Study Overview
Smith-Ryan et al. (2021) published a thorough narrative review in Nutrients examining the role of creatine supplementation across the female lifespan.
The review synthesized evidence on how creatine may uniquely benefit women during various life stages — from pre-pregnancy through post-menopause — and highlighted that women have been historically underrepresented in creatine research (Smith-Ryan et al., 2021) .
Key Findings
- Women have lower baseline creatine: Due to lower dietary intake (less meat consumption on average) and lower endogenous synthesis, women typically have reduced creatine stores compared to men, making them potentially more responsive to supplementation
- Pregnancy and postpartum potential: Preliminary evidence suggests creatine may support fetal brain development and help meet the increased energy demands of pregnancy and postpartum recovery
- Perimenopause and menopause benefits: Creatine may help counteract the loss of muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive function associated with declining estrogen levels during menopause
- Mood and mental health: The review identified emerging evidence that creatine may have antidepressant effects in women, potentially through its role in brain energy metabolism
- Bone health support: Creatine combined with resistance training may help maintain bone mineral density, which is particularly important for post-menopausal women at risk of osteoporosis
Practical Implications
This review highlights that creatine is not just a supplement for male athletes — it has broad relevance for women’s health across the entire lifespan.
Women who exercise regularly, are vegetarian or vegan, are pregnant or postpartum, or are approaching or past menopause may derive particular benefit from 3 to 5g of creatine monohydrate daily.
The review also underscores the need for more female-specific creatine research, as most historical studies were conducted predominantly in young men.
Women considering creatine during pregnancy or while managing specific health conditions should discuss supplementation with their healthcare provider.
Study Limitations
- As a narrative review, the paper synthesizes existing evidence rather than presenting new data
- Many of the cited studies on pregnancy and bone health are preliminary or based on animal models
- The review acknowledges significant gaps in female-specific creatine research
- Dosing recommendations specific to women have not been formally established through clinical trials
- Long-term effects of creatine supplementation specifically in pregnant women have not been studied in large human trials
Where This Fits in the Evidence
Smith-Ryan et al. (2021) addresses a long-standing imbalance in the creatine literature, which was built largely on young male participants. Its organising insight is that women start from lower endogenous creatine stores, then traces where that might matter across the lifespan — pregnancy and postpartum, perimenopause and menopause, mood, cognition and bone health. As a narrative review leaning on preliminary and sometimes animal data, especially around pregnancy, it is better read as a case for female-specific research than as settled dosing guidance, and pregnancy use in particular still warrants a clinician’s input. The broader supplementation evidence it sits within is gathered in our research library.
Sources & References
This page summarizes Smith-Ryan et al. (2021). Full citation: 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
What This Means for You
If you are a woman, the useful frame here is that your lower baseline stores may make creatine more worthwhile than the old male-dominated research implied — across training, mood, bone health and the menopausal transition. The key is to match your confidence to the evidence: the muscle and bone case is reasonably solid, whereas the pregnancy and postpartum claims are still preliminary, so anything around pregnancy should go through your doctor first. For everyday use, the standard daily dose is the same as for men.