Is Creatine Good for Women Over 40? A Functional Medicine Doctor Explains the Muscle, Brain, and Mood Benefits
Are you one of the bajillion women over 40 wondering if creatine is something you should be taking?
Dr. Miranda Naylor, functional medicine doctor and host of the Modern Women's Wellness podcast, makes the case that creatine is not a gym supplement. It is a women's health supplement, and most of us in midlife are not getting enough.
This is for you if you've been thinking:
I keep hearing about creatine but I assumed it was only for bodybuilders
I'm in perimenopause and struggling with muscle loss, brain fog, and low energy
I want to know if creatine is actually safe for me to take
I cannot remember where I left my keys and I need something to support my brain
I want to take supplements that are actually backed by research
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Why Creatine Is a Women's Health Issue (Not a Gym Issue)
Most people associate creatine with muscle-bound gym regulars, but the research tells a different story. Creatine is a compound your body makes naturally from amino acids. It is stored in your muscles and your brain, and it functions as a backup battery for your cells.
The problem is that women naturally have lower creatine stores than men because we tend to have less muscle tissue, and lower muscle means lower storage capacity. Estrogen also plays a role. Women may metabolize creatine faster during phases of higher estrogen, which means our needs are higher and our baseline is lower.
The result is that many women, especially in their 40s and beyond, are running low. And the symptoms look a lot like what gets chalked up to “just getting older”: fatigue, muscle loss, brain fog, and mood shifts. Turns out some of that might actually be creatine.
Creatine Across Every Phase of Life
Dr. Naylor walks through the research by life phase. During the reproductive years, creatine supplementation can support high-intensity exercise, delay fatigue, and help build lean muscle. It also supports cellular hydration in a way that may reduce the bloating and water retention common during the luteal phase.
In pregnancy, adequate dietary creatine appears linked to better outcomes, and creatine is actually synthesized in the uterus and placenta. Creatine levels are also highest in colostrum immediately after birth, which suggests it is especially important in those first days of a baby's life.
For women who are not eating meat regularly, or who are vegetarian or vegan, the risk of creatine deficiency in pregnancy is significant.
In perimenopause specifically, there is less direct clinical data than Dr. Naylor would like. But she draws on what we know about declining estrogen and its effect on creatine metabolism to make a strong case that this is likely a critical time to supplement.
Post-menopause, the data is more robust: creatine supplementation has been shown to support muscle mass, strength, bone density, cognitive function, and mood.
How to Take Creatine: Dosing and What to Buy
On dosing, Dr. Naylor recommends three to five grams of creatine monohydrate per day for maintenance.
A loading dose of 20 grams per day (split into four doses) for five to seven days can build up muscle stores faster, but it is optional. She notes that some women experience temporary water retention during a loading phase, so skipping the load and being patient is a completely reasonable approach.
Her key rule on product choice: creatine monohydrate only, no added ingredients. It comes as a flavorless powder that mixes into water, coffee, or whatever you are already drinking. Her personal recommendation is Thorne Creatine Monohydrate.
If supporting brain health is your primary concern, she notes that slightly higher doses for a short period may be more effective for raising brain creatine concentration.
As always, check with your provider before starting any supplement.
Resources
Jessica's favorite creatine: Be Well By Kelly
Source study: "Creatine in Women's Health: Bridging the Gap from Menstruation Through Pregnancy to Menopause," Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, May 2025
FAQs
Is creatine safe for women in perimenopause?
Yes. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most well-researched supplements available, and the existing data supports its safety for women at all life stages. While direct studies on women in perimenopause are limited, functional medicine doctors like Dr. Miranda Naylor note that the mechanism and the benefits are consistent with what perimenopause does to the body. Creatine supports muscle retention, cognitive function, mood, and sleep, which are exactly the areas that take a hit when estrogen declines.
Will creatine make women retain water or bulk up?
This is the most common concern, and it deserves a direct answer. Creatine does shift water from outside your cells to inside them, which supports cellular function and may actually help with bloating during the luteal phase. Some women experience temporary water retention during a loading phase, but this resolves. Taking a lower maintenance dose without loading typically avoids this entirely. Creatine supports lean muscle, but it does not cause the kind of bulk that women tend to worry about. It works best alongside resistance training.
How much creatine should women take per day?
Dr. Miranda Naylor recommends three to five grams of creatine monohydrate per day for maintenance. A loading dose of 20 grams daily (split into four doses) for five to seven days can build up muscle stores faster, but it is not required. If cognitive symptoms are the primary concern, slightly higher doses for a short period may be more effective for raising brain creatