The Power of Creatine for Women’s Health and Fitness

Is creatine good for women?

An online search gives you a mixed bag of results, and clicking one brings an instant chain of creatine marketing hype to your phone or computer. Much of it features inflated promises, intended to generate maximum clicks and product sales.

Essentially, there’s been little substantive or well-funded research into creatine for women because large pharmaceutical companies don’t stand to generate a lot of profit from it. Creatine supplements are not FDA-approved, and to date, we’ve seen incomplete (and sometimes conflicting) data that validates their effectiveness.

So, when it comes to creatine benefits for females, is there evidence we can trust?

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid that supports energy production in cells, particularly in the muscles. It can improve strength and stamina during exercise, which often makes it a favorite of endurance athletes.

But is creatine good for women who aren’t necessarily athletes?

Many women hesitate to try creatine because they associate it with male bodybuilders and want to avoid generating excess muscle mass. But in men, male testosterone typically fosters a bodybuilder’s physique — not creatine.

Women who take creatine are still far less likely than men to develop bulky muscles. Creatine for women may support stronger lean muscles, among other advantages.

Let’s explore.

Creatine Benefits for Females

Is creatine good for women? Limited research and informed medical theory point to these potential pluses:

• Muscular strength: Creatine may reduce muscle fatigue in women and men and lead to greater gains in muscle mass, activity, and performance.
• Cognitive function: Creatine helps provide energy to the brain. It may improve cognitive function by increasing phosphocreatine and dopamine levels in the brain.
• Energy: Again, data is limited, but creatine is tentatively associated with improved energy levels in women.
• Bone health: Strong muscles fortify bones. Coupled with resistance training, creatine may encourage stronger bones or slow down bone loss.

But it’s a myth that over-the-counter creatine supplements are free of side effects. So, is there a downside to creatine for women?

Here are some possible drawbacks:

• Creatine helps draw water into muscles, so it can cause temporary weight gain in women who lift weights.
• Dosing may lead to heartburn or indigestion.
• Although generally safe in low amounts, excess creatine can damage the kidneys.

How Much Creatine Makes Sense for Women?

With any new supplement, figuring out proper dosage and timing can be a puzzle. Your Signature Healthcare physician has helpful advice about when and how much creatine to consume, depending on your goals and stage of life.

Here are a few tips:

• To help build stronger muscle, take creatine shortly before or after exercise.
• Otherwise, when you take creatine isn’t important, but because it may upset your stomach, consider taking it with food. Gritty supplement powders can be difficult to dissolve in water, so think about mixing your creatine into a thicker substance, like a smoothie.
• An effective basic dosage is 5g of creatine monohydrate daily. To avoid kidney damage, don’t consume more than 20g of creatine per day.
• If you combine creatine with exercise, hydrate adequately. Drink three to four ounces of water per gram of creatine to inhibit bloating and aid muscle recovery post-workout.

Creatine for Women and the Female Life Cycle

As you pass through milestone life stages like menopause or pregnancy, your fitness goals and nutritional needs change. Does creatine help you adapt to these cycles?

Pregnancy

Creatine’s effects on pregnant women haven’t been well studied — most current data comes from animal research.

I don’t recommend taking creatine during pregnancy until more data is available or unless dosing is recommended to you by a board-certified OB/GYN. Not an Instagram or TikTok influencer!

Menopause

If you’re menopausal, declining estrogen levels cause muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive function to decrease.

Small studies suggest creatine may help fight age-related cognitive decline and improve memory and processing speed. Combined with regular resistance training, creatine can help you maintain muscle, too.

Getting Started With Creatine

Interested in trying a creatine supplement? Here’s how to get started safely and effectively:

• First, consult your Signature Healthcare doctor to ensure that creatine is safe for you.
• Choose creatine monohydrate, the most-researched form of creatine.
• Select a reputable brand that’s USP-certified or recommended by ConsumerLab.com.
• Five grams of creatine per day is appropriate for most females. (In this case, it’s not true that if a little is good, a lot must be better — too much creatine can harm the kidneys.)
• Combine your creatine powder with eight ounces of cool or room-temperature water (hot water may reduce its effectiveness). Or, mix it into a smoothie.
• Pair your creatine use with a regular resistance training regimen for improved muscle mass and overall health benefits.

At Signature Healthcare, it’s part of our mission to be well informed about popular supplements, including their usefulness and effectiveness.

If you’re curious about creatine or any other supplement, check in with us. We love to answer your questions.