What creatine is, and what it does

Creatine is a compound your body makes and also gets from food, mostly meat and fish. It helps your muscles regenerate energy quickly during short, hard efforts, which is why it became popular in strength and power sports.

An International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand describes creatine monohydrate as the most effective nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training. ¹ The same review covers possible roles in recovery and in clinical settings, and concludes that creatine monohydrate appears safe across a wide range of ages. ¹

For a hybrid athlete, the practical effect is simple: a little more capacity for hard sets and sprints, which over months can add up to more training done. Creatine does not replace the training, the sleep or the protein. It sits on top of them.

What research in women suggests

Most early creatine research was done in men. A 2021 review that looked at women across the lifespan argues that hormonal changes affect how the body handles creatine, and that this has been largely overlooked. ² The authors suggest supplementation may be particularly relevant around menstruation, pregnancy, after giving birth, and during and after menopause, and they call for more studies on exactly these phases. ²

The same review reports that women after menopause may see benefits in muscle size and function with higher doses, and favourable effects on bone when creatine is combined with resistance training. ² It also points to a systematic review that found no clear adverse effects on the gut, kidneys, liver or heart in women taking creatine. ²

This is promising but still young research. Treat it as a reason to be curious, not as a promise.

Creatine, strength training and getting older

Muscle is something you keep by using it, and resistance training is the main tool. Creatine appears to help that tool work a little better. A meta-analysis of 22 randomised trials with 721 participants, average ages between 57 and 70, found that people who took creatine during resistance training gained more lean tissue mass than those on placebo, by about 1.37 kg on average. ⁴ The authors concluded that creatine increased lean mass and both upper and lower body strength during training. ⁴

In the EU, health claims on food and supplements must be authorised. For adults over 55 who do regular resistance training, the authorised claim is that daily creatine can enhance the effect of resistance training on muscle strength. ⁵ The conditions attached are telling: 3 g a day, with resistance training at least three times a week for several weeks at 65–75% of your one-repetition maximum or more. ⁵ The training is the point; creatine is the helper.

Most of these trials studied people older than our typical reader. If you are in your 30s or 40s and already lift, the useful takeaway is the pattern rather than the age: the people who gained most were the ones training regularly and progressively, with creatine on top. ⁴

How people take it

The ISSN stand describes a loading approach of about 5 g four times a day (roughly 0.3 g per kg of body weight) for 5–7 days, followed by 3–5 g a day to maintain stores. ¹ Larger athletes may need up to 5–10 g a day. ¹

Loading is optional. A later expert review concluded that smaller daily doses of 3–5 g (or about 0.1 g per kg) are effective, and that a loading phase is not required; it only fills your stores faster. ³

• Choose creatine monohydrate, the form behind most of the research. ¹
• Take it every day, with any meal. Consistency matters more than timing.
• Pair it with strength training two or three times a week, or it has little to work with.
• Expect a small rise in body weight in the first week if you load. That is mostly water inside the muscle, not fat. ¹
• Pick a product with a short, plain ingredient list. Blends with stimulants or proprietary mixes make it hard to know what you are taking.

Myths, safety and who should ask first

Kidneys: the worry traces back to misconceptions about how creatine is broken down and to a single case report from 1998, and the expert review found little evidence for kidney harm in healthy people. ³ The ISSN stand reached a similar conclusion for healthy and clinical populations at recommended doses. ¹

Hair loss: the concern comes from one study in male rugby players that reported a rise in the hormone DHT. That result has not been repeated, and the review found no evidence that creatine causes hair loss. ³

Water and bloating: a short-term rise in water is mainly inside the muscle cells, and several longer studies found no change in total body water. ³

Even so, a supplement is a decision for your situation. Talk to your doctor before you start if you have kidney disease, take regular medication, or are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding. Research on these phases is still early. ²

Questions people ask