Creatine & Women’s Health: Why It Deserves More Attention

September 18, 2025

While creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sports and exercise science, much of the data has focused on men. This new review takes a deep dive into how creatine impacts women throughout different stages of life — from pre-menopause through pregnancy, menopause, mood, cognition, and aging. The evidence suggests that women can gain many of the same, and some distinct, benefits when using creatine intelligently.

Key Takeaways

Here are the main findings from the review, along with practical implications:

Area	What the Evidence Shows	What Women Should Know
Baseline & physiology	Women generally have 70–80% lower internal creatine stores than men. (PMC) Hormones (especially estrogen and progesterone) influence creatine synthesis, transport, and utilization. (PMC)	Lower baseline stores may mean women can benefit significantly from supplementation. Hormonal fluctuations (cycle, menopause) could change how effective dosing is.
Pre-menopausal / performance & strength	Creatine supplementation improves strength, power, and performance in pre-menopausal women. Improvements seen in both trained and untrained women. (PMC) No large, consistent increases in body fat; weight gain tends to be from water or lean mass, not fat. (PMC)	Short-term “loading” (higher dose) can help; resistance training combined with creatine is especially powerful. For women concerned about weight gain, knowing much is water can ease concerns.
Pregnancy & postpartum	There are alterations in creatine homeostasis during pregnancy (e.g., depleted stores), and lower creatine has been associated with low birth weight and pre-term birth in some studies. Animal studies suggest supplementation may help with fetal development and reduce injury risk. However, human clinical trials are lacking. (PMC)	More research is needed before recommending widespread use in pregnancy. If considering, always talk to a healthcare provider. But the potential is promising.
Menopause / post-menopause	Menopause brings lower estrogen, which is associated with loss of muscle mass, bone density, strength, and increased oxidative stress. Creatine combined with resistance training can help counteract some of these losses. Some studies show high-dose short-term creatine alone improves lean body mass, strength, function in older women. (PMC)	For post-menopausal women, pairing creatine with resistance training seems especially effective. Higher dosages for short periods may help jump-start benefits. Long-term studies are fewer, so monitoring and consistency matter.
Mood, cognition, sleep	Female rates of depression are higher, especially in puberty, perimenopause, postpartum, etc. Creatine supports brain energy metabolism and neurotransmitter balance. Studies show creatine supplementation can enhance mood (especially when combined with antidepressants) and improve cognition and mental fatigue in stressful or sleep-deprived contexts. (PMC)	Creatine might be an adjunct to mental health care. It’s not a replacement, but could enhance mood, especially during challenging phases. Also, for women experiencing sleep disturbances, creatine may offer cognitive support.
Safety & dosing	Overall, creatine appears very safe in women with minimal adverse effects, comparable to placebo. (PMC) There are established dosing strategies: • Loading phase: ~0.3 g/kg/day (~20 g/day in divided doses) for ~5 days; • Maintenance: ~3-5 g/day. (PMC) For brain effects a somewhat higher maintenance (5-10 g/day) may be used. (PMC	Stick to standard, researched dosing; consider loading only if faster results are needed. Spread doses throughout the day. Take with meals (especially those with some carbs/protein) to support uptake. Be aware individual responses vary.

Area

What the Evidence Shows

What Women Should Know

Baseline & physiology

Women generally have 70–80% lower internal creatine stores than men. (PMC) Hormones (especially estrogen and progesterone) influence creatine synthesis, transport, and utilization. (PMC)

Lower baseline stores may mean women can benefit significantly from supplementation. Hormonal fluctuations (cycle, menopause) could change how effective dosing is.

Pre-menopausal / performance & strength

Creatine supplementation improves strength, power, and performance in pre-menopausal women. Improvements seen in both trained and untrained women. (PMC) No large, consistent increases in body fat; weight gain tends to be from water or lean mass, not fat. (PMC)

Short-term “loading” (higher dose) can help; resistance training combined with creatine is especially powerful. For women concerned about weight gain, knowing much is water can ease concerns.

