Why Women Need Creatine: The Science Behind the Most Underrated Supplement for Female Health

What Is Creatine and Why Should Women Care?

Creatine has been associated with bulky men throwing weights around, but the last few decades of research are flipping that narrative entirely. We know creatine is not just for men. If you’re a woman, it may be one of the most relevant supplements you should consider.

Creatine is a compound naturally occurring in the body, synthesized mostly in the liver and kidneys from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. But your body only produces some (about 1 gram a day) on its own; you get additional creatine from dietary sources like red meat and seafood.

It’s stored primarily in your muscles (about 95%) and brain (about 5%), where it helps regenerate energy in the form of ATP during high-intensity, short-duration movements, like jumps, throws, picking up kids, or lugging groceries upstairs. These movements require quick energy and even faster energy regeneration so they can be repeated over and over.

Here’s the reality: women, on average, start at a biological disadvantage when it comes to creatine. And that gap may have wide-ranging implications when women are not aware of and taking action on the fact that creatine can support muscle and bone health, mood, cognition, and reproductive wellness across every phase of life.*

Women Have Significantly Lower Creatine Stores

Why do females benefit from creatine? Their physiological differences compared to males are considered significant. For one, women have 70–80% lower endogenous creatine stores compared to men.¹ Several factors contribute to this disparity:

Lower muscle mass. Since creatine is stored largely in skeletal muscle, women’s naturally lower muscle mass means they have less storage capacity to begin with.

Lower dietary intake. Women consume approximately 30-40% less dietary creatine than men.¹ The richest food sources of creatine are animal protein sources, including red meat, pork, and fish. These are often eaten in smaller portions by women, and anyone following a vegetarian or vegan diet may consume virtually none.

Hormonal influences. Estrogen and progesterone directly affect how the body synthesizes, stores, and uses creatine. Fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, and life stages – including during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and menopause – all appear to influence creatine metabolism in ways unique to women.²

A 2025 comprehensive review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that creatine supplementation may be particularly important during menses and during and after menopause precisely because hormonal shifts alter creatine metabolism at each of these stages.²

How Your Hormones Affect Creatine Across A Woman’s Lifetime

The Menstrual Cycle

Creatine metabolism doesn’t operate in a vacuum – it changes with your cycle. Estrogen appears to upregulate several enzymes involved in creatine synthesis, while progesterone may blunt some of those effects. During the luteal phase (the second half of a menstrual cycle, when progesterone rises), creatine availability in tissues may be reduced.²

Importantly, a large population-based study using NHANES 2017–2020³ data found that women with adequate dietary creatine intake had less association with irregular menstrual cycles, suggesting creatine status may play a role in maintaining hormonal and reproductive health.*

Perimenopause and Menopause

As estrogen declines during perimenopause and menopause, women experience changes in muscle mass, bone density, cognitive function, and mood. Creatine may help impact several of these shifts.*

A 2025 randomized controlled trial, the CONCRET-MENOPA study, found that eight weeks of creatine supplementation increased creatine concentrations in the brain of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and supported aspects of cognitive performance and overall well-being.⁴ Meanwhile, research suggests that postmenopausal women may experience benefits in skeletal muscle size and function with creatine supplementation, particularly when combined with resistance training.

The Brain-Creatine Connection Women Need to Know About

Muscle isn’t the only tissue that runs on creatine. Your brain is one of the most energy-hungry organs in the body, demanding about 20% of the body’s daily energy. In some cases, creatine can help to maintain that energy supply.

A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 clinical trials found that creatine supplementation was associated with measures of cognitive performance in adults.⁷ In instances where creatine stores may be lower and hormonal fluctuations can influence cognitive function, as is the case for many women, creatine availability may be an important consideration. Creatine plays a key role in cellular energy production, and supporting healthy creatine levels may help support normal cognitive function.

The mood impact is equally compelling. Studies suggest an inverse relationship between dietary creatine intake and measures of mood, and emerging research points to creatine as a potential tool for supporting emotional well-being and a balanced mood. This is particularly relevant for women, who are statistically more likely to experience changes in mood, especially during hormonal transitions like perimenopause.

