Your Complete Guide to Creatine for Women: Benefits, Side Effects, and How to Use the Supplement

9 min readIn a world of supplements that tend to overpromise and underdeliver health benefits, creatine is a diamond in the rough. It’s been studied to death for its ability to boost strength, enhance exercise performance, and promote muscle growth—but unlike most other supplements, the science behind it is actually pretty solid.Essentially, creatine helps supply your muscles with energy during workouts, so you can push harder and recover better. (Think heavier lifts and stronger sprints, with the potential for less muscle soreness the next day.) Plus, creatine is low-risk, high-reward: Women of all ages can benefit from taking it—especially if your goals include boosting your performance, going for strength gains, or improving recovery, according to Nicole Lund, RDN, a clinical nutritionist, and Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a functional medicine practitioner and WH advisory board member.In fact, creatine might be especially helpful for women. “This is partly because women tend to have lower natural creatine stores than men,” adds Dr. Lyon—around 70 to 80 percent less, according to a 2021 study in Nutrients. On top of that, women often get less creatine through their diets, making them good candidates for supplementation.Ahead, learn more about the benefits of creatine for women, potential side effects, how to use it, and beyond.Meet the experts: Nicole Lund, RDN, MPH, is an NYU Langone clinical nutritionist and personal trainer. Gabrielle Lyon, DO, is a functional medicine practitioner, WH advisory board member, the founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine, and the author of Forever Strong. Dana Angelo White, RDN, ATC, is an athletic trainer and registered dietitian-nutritionist.What is creatine, and how does it work?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. “[ATP] helps with muscle growth as well as improved endurance, power, and recovery,” says Dana Angelo 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.Our bodies produce about 1 g 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. 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 1 to 2 g per pound, says White. That’s where creatine supplements come in handy, making it a heck of a lot easier and more realistic to get the 3 to 5 g per day that most professionals recommend, says White.6 Benefits of Creatine, According to ResearchDespite the massive body of research on creatine that exists, it wasn’t 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.1. It may help build and maintain muscle.When paired with resistance training, creatine supplementation can be incredibly helpful for muscle support. People who combined creatine supplementation with resistance training increased their lean body mass by 1.14 kg (2.5 lbs) compared with 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.For older women experiencing sarcopenia—the natural loss of muscle tissue that comes with age—taking creatine can be especially beneficial. “Muscle is more metabolically active, meaning the more muscle tissue you have on your body, the better your metabolism will be,” 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.2. It can boost energy to level up workouts.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.With more energy available, creatine can also 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. If you can lift heavier or run faster or longer before your muscles burn out, you’ll get stronger over time, adds Lund.3. It might enhance muscle recovery.Creatine can also assist with better recovery between workouts, says Lund. The energy you'll feel from the increased ATP doesn’t just help you power through tough workouts; it also supports faster recovery afterward, according to the Nutrients report.There’s more research backing this up: Creatine supplementation likely accelerated recovery and boosted ATP production among female college student participants while they weren’t exercising, according to one small study. However, more research linking creatine supplementation and recovery is needed.4. It may improve cognitive function.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 such as congenital creatine deficiency syndromes, age-related cognitive decline (like Alzheimer’s disease), and neurodegenerative diseases (like Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease).5. It might curb the effects of short-term sleep deprivation.Because of creatine’s ability to support brain function, it can help lessen the blow of adverse cognitive effects caused by sleep deprivation. It won’t help you get better rest, but it might help you “rebound” after a poor night’s sleep, says White.In fact, a 2024 study in Nature had subjects take a singular dose of creatine monohydrate—the most effective and well-studied form of creatine—then perform cognitive tests during sleep deprivation. The tests showed that creatine supplementation may help reverse fatigue-related cognitive deterioration.That being said, we still totally recommend that you get a good night’s sleep to support your fitness goals and overall well-being.6. It can help you maintain homeostasis throughout the hormonal journey.Throughout each phase of the menstrual cycle, dramatic shifts in hormones like estrogen and progesterone affect the body’s natural creatine levels, sometimes dipping inadequately low. Supplementing creatine helps keep levels more consistent throughout the menstrual cycle, 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.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’s important to consult your healthcare provider before adding it to your routine to ensure it’s safe and appropriate for you.Is creatine safe? Yep, a majority of women can take creatine safely. The only women who should probably avoid it are those with kidney issues (see above) or during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, Dr. Lyon suggests getting creatine by prioritizing creatine-rich food sources, like red meat, instead. Additionally, creatine doesn’t seem to affect kidney function for healthy people, but those with known kidney disorders or dysfunction should steer clear, as it can possibly worsen kidney dysfunction, per Mayo Clinic.Experts also agree that the side effects of taking creatine are virtually nonexistent. 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’t translate to overall water retention, says Lund.However, bloating and gastrointestinal issues are pretty common early on. A 2025 study in medRxiv had 24 healthy women and men take creatine monohydrate over 28 days. One group took 5 g a day, while the other took 20 g a day for 14 days, then 5 g 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 supplement.Another major myth is that creatine leads to excessive weight gain. Experts say this is particularly uncommon among 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, including one review in Nutrients.Build muscle and lose fat with our exclusive body recomp planCreatine also shouldn’t 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.Of course, as with any supplement, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before making it a part of your health routine.How to Start Taking CreatineCreatine 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 5-g serving—no 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:Look for creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is “the optimal form of creatine for our bodies” 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 “NSF Certified for Sport” or “Informed Choice” badge on the container. That means it’s 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 have been around for a while, if it’s 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. “I would stay away from anything that has anything extra that you may or may not know how it's going to impact your body,” Lund adds.Shop Our Favorite Creatine SupplementsOther Frequently Asked QuestionsHow much creatine should you take?You should take 5 g (one serving) once daily. The "every single day" recommendation is key here. There are "benefits for taking it consistently—even on rest days—to keep the muscle creatine levels high" and get all those benefits above, Lund says.Should you take creatine before or after your workout?“Research is inconclusive about timing,” says Lund, meaning it’s basically up to you. There are limited studies on this topic, and the current ones show that 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.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.What can you mix creatine powder with?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 in your diet, you can even mix both of them into your smoothie together for an efficient combo.)Plus, there are some benefits that come with taking creatine powder with protein and carbs, Lund says. Combining creatine with 50 g of protein and 50 g 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.Can creatine help women lose weight?Creatine doesn’t directly cause weight loss. “Creatine supplementation on its own and/or creatine supplementation with aerobic exercise only doesn't seem to increase lean body mass at all,” Lund says. However, if you’re combining creatine supplementation with resistance training, it can potentially lead to weight loss since it’s shown benefits of helping people train harder. Plus, it can help you build muscle, which can technically help you burn more calories and shed some weight in that sense.You won't want to miss out on the amazing benefits of this supplement. Ready for your biggest (mind and body) gains yet?Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for YouJustin SteeleRona Ahdout//Hearst Owned Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women’s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City—she recently completed her first marathon, the 2025 New York City Marathon—and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women's Health, she’s made an appearance on the Oprah Podcast and her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L'Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more. Olivia Luppino is an associate editor at Women’s Health and a RRCA-certified run coach. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She ran the New York City Marathon in 2025 and is training to run it again in 2026.