Creatine seems to be pushed everywhere at the moment, as some sort of elixir for women. But what does it actually do? A registered nutritionist breaks it down for us, and whether we actually need it!
Creatine – another new health trend that’s blowing up on social media.
By now you’ve likely had fitness influencers screaming at you during your scheduled late night doomscroll: “If you haven’t taken creatine yet, I’ll tell you why you need to start now in 60 seconds!”
It’s yet another thing dominating our feeds – added on top of a laundry list of health tips and must-dos we’re already barely keeping up with.
Overwhelming, I know. So to cut through the noise, we spoke to New Zealand registered nutritionist Amy Allport to break down what the science actually says (without the chemistry jargon, thank goodness!).
What is Creatine?
Creatine can sound quite intimidating for us non-science folks. Simply put, it is a non-protein compound that our bodies already make on its own, says Amy. We can get small amounts of it from food, particularly meat.
Amy, who also holds a masters in sports nutrition and has completed research on creatine, says it is stored mostly in our muscles and parts of our brain and it acts as a rapid energy source, especially during short bursts of intense workout.
It’s also one of the most heavily researched supplements on the planet, particularly for muscular health, with decades of data supporting its safety and efficacy, making it a standout from most wellness trends.
What Does Creatine Actually Do in the Body?
Creatine’s main job is helping your body produce energy quickly and boost your power in high performance workouts.
“It’s used as a fuel … the type that we use in the first eight to ten seconds of a really intense bout of exercise, “ says Amy.
This is what makes it so popular in the exercise space, she says. During high-intensity movement – think sprinting, rapid lifting, stop-start sports – our muscles can tap into the stored creatine energy to that power.
There’s also emerging research around creatine’s role in the brain, particularly cognition during sleep deprivation and recovery from brain damage or trauma, says Amy.
Why has Creatine Suddenly Become Popular with Women?
Amy says creatine’s rising popularity in women is coming from a cultural shift. “A lot of women are going after [fitness] goals that were once male-dominated areas. We’re looking at being stronger, fitter, faster than we ever were. That’s really being celebrated now.”
There’s also the biological factor, says Amy, because women typically have lower creatine levels than men, largely due to having less muscle mass on average.
That means supplementation can be particularly effective for women who train regularly, want support in strength training and muscle maintenance.
She says maintaining and holding muscle mass becomes increasingly important as we age, so if you can be an active female actively trying to get faster, stronger and growing muscle, then, “it is absolutely something useful and helpful.”
For general women’s health, says Amy, we should aim for building muscle and keeping that muscle for as long as possible. Think of creatine as something that should support that, as opposed to something that is necessary.
For example, there’s some studies suggesting creatine may support bone health, especially when combined with resistance training. But you need the fundamentals first for bone health: enough calories, protein, vitamin D and calcium.
For brain health, recent research shows potential benefits for cognition, especially during sleep deprivation. Again, creatine is an add-on.
“I would want women to nail [the fundamentals] first… [Otherwise, creatine] just probably won’t make much of a huge difference.”
Do I Need Creatine If I’m Not an Athlete or a Gym Girlie?
Short answer is no, you don’t need it.
“It’s really a sports supplement made to optimise sports performance, first and foremost. That’s where a lot of the research lies,” says Amy.
“We can absolutely survive and have a beautiful, healthy life without taking creatine as a supplement.”
If you prefer going on hot girl walks, yoga, pilates or gentle movement, creatine would be far less impactful. But because it’s so well-researched and safe, Amy said there’s no downside to trying it if you’re curious – particularly if you want to see how it helps your cognition and sleep deprivation. (Could be helpful for brain fog!)
Creatine vs Protein: What’s the Difference?
Protein is a macronutrient that is needed for our health. Amy says it’s so important for recovery and repair of all our cells, tissues and building new muscle. We need to eat relatively large amounts everyday.
READ: The New Era of Protein for Women: What is It, Why Do We Need It and How Much Do We Need?!
On the other hand, she says creatine is not essential. Our body makes some of it on its own and it doesn’t build muscle directly – it helps as an energy source and fuels intense workouts that allows muscle to grow.
How much Creatine should Women Take and When?
For sports performance, the most evidence-based dose is five grams a day, or about one teaspoon.
Amy explains that creatine doesn’t work instantly, it doesn’t work like caffeine or a pre-workout supplement. It will build up in our muscles over time, and will reach its peak saturation about four weeks in.
After that, her advice is to either continue with 5g daily or reduce to a smaller dose to save money. You could reduce the dose down to 0.3g per kilogram of body weight.
This also means you can take it any time of the day.
Loading phases or taking huge doses over a few days isn’t necessary, she adds, as it could cause an upset stomach.
For brain health, the recommended dose is 10g a day.
What’s the Best Form of Creatine?
Creatine monohydrate, usually in powder form. She says it could either be straight powder, so add a teaspoon of it in water, or its stored in a capsule.
When looking for the right supplement, Amy warns of products with unnecessary extra fancy ingredients in it. “That should be the only ingredient: creatine monohydrate.” But added flavouring is okay if you don’t like how it tastes.
She says there are a lot of gummies on the market now, but research have found it contains variable amounts of creatine, so it’s hard to exactly pinpoint the amount of creatine per gummy.
Creatine also exists in meat, but we’d need to eat an insane and impractical amount of meat to match the supplement levels.
