Creatine: The One Supplement Almost Everyone Should Be Talking About

I get asked about creatine a lot. So let me answer it the way I would if you were sitting across from me.

First things first — creatine is one of the most researched compounds in nutrition science. Alongside caffeine, it probably sits at the very top of the list when it comes to the volume and quality of evidence behind it. That matters, because in a world full of supplements making big promises, creatine is one of the few that has genuinely earned its place. (Lanhers et al., 2017; Kreider et al., 2017)

For a long time, it was seen as something only bodybuilders used. And I understand why that association stuck — for years, that was largely how it was being used. But we have moved well beyond that now. Today the conversation around creatine is much broader: performance, yes, but also recovery, healthy ageing, and increasingly, brain health. That last one is where things get really interesting.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. About 95% of the creatine in your body is stored in your muscles as phosphocreatine; the remaining 5% is found in the brain, heart, and testes.

Its primary job is to help regenerate ATP — adenosine triphosphate — the energy currency your cells use for short, intense bursts of effort. Think: the first 10 seconds of a sprint, a heavy set of squats, or the explosive push at the end of a race.

For Athletes

For athletes, the evidence is robust and consistent. Creatine supplementation has been shown to:

• Increase strength and power output during high-intensity exercise (Kazeminasab et al., 2025; Lanhers et al., 2017)

• Improve recovery between bouts of intense training

• Support muscle mass preservation during periods of caloric restriction or increased training load

• Reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation over time

For endurance athletes — cyclists, triathletes, runners — the benefits are perhaps less intuitive but still real. Creatine supports those high-intensity intervals within longer sessions, aids recovery between back-to-back training days, and may help buffer fatigue in the later stages of a race.

Beyond the Gym

Here is where it gets really interesting — and why I've started recommending creatine far beyond my athlete clients.

Women have naturally lower creatine stores than men (approximately 70–80% of male levels), yet we lose muscle mass faster during perimenopause and post-menopause due to declining estrogen. This is precisely the moment when creatine becomes most relevant.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick, whose work I follow closely, has highlighted the specific importance of creatine for women. Women appear to experience a greater relative benefit from supplementation compared to men, precisely because their baseline stores are lower. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis found that creatine combined with resistance training produced significant gains in strength and muscle mass in older women — particularly in programmes lasting 24 weeks or more (dos Santos et al., 2021).

Beyond muscle, the emerging evidence on creatine and the brain is one of the most compelling areas right now. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that creatine monohydrate supplementation positively supports cognitive function in adults — including memory, attention, and information processing speed (Xu et al., 2024). The brain is an energy-hungry organ, and phosphocreatine plays a real role in maintaining cognitive performance under stress or mental load. Rhonda Patrick has discussed this at length, and it is something I experience personally. I take 5g in the morning around my training, and on days with back-to-back consultations or talks, I top up with an additional 4–5g in the afternoon. I only drink one coffee a day — and this approach genuinely supports my focus and mental stamina across long, demanding days.

On the physical side, the benefit I notice most is delayed fatigue — on the bike and at the gym, there is a marginal but noticeable difference in how long I can sustain effort before that drop-off hits. It's not dramatic, but for anyone who trains regularly, that margin matters. And I want to be honest: these benefits only show up with consistent daily use. Creatine is not something you take once or twice a week and expect results from — it works by gradually saturating your muscle stores over time.

For women in perimenopause especially, bone density is also a consideration. A 2-year randomised controlled trial found that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training helped preserve bone geometry at key sites including the femoral neck in postmenopausal women (Chilibeck et al., 2023).

Debunking the Myths

"It causes water retention and bloating." Creatine does draw water into muscle cells — which is actually part of the mechanism by which it supports muscle function. This is intracellular water (inside the muscle, where you want it), not the kind of bloating people fear. With standard dosing (3–5g/day), most people experience no visible change in their appearance. The bloating concern is largely a legacy of older, higher loading protocols.

"It damages your kidneys." This myth has been studied extensively and consistently disproven in healthy individuals. The ISSN position stand confirms that creatine monohydrate supplementation is safe for healthy adults (Kreider et al., 2017). As always, if you have pre-existing kidney conditions, speak to your doctor first.

"It's only for men / bodybuilders." As discussed above, the opposite is increasingly true. Women, older adults, and cognitively demanding professionals have some of the most compelling reasons to consider it.

How to Take It:

Form: Stick to creatine monohydrate — it's the most studied form and the most affordable. The fancier variants don't have the evidence to justify the price.

Dose: 3–5g per day is the standard maintenance dose for most adults. There is no need for a loading phase (20g/day for 5–7 days) — you will achieve the same muscle saturation over 3–4 weeks with a consistent 5g/day. Loading simply gets you there faster but at the cost of greater initial water retention and digestive discomfort for some people.

Timing: Taking creatine around your training makes practical sense — it fits naturally into your routine and means you're less likely to forget it. Personally, I mix Thorne creatine powder directly into my protein shake pre or post training. It dissolves easily and adds nothing in terms of taste. On days where I need that extra cognitive edge in the afternoon — back-to-back consultations, talks, mentally demanding sessions — I use creatine chews or gummies for the split dose. They're not as clean as the powder, but they're convenient and it's not something I do every single day.

One thing I want to be clear about: consistency is everything with creatine. It works by gradually saturating your muscle stores — that takes time. Taking it one or two days a week achieves very little. You need to take it daily, whether you train that day or not.

With what: Creatine is absorbed well on its own with water. Some research suggests taking it with carbohydrates and protein may slightly improve muscle uptake, but for most people this isn't a practical concern.

Creatine is well-tolerated by most healthy adults. As with any supplement, if you have a pre-existing health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are on prescription medication, check with your GP before starting.

Food sources: Red meat and fish contain creatine naturally — herring is the richest source at up to 10g per kg raw, followed by beef and salmon at around 4–5g per kg raw. To reach a 5g supplementation dose from beef alone, you would need to eat approximately 1kg of raw steak daily. Herring gets you there with around 500g, but that is still an unrealistic daily target. For anyone eating a plant-based or predominantly plant-forward diet, supplementation is even more relevant, as dietary creatine intake will be minimal.

My Takeaway

Creatine monohydrate sits in a rare category: a supplement with decades of robust research behind it, a genuinely excellent safety profile, and meaningful benefits that extend well beyond the traditional athletic use case. For active men and women — especially those over 35 — it deserves serious consideration as part of a well-designed nutrition strategy.

It is not a shortcut. It works best alongside consistent resistance training, adequate protein intake, and the fundamentals of a nourishing diet. But used thoughtfully, it is one of the few supplements I feel confident recommending across a wide range of clients.

If you're curious whether creatine makes sense for your specific goals, training load, or life stage, this is exactly the kind of conversation we can have in a 1:1 consultation.

Book your free discovery call here →

Your journey to wellness starts now.

Karelle

Functional Nutrition Therapist (BANT, CNHC)

Proud winner of the Health & Wellness Award – Algarve Business Awards 2025

References

• Kazeminasab F et al. The effects of creatine supplementation on upper- and lower-body strength and power: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2025.

• Lanhers C et al. Creatine supplementation and upper limb strength performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2017.

• dos Santos EEP et al. Efficacy of creatine supplementation combined with resistance training on muscle strength and muscle mass in older females: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2021.

• Xu C et al. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2024.

• Chilibeck PD et al. A 2-year randomized controlled trial on creatine supplementation during exercise for postmenopausal bone health. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023.

• Kreider RB et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017.

• Patrick R. FoundMyFitness Podcast — Creatine episodes (foundmyfitness.com)