Why Women Need Creatine More than Men. The Secret to Better Health

ByHuman Health Co.

This one’s for the ladies. And when we say ladies, we mean all ladies—sedentary, athletic, pregnant, post partum, postmenopausal, stressed out, crushing life, or just surviving it. Every human needs creatine, but for women its especially important that we supplement with creatine. In this article, we’ll tell you exactly why that is. Head’s up, creatine is practically begging to be your new supplement bestie.

Why Women Need Creatine More than Men

Let’s be real: men hit the hormone lottery. As long as they’re eating well and exercising at least somewhat regularly, their hormones stay fairly level. No dramatic spikes, no chaotic dips. Must be nice, right? Meanwhile, we women played the lottery… and lost. Big time.

Our hormonal shifts throughout the month directly affect our need for creatine supplementation. Estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall across the 28-day menstrual cycle, and these swings impact how our bodies metabolize creatine. Both hormones influence creatine kinase—an enzyme crucial to creatine metabolism—which means our body’s ability to store and use creatine isn’t exactly consistent.

And as if that wasn’t enough, women naturally have 70–80% lower creatine stores than men11 even on our best days. Yeah… we lost that round too. But that’s exactly why creatine supplementation is so much more important for us.

Mental Health

Okay, let’s be honest: as women, we sometimes ride the emotional roller coaster like it’s our full-time job. We’re wired to be more empathetic, more prone to stress (multitasking is practically a sport), and those monthly hormone shifts? They sure don’t do us any favors in the mood department. Fun fact: women are twice as likely to experience depression compared to men2. Yup, another round of “why is this our life?”

But good news—your supplement bestie is here to help. Creatine isn’t just about muscles; it’s got major brain-boosting, mood-supporting powers too3. When your brain has enough energy, it functions better. Creatine supports cell survival and ramps up how efficiently your brain uses energy4.

And here’s the juicy part: research has found links between creatine levels in the brain and dopamine and serotonin5—the VIPs of mental health. Dopamine helps you feel pleasure and motivation, while serotonin helps regulate mood and is a precursor to melatonin, which means better sleep. So more creatine = more happy vibes, less burnout, and sweet, sweet slumber. Honestly, who doesn’t want that?

Aging Strong

Another jackpot men hit in the genetic lottery? Stronger, denser bones6. Meanwhile, women not only start with less bone density, but we also begin losing it earlier7—making us way more prone to osteoporosis (aka weak, brittle, break-with-a-sneeze bones). Sounds like a blast, right?

But here’s the silver lining: creatine can help. It supports muscle maintenance8—especially when paired with resistance training—and muscle, in turn, strengthens bone. That’s because muscle tugs on bone, which forces bones to adapt by becoming stronger. Some studies9 even suggest creatine may directly boost bone-building activity (hello, osteoblasts!) while slowing down bone breakdown.

Now, if you really want those benefits for your bones and muscles, you’ve got to move. And while we’re not knocking your Zumba class (you go, queen), if you’re looking to actually build muscle and support your skeleton, you’ll need to add some resistance training. Lifting weights won’t turn you into the Hulk—we promise. In fact, that myth is so tired it needs a nap. We’ve broken it down in full in our article on women and weightlifting1010—find it in the “Supporting Research” section below.

Stress and Sleep

Women process stress differently than men11. Naturally, we’re habitual multi-taskers and professional overthinkers, which makes us more prone to sleep deprivation. And just to really rub it in, sleep deprivation tends to be more detrimental to women than men12 — it lowers our alertness, increases fatigue-related risks, and tanks our cognition, especially during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle13. Honestly, did we win any genetic lottery at all?

Luckily, creatine has our backs here too. Studies have consistently shown that creatine supplementation improves cognitive performance and brain function14. Specifically, creatine helps support mental sharpness under sleep-deprived conditions15 and reduces mental fatigue during stressful tasks — aka, Tuesday.

