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Creatine Supplements May Benefit Women More Than Men — Here's Why
When you hear the word creatine, a picture of a bulky man ripping through chest presses may come to mind (or at least that's my mental image). But this supplement isn't just for helping men with big muscles get even bigger muscles.
Creatine is a compound that is especially important for women—and one that many are lacking. So, there's the potential that creatine supplements may have even greater effects in women.
If you've been debating whether a creatine supplement is right for you (or wondering whether it will make you bulky rather than lean), we get it. And we have the (research-backed) answers for why creatine is the ultimate women's health supplement.
Women have lower creatine stores than men
Creatine is a compound stored in the body. About 95% of it is stored in muscle tissue (with part of the remaining 5% stored in the brain). The muscles and brain tap into your creatine reserves when it needs quick energy—like during high-intensity exercise or complex thinking.
To get the most energy-generating benefits from creatine, your creatine stores need to be fully saturated. This is where women have a disadvantage. Women naturally exhibit 70–80% lower creatine stores than men. And there are a few reasons why that's the case:
- On average, women have less total muscle mass than men, so they naturally have fewer storage sites for creatine.
- You can get some creatine naturally through the diet, but only through animal proteins like meat, poultry, and fish. Research shows women tend to consume less dietary creatine than men.
- The body can also produce creatine endogenously using three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. However, protein intake still has to be optimal to do this, and this isn't often the case.
- Preliminary research indicates that estrogen plays a role in how the body uses creatine. So, during times like menopause, when estrogen levels are low, muscle creatine availability may also be low.
Creatine supplements are the most efficient way to saturate creatine, and because of the starting point many women are at with this compound, supplementation might be especially helpful compared to men.*
Here are the benefits of creatine supplements for women according to the research.
It'll help you build muscle & strength
Creatine is the most studied supplement, and there's ample evidence that it's effective at increasing muscle, strength, power, and performance in women—without changes in body weight.
Research shows that creatine can help women who regularly exercise and who are new to exercise. In fact, one study found that women new to strength training gained about 5.72 pounds of lean mass over 10 weeks—that's 61% more lean mass than women who didn't supplement1.*
And no, gaining muscle mass does not make you look bulky. Creatine actually helps you get the lean results you want.* You'd have to intentionally train and eat for size (think heavy bodybuilding and a calorie surplus) to significantly "bulk."
Gaining lean mass is one of the best levers you can pull to improve your metabolic health. Muscle mass helps regulate blood sugar and improves the efficiency of your metabolism (making it easier for you to lose fat if that's the goal).
And push past that plateau at the gym
When you hit a plateau, your body has essentially adapted to your current routine.
Creatine helps increase your training capacity—meaning you can lift heavier, recover faster, or push more reps.* Think of it as adding fuel to your workouts so you can level up—whether you're lifting, running, jumping, or grinding through circuits.
It can improve your mood
The prevalence of low mood concerns in women are double that of men. Part of this difference is linked to the abundance of hormonal milestones a woman goes through in life (from puberty to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause).
Women also have lower creatine levels in the brain, particularly in the frontal cortex. This is the region that regulates mood, memory, and emotions.
People with low moods often show deficits in brain energy levels. So, supplementing with creatine can help increase energy reserves in the brain and help provide some much-needed balance.*
And it can support cognition
Creatine's effects on the brain also support cognition and have been shown to improve memory, focus, and mental fatigue.
Now, let's face it, women often handle a lot of multitasking in daily life—which drains mental energy (and even hurts sleep quality).
Creatine supplements help support mental energy and memory performance. New research shows it can perk up your brain power2 the day following a horrendous night's sleep.*
How much to supplement with?
To reap these benefits, you can supplement with 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate every day (you can even bump it up to 10 if you want to focus more on the mental health benefits).*
Always look for creatine powder (not gummy) that provides a pure source of creatine monohydrate. There are so many creatine supplements to choose from, but women love mindbodygreen's creatine with taurine+ to get stronger and look toned.
Each serving provides 5 grams of creatine and 2 grams of the amino acid taurine (which further supports muscle and mental health).*
Impressed and kinda bummed I didn’t start earlier
If you'd prefer to take creatine with electrolytes, then we recommend this one.
The takeaway
Creatine supplements have long been geared toward men, but women are just as likely (if not more so) to benefit from daily supplementation.*
Here at mindbodygreen, we're making creatine approachable for women (although men certainly benefit from this formula as well). Click here to learn more about it.
