helps support healthy bones and skeletal muscle.

“Creatine may act as a counter-measure to the declines in muscle, bone, and strength in post-menopausal females,” says Werner. “Coupling creatine with resistance training in this population could result in compounded benefits for health and longevity.” 

6.

Creatine may improve brain function 

7.

Creatine may benefit birth outcomes, but we need more research to be sure

“During pregnancy, the increase in metabolic demand by the placenta typically results in a decreased creatine pool. This could be associated with low birth weight and pre-term births,” explains Werner. “There is animal-study evidence showing creatine supplementation during pregnancy may be beneficial for birth outcomes. However, there are not yet human clinical trials to support this.” 

If you are pregnant, be sure to speak with your physician or a registered dietitian before supplementing with creatine.

Summary

Most people know creatine for its benefits on athletic performance, recovery, and bone and muscle strength. But there is also some compelling research to show that it can support brain function, mental health, and even concussion recovery. Women, particularly those on a plant-based diet, may want to supplement with creatine as they naturally have lower body stores of creatine and tend to eat less creatine-containing foods than men.

The recommended creatine dose for individuals who are interested in the performance-enhancing benefits of creatine is three to five grams per day. Evidence suggests that a creatine intake of three grams per day throughout the lifespan is enough to provide significant health benefits. 

That said, there may be some circumstances where higher creatine dosages are recommended. For example, Werner says athletes with a larger body size may benefit from supplementing up to 10 grams daily for maintenance. 

“For those who might be looking to 'load' creatine in an attempt to reduce muscle losses in a time of injury, or for surgery, the recommendation is to consume about 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for 3-7 days, followed by the 3-5 gram per day recommendation,” adds Jones.  

You do not need to cycle or take weeks off from creatine supplements. Studies have shown that long-term supplementation of up to 30 grams daily for five years is safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals.

“The best way to take creatine is daily, all at once,” adds Werner. “It does not matter if you are fasted or fed or whether it is pre- or post-exercise.” Some choose to pair their creatine with other energizing or strengthening supplements, like protein powder or taurine.

Summary

For most people, taking 3-5 grams of supplemental creatine daily will be beneficial long-term. Some athletes, bodybuilders, or those recovering from injury may benefit from higher doses of up to 10 grams per day.

Taking a "loading dose" entails taking more of the supplement briefly to maximize your body's creatine stores before moving on to a lower maintenance dose.

A typical loading dose is 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight of creatine monohydrate for five to seven days, followed by three to five grams per day after that for maintenance. 

“For those interested in creatine for general wellness, potential endurance benefits, or increasing muscular strength and power as a lifestyle goal, loading is not necessary,” caveats Jones. “For a power-lifting athlete who may not already take creatine and recognize its benefits with a short window of training before competition, loading is worth it.” 

Werner adds that because of creatine’s ability to help the muscles retain water, this loading phase is often associated with increased body weight due to water retention. The slow-load method of three to five grams per day does not seem to lead to the same side effect.

Summary

Most people will not need to take a "loading dose" of creatine unless they are training for a competition or athletic event. Lower maintenance doses (3-5 grams a day) are enough to be effective. Taking higher doses of creatine can also lead to bloat and weight gain.

If you take a non-loading dose of creatine supplements (3-5 grams per day), slowly increasing your muscle creatine stores will take about three to four weeks. You also need to ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of protein in your diet to support muscle gain during this time (and always!).

“Depending on the effects you are looking for, you may or may not notice them sooner rather than later,” explains Jones. “Increases in muscle strength and power may be apparent sooner, while mental health and cognitive benefits are effects that you hope for in the long-term versus immediately."

Summary

You can expect to see improvements in muscle strength and power within 3-4 weeks of taking 3-5 grams of a creatine supplement.

While creatine has been supplemented in dosages of up to 30 grams per day for five years without clinically significant or serious adverse effects, Spano recommends limiting yourself to a maximum of 10 grams of creatine at one time. “Some people may notice a little bit of stomach upset if they take more than 10 grams in a single sitting,” she explains. 

As long as you’re using creatine monohydrate and buying a third-party tested supplement, the effectiveness should be the same regardless of the form you take it in. Some people find it easier to take creatine capsules instead of powders, but it's a personal choice.

Summary

While it isn't necessarily harmful, consuming more than 10 grams of creatine a day might lead to an upset stomach.

One of the biggest fears people, especially women, have about supplementing with creatine is the possibility of gaining weight or getting bloated. This might be a short-term side effect when loading creatine, but it doesn’t appear to be an issue for those who supplement with a moderate 3-5 grams per day. 

“Individuals who weigh themselves regularly may notice a couple of extra pounds on the scale, but this is due to an increase in fluid in muscle cells,” explains Jones.

Summary

Loading doses of creatine can cause water retention in muscle cells, which can lead to temporary bloat and weight gain. However, this shouldn't be an issue for those who take 3-5 grams a day.

Some health experts believe that a balanced diet provides adequate creatine and that supplementing with additional creatine is unnecessary because creatine is not an essential nutrient. However, there are some faults to this logic.

“While we do make very small amounts of creatine in the body, it cannot be made in quantities that show benefits in research,” says Jones. “Creatine also can be obtained from meat and fish, but a 4-ounce serving of salmon and beef each provides only .5 grams of creatine, with up to 30% of creatine lost in the cooking process. You would need to eat an unhealthy amount of animal protein to meet the 3-5 grams per day needed to see a benefit, and you would not be able to safely load if that was important for you.”  

There is also a misconception that anyone with kidney dysfunction should not supplement creatine, but Werner says this myth has been dispelled by decades of research showing chronic creatine supplementation had no effect on kidney function. 

Another reason some health experts do not recommend taking supplemental creatine is the concept that some people are creatine “non-responders.”  

“While it is true that people will react differently to varied diet interventions, foods, and supplements, studies suggesting there are complete 'non-responders' to creatine are a bit older and specific to muscular strength and power,” says Jones. “As suggested by this review, the two studies discussing non-responders were either unclear about their timing of administration or only included creatine three days per week. In my opinion, more research considering diet and lifestyle variables is needed to determine non-response to not only muscular benefits but also cognitive benefits.”

Creatine has research-backed therapeutic and clinical applications for neuromuscular and neurological health. Though the body makes a bit of it on its own, supplementing with creatine daily can help bolster athletic performance, muscle health, brain health, and mood.

Creatine has been wrongly marketed as a "man's supplement" for years. On the contrary, there is research to suggest that it might be even more beneficial for women—especially during menopause, and potentially during pregnancy (though we need more research to be sure).

When it comes to dosing, most people will want to consume 3-5 grams daily to reap the benefits of this supplement. Some extreme athletes and bodybuilders may opt to take higher doses when training for a big event. However, "loading" on creatine won't be necessary for the average person, and it could cause temporary bloating and weight gain. With creatine, more isn't always better: Be sure to stay under 10 grams of creatine a day to avoid stomach upset.

Pair creatine with a protein-rich diet and resistance training to further build your bone and muscle health.

As with any food, supplement, or compound, it is possible to have a negative reaction to creatine. But very serious allergic reaction to creatine is rare, and decades of research supports creatine’s safety, including in children and adolescents. 

That said, Jones suggests adding new foods or supplements in isolation (i.e. not trying a bunch of new things at once) so that it’s easier to identify any possible side effects. “Also consider stress, travel, and for menstruating women, consider the time of the month you add something new to your eating pattern or supplement routine, too,” Jones adds. 

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen, and remember that creatine is just one part of a comprehensive approach to health and fitness.