Pregnancy & postpartum

There are alterations in creatine homeostasis during pregnancy (e.g., depleted stores), and lower creatine has been associated with low birth weight and pre-term birth in some studies. Animal studies suggest supplementation may help with fetal development and reduce injury risk. However, human clinical trials are lacking. (PMC)

More research is needed before recommending widespread use in pregnancy. If considering, always talk to a healthcare provider. But the potential is promising.

Menopause / post-menopause

Menopause brings lower estrogen, which is associated with loss of muscle mass, bone density, strength, and increased oxidative stress. Creatine combined with resistance training can help counteract some of these losses. Some studies show high-dose short-term creatine alone improves lean body mass, strength, function in older women. (PMC)

For post-menopausal women, pairing creatine with resistance training seems especially effective. Higher dosages for short periods may help jump-start benefits. Long-term studies are fewer, so monitoring and consistency matter.

Mood, cognition, sleep

Female rates of depression are higher, especially in puberty, perimenopause, postpartum, etc. Creatine supports brain energy metabolism and neurotransmitter balance. Studies show creatine supplementation can enhance mood (especially when combined with antidepressants) and improve cognition and mental fatigue in stressful or sleep-deprived contexts. (PMC)

Creatine might be an adjunct to mental health care. It’s not a replacement, but could enhance mood, especially during challenging phases. Also, for women experiencing sleep disturbances, creatine may offer cognitive support.

Safety & dosing

Overall, creatine appears very safe in women with minimal adverse effects, comparable to placebo. (PMC) There are established dosing strategies: • Loading phase: ~0.3 g/kg/day (~20 g/day in divided doses) for ~5 days; • Maintenance: ~3-5 g/day. (PMC) For brain effects a somewhat higher maintenance (5-10 g/day) may be used. (PMC

Stick to standard, researched dosing; consider loading only if faster results are needed. Spread doses throughout the day. Take with meals (especially those with some carbs/protein) to support uptake. Be aware individual responses vary.

Practical Recommendations

To turn the science into action, here are some guidelines women might consider if weighing whether to use creatine:

Determine your goals: Whether it's strength gains, recovery, cognitive support, mood stabilization, or mitigating menopausal muscle or bone loss — your goal will guide dosing and whether to combine with resistance training.
Choose timing with your cycle or life stage in mind:

During phases of hormonal fluctuation (e.g. menstrual luteal phase, perimenopause) when creatine metabolism may be less favorable, consistent supplementation may help buffer performance drops.
After menopause, when estrogen drops, combining creatine with resistance training may yield maximum benefits.

Dose smartly:

5 g/day is sufficient for ongoing benefits.
For brain effects (mood, cognition), some studies use higher maintenance (5-10 g/day).
Always stay well hydrated. Creatine draws water into the muscle cells which may cause a bloating sensation. Remember to keep water intake consistent.

Resistance training matters: Especially in post-menopause, adding structured weight training enhances gains in muscle, strength, bone health.
Monitor and adjust: Everyone responds differently. Keep track of performance measures, strength, mood, body composition. If no improvements after a reasonable period, revisit dose, training, or dietary support.
Consult healthcare providers especially if pregnant, have kidney issues, or other medical conditions

Limitations & What We Still Don’t Know

There are no human trials yet that clearly define how creatine supplementation affects pregnancy outcomes in humans. (PMC)
Many existing studies are short-term, small sample sizes, or limited to certain age groups.
More research is needed on creatine’s efficacy across different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Long-term effects in older women (beyond a year or two) especially with bone health, fracture risk, etc., are not fully established.

Final Thoughts

Creatine isn’t just for the gym bros. The evidence is increasingly showing it has strong potential for women throughout life: for athletic performance, rebuilding strength, improving mood, brain health, and counteracting age-related decline in muscle and bone. With smart dosing, resistance training, and attention to individual needs throughout the life stages, it may be a powerful, low-risk tool.

Back to blog