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Thorne Creatine is our dietitian’s pick as the best overall creatine supplement for women. See the other five products that made our list.

Creatine, a substance naturally found in the body, has been shown to provide several benefits for exercise performance when taken as a supplement.

While creatine supplements are not gender-specific, they have been linked to improvements for women specifically in the following areas, both before and after menopause:

  • strength
  • exercise performance
  • muscle mass

Furthermore, early research suggests that taking creatine supplements may have benefits for women outside the gym, including helping reduce mental fatigue and manage depression.

Several kinds of creatine supplements are available, including creatine ethyl ester and creatine HCL.

However, research suggests that creatine monohydrate is the most effective form, as it has been shown to improve muscle creatine and phosphocreatine concentrations by 20–40%, allowing muscles to produce more energy during exercise.

There is no research suggesting creatine supplements need to be avoided by women, but keep in mind some may contain additional ingredients, such as piperine, that should be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women or those taking certain medications.

Keep reading for our picks of the six best creatine supplements for women.

Here’s a quick look at how our picks compare:

Product and priceServings per containerFlavorsCertifications
Thorne Creatine
$40
90 servingsUnflavoredNSF Certified for Sport
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
$49.99
30 servings• Unflavored
• 10 flavors
third-party tested
Genius Creatine Powder
$24.99
25 servings• Unflavored
• Green Apple
third-party tested
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules
$76.99
100 servingsUnflavoredInformed Choice Certified
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate
$28.22
100 servings• Unflavored
• Blue Raspberry
• Fruit Punch
third-party tested
Naked Creatine
$59.99
200 servingsUnflavored• third-party tested
• certified vegan
• certified gluten-free

Note: Third-party testing in the comparison table refers to third-party testing for purity and potency of products.

We researched the best creatine supplements for women using the following criteria:

  • Creatine monohydrate: All the products contain creatine monohydrate, which studies show is the most effective form of creatine.
  • Ingredients: We looked for products that are made with quality ingredients and free of artificial additives.
  • Reviews: The products below have mostly positive customer reviews.

Additionally, every brand and product on our list has been vetted to ensure that it aligns with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. Each product in this article:

  • Is compliant with FDA guidelines: Products adhere to allowable health claims and labeling requirements, per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, and are manufactured in facilities that adhere to the current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) established by the FDA.
  • Is manufactured by a medically credible company: Brands follow ethical, legal, and industry best standards and provide objective measures of trust, such as having their supplements validated by third-party labs.

While this list is for women, creatine has been shown to be effective in people of all sexes. Most healthy adults can use creatine supplements.

When shopping for a creatine supplement, consider the following factors:

  • Third-party testing: Because of a lack of regulation around dietary supplements, you might look for creatine supplements that are third-party tested by an independent organization, such as Informed Choice or NSF International, to ensure purity and potency.
  • Safe for sport: Competitive athletes should look for a product that’s certified free of substances banned in sports. Some examples of certifications to look for are NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, and Labdoor Sport.
  • Form: Look for a supplement that contains creatine monohydrate rather than a less effective form, such as creatine ethyl ester or creatine HCL.
  • Additional ingredients: If you’d like the product to include more than just creatine, consider a product with research-backed ingredients such as
  • Type: Consider whether you’d prefer taking capsules or buying a powder that you can mix into your protein shake or other beverage.

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance found in muscle cells that plays an essential role in energy production during exercise.

Although your body produces it naturally, creatine is also available in supplement form.

Creatine supplements have been found to help with exercise recovery and improve:

  • strength
  • power
  • muscle mass
  • anaerobic exercise capacity

The benefits of creatine have been well-researched. However, most of that research has been done with male participants. It has also been suggested that women may not respond as strongly to supplementation as men.

Available research in women suggests that creatine may:

  • increase strength and bone density both before and after menopause
  • improve exercise performance
  • reduce mental fatigue
  • help manage depression

When you start taking creatine supplements, it’s typically recommended to consume larger doses initially during what’s called the loading phase.

Taking 20–25 g of creatine per day for 5–7 days during a loading phase has been shown to help increase muscle stores of creatine.

Afterward, a daily dose of 3–5 g is recommended for maintaining these stores. Keep in mind that these are guidelines for the general population.

Before taking creatine (or any other supplement), make sure to speak with a healthcare professional who can provide personalized dosing recommendations.

Some professionals recommend consuming creatine after exercising, as it’s thought that the post-exercise increase in blood flow may increase the rate at which creatine is delivered to your muscles.

Furthermore, some studies have shown an increase in lean muscle mass when creatine is consumed after exercise.

However, research on the optimal timing of creatine supplementation is too limited and inconclusive to definitively say that post-workout ingestion is more effective.

Therefore, while the manufacturers of most products on this list recommend using the products after your gym session, it’s perfectly fine to add creatine powder to your pre-workout beverage if that works best for you.

Most of the creatine supplements on this list are powders that you can mix with water or any other beverage of your choice, warm or cold.

You can also stir the powder into your yogurt or overnight oats in the morning.

However, because the powders are usually unflavored, many people prefer to add them to their post-workout protein shake.

Creatine is a very well-researched supplement. Currently, the only side effect that has been consistently reported is weight gain in some individuals.

Weight gain may occur as a result of creatine’s ability to promote hydration in the body, meaning that any weight gain likely comes from small amounts of water retention. However, the overall research on water retention from creatine supplementation is a bit mixed.

It’s also worth noting that weight gain from creatine supplementation is typically seen in men, not women.

Overall, daily doses of 0.3–0.8 g per kilogram of body weight have been shown to be safe and well tolerated.

There is currently no research to suggest any women need to avoid creatine. Supplementing with creatine during pregnancy may even have benefits, though more research is needed on this.

Still, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement, as individual cases may vary.

The use of creatine supplementation for weight loss in women has not been researched.

However, because creatine can help promote muscle mass, it may be beneficial to take during weight loss to help reduce the loss of lean body mass. This is important because loss of muscle is associated with an increased risk of:

  • injury
  • fatigue
  • decreased resting metabolic rate

Creatine supplements — and creatine monohydrate, in particular — may help improve strength, recovery time, and exercise performance and offer additional health benefits outside of the gym.

However, as some products are better than others, make sure to look for a creatine supplement that is made with high quality ingredients and has undergone rigorous testing to ensure quality and accuracy.

Regardless of which product you choose, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before taking any new supplements.

Finally, while creatine supplements may enhance your nutritional intake, it’s important to remember that they’re not a replacement for a well-balanced diet.