Healthy Pregnancies

Of course, we all want a healthy pregnancy—that’s a no-brainer. But here’s the twist: creatine is a major supporter of pregnancy health that’s been flying under the radar for, well, ever.

Pregnancy kicks your metabolic demand into overdrive, especially thanks to the placenta (doing the most, as usual)16. That increased demand has been linked to reduced creatine levels, and lower creatine stores during pregnancy are associated with complications like low birth weight17 and preterm birth.

Emerging research suggests creatine supplementation during pregnancy helps in a big way. It boosts creatine uptake in fetal brain cells, protects mitochondrial function (read: energy powerhouses), and offers neuroprotective benefits to the developing fetus. There’s also evidence it may support better placental function and fetal development overall. In short: creatine might just be a safe, affordable tool to help reduce complications tied to cellular energy depletion during and after pregnancy.

How To Supplement Creatine

I know what you’re thinking: “Great, just another thing to add to my already packed to-do list.” But one of the best things about creatine is how ridiculously easy it is to work into your day.

You might have heard about needing a “loading dose”—taking a huge amount at first18,19. Good news: you can skip that. Studies show that not only is loading unnecessary, but it can actually cause extra water retention by overloading your cells20. Instead, just take the recommended 5 grams a day. That way, you’ll still get all the benefits—boosted muscles, bones, brains, babies, and bodies—without feeling like a water balloon.

Because creatine is tasteless and dissolves easily, you can throw it into literally anything you’re already drinking. That giant water bottle you treat like a permanent accessory? Just toss in a scoop, give it a shake, and you’re good to go. No fancy blenders, no frothy nonsense. Just simple, effective health gains.

Buyer Beware

The supplement world knows exactly how to play you—cue the dramatic marketing: “ultra-pure,” “next-gen creatine,” “supercharged for MAX results!” Yeah, no. When you see that kind of hype, do yourself a favor and scroll away.

Here’s the real deal: the most researched, safest, and most effective form of creatine is plain ol’ creatine monohydrate. No glitter, no gimmicks—just the good stuff. It’s cheap, it’s proven, and it works.

Those “premium blends” with fancy extras? Mostly just overpriced fluff that won’t do a thing for your muscles, your brain, or your wallet.

And if you’re thinking, “I’ll just eat more creatine-rich foods,” well, you’d need about 2 pounds of steak or 7.5 pounds of chicken every day to hit the recommended 5 grams. Good luck with that.

Women Need Creatine More than Men

Have you ever thought about the word “female”? Fe-male. Fe is the symbol for iron on the periodic table, which means female literally translates to iron man. Meanwhile, male… just means man. So yes, ladies, we finally won something in the genetic lottery!

No matter what stage of life we’re in, we are tough as nails and juggle more responsibilities in a day than a seasoned circus clown. But even the strongest among us need a little support to keep our bodies and brains performing at their best. Creatine is an easy, no-fuss addition to your daily routine that helps fuel your strength, resilience, and mental sharpness—so you can tackle every day like the iron woman you were born to be.