Why Diet Alone Often Isn’t Enough

Even women who eat animal protein regularly may fall short of optimal creatine levels. Here’s why:

• Cooking reduces creatine content. High heat degrades creatine in food, so the amount you absorb from a well-done steak is considerably less than from the raw weight.
• You’d need to eat a lot. Getting 5 grams of creatine per day from food alone would require roughly 2 pounds of cooked ground beef, which is not realistic for most people.
• Vegans and vegetarians lack intake. Creatine is found almost exclusively in animal muscle tissue. Plant-based eaters rely entirely on the body’s own synthesis, which may not meet all of their needs.

For women who are active, going through hormonal transitions, or simply not eating large amounts of meat or fish, dietary intake alone likely leaves a meaningful gap.*

How Does Creatine Benefit Women?

Based on the current body of research, creatine supplementation in women is associated with the following potential benefits:

Muscle strength and body composition. Particularly relevant for active women and those in or approaching menopause, creatine can support gains in strength and lean mass when combined with regular resistance training.*¹

Bone health. When combined with resistance training, creatine may help support bone health and healthy bone density in postmenopausal women, an important consideration during the menopausal transition when changes in estrogen levels can influence bone health.*

Cognitive function. Women may have lower baseline creatine stores than men, and emerging evidence suggests creatine supplementation may help support cognitive function, particularly during periods of increased cognitive demand, such as occasional sleepiness.*¹,⁶

Mood and mental wellness. Early research suggests creatine may support mood and help manage healthy mood balance, which may be particularly relevant given the influence of hormonal fluctuations on mood changes in women.*¹

Menstrual health. Emerging research is exploring the relationship between creatine status and women’s health. While this area continues to evolve, researchers are investigating how creatine may play a role in supporting normal physiological processes related to the menstrual cycle.

How Much Creatine Should a Woman Take?

Most research in women has used doses in the range of 3–5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate, the most studied available form. Creatine monohydrate is generally recognized as safe and well-tolerated. The most common side effect reported is water retention in muscle tissue, which is actually part of the mechanism by which creatine works and is not the same as bloating or fat gain. The modest muscular water weight retention is usually short-term.

The Bottom Line: Creatine Is a Women’s Health Conversation

The science is clear: women’s bodies are different when it comes to creatine biology. Their uniqueness, including lower creatine stores, lower dietary intake, and a lifetime of hormonal fluctuations, means that women have a distinct and compelling case for paying attention to creatine. Not just for athletic performance, but for brain health, bone health, mood, and healthy aging.*

AG1 Pro contains 5 grams of Creavitalis® creatine monohydrate, and can support muscle strength and lean mass, key for maintaining vitality and supporting metabolic resilience for women through midlife and beyond.*

References:

1. Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):877. doi:10.3390/nu13030877
2. Smith-Ryan AE, DelBiondo GM, Brown AF, Kleiner SM, Tran NT, Ellery SJ. Creatine in women’s health: bridging the gap from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(1):2502094. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2502094
3. Ostojic SM, Stea TH, Ellery SJ, Smith-Ryan AE. Association between dietary intake of creatine and female reproductive health: Evidence from NHANES 2017-2020. Food Sci Nutr. 2024;12(7):4893-4898. doi:10.1002/fsn3.4135
4. Korovljev D, Ostojic J, Panic J, et al. The Effects of 8-Week Creatine Hydrochloride and Creatine Ethyl Ester Supplementation on Cognition, Clinical Outcomes, and Brain Creatine Levels in Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women (CONCRET-MENOPA): A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2026;45(3):199-210. doi:10.1080/27697061.2025.2551184
5. Prokopidis K, Giannos P, Triantafyllidis KK, Kechagias KS, Forbes SC, Candow DG. Effects of creatine supplementation on memory in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2023;81(4):416-427. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuac064
6. Forbes SC, Cordingley DM, Cornish SM, et al. Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):921. doi:10.3390/nu14050921
7. Xu C, Bi S, Zhang W, Luo L. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1424972. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1424972