Supporting Research

  1. Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021; 13(3):877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877 ↩︎
  2. Bebbington, P.; Dunn, G.; Jenkins, R.; Lewis, G.; Brugha, T.; Farrell, M.; Meltzer, H. The influence of age and sex on the prevalence of depressive conditions: Report from the National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity. Int. Rev. Psychiatry 2003, 15, 74–83. ↩︎
  3. Agren, H.; Niklasson, F. Creatinine and creatine in CSF: Indices of brain energy metabolism in depression. Short note. J. Neural Transm. 1988, 74, 55–59. ↩︎
  4. Allen, P.J.; D’Anci, K.E.; Kanarek, R.B.; Renshaw, P.F. Chronic creatine supplementation alters depression-like behavior in rodents in a sex-dependent manner. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010, 35, 534–546. ↩︎
  5. Kondo, D.G.; Sung, Y.H.; Hellem, T.L.; Fiedler, K.K.; Shi, X.; Jeong, E.K.; Renshaw, P.F. Open-label adjunctive creatine for female adolescents with SSRI-resistant major depressive disorder: A 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. J. Affect. Disord. 2011, 135, 354–361. ↩︎
  6. Lang TF. The bone-muscle relationship in men and women. J Osteoporos. 2011;2011:702735. doi: 10.4061/2011/702735. Epub 2011 Oct 5. PMID: 22007336; PMCID: PMC3189615. ↩︎
  7. Collins, B.C.; Laakkonen, E.K.; Lowe, D.A. Aging of the musculoskeletal system: How the loss of estrogen impacts muscle strength. Bone 2019, 123, 137–144. ↩︎
  8. Candow D.G., Chilibeck P.D., Forbes S.C. Creatine supplementation and aging musculoskeletal health. Endocrine. 2014;45:354–361. doi: 10.1007/s12020-013-0070-4. ↩︎
  9. D.G. Candow, P.D. Chilibeck, Potential of creatine supplementation for improving aging bone health, The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, Volume 14, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 149-153,
    ISSN 1279-7707, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-009-0224-5. ↩︎
  10. Human Health Co. (2025e, April 22). Women and strength training: Will it actually make you “Look like a man”? – human health co.. Human Health Co. – Educating and empowering people to take control of their health. https://humanhealthco.com/women-and-strength-training-will-it-actually-make-you-look-like-a-man/ ↩︎
  11. Matud, M.P. Gender differences in stress and coping styles. Pers. Individ. Differ. 2004, 37, 1401–1415. ↩︎
  12. Blatter, K.; Graw, P.; Munch, M.; Knoblauch, V.; Wirz-Justice, A.; Cajochen, C. Gender and age differences in psychomotor vigilance performance under differential sleep pressure conditions. Behav. Brain Res. 2006, 168, 312–317.  ↩︎
  13. Vidafar, P.; Gooley, J.J.; Burns, A.C.; Rajaratnam, S.M.W.; Rueger, M.; Van Reen, E.; Czeisler, C.A.; Lockley, S.W.; Cain, S.W. Increased vulnerability to attentional failure during acute sleep deprivation in women depends on menstrual phase. Sleep 2018, 41, zsy098.  ↩︎
  14. Rango, M.; Castelli, A.; Scarlato, G. Energetics of 3.5 s neural activation in humans: A 31P MR spectroscopy study. Magn. Reson. Med. 1997, 38, 878–883. ↩︎
  15. McMorris, T.; Harris, R.C.; Howard, A.N.; Langridge, G.; Hall, B.; Corbett, J.; Dicks, M.; Hodgson, C. Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior. Physiol. Behav. 2007, 90, 21–28. ↩︎
  16. Human Health Co. (2025f, April 26). Top 5 reasons creatine isn’t just for Gym Bros. Human Health Co. – Educating and empowering people to take control of their health. https://humanhealthco.com/top-5-reasons-creatine-isnt-just-for-gym-bros/ ↩︎
  17. Muccini, A.M.; Tran, N.T.; de Guingand, D.L.; Philip, M.; Della Gatta, P.A.; Galinsky, R.; Sherman, L.S.; Kelleher, M.A.; Palmer, K.R.; Berry, M.J.; et al. Creatine Metabolism in Female Reproduction, Pregnancy and Newborn Health. Nutrients 2021, 13, 490. ↩︎
  18. Branch, J.D. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: A meta-analysis. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2003, 13, 198–226. ↩︎
  19. Mihic, S.; MacDonald, J.R.; McKenzie, S.; Tarnopolsky, M.A. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine, or CK activity in men and women. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2000, 32, 291–296. ↩︎
  20. Sobolewski, E.J.; Thompson, B.J.; Smith, A.E.; Ryan, E.D. The physiological effects of creatine supplementation on hydration: A review. Am. J. Lifestyle Med. 2011, 5, 320–327. ↩︎

Similar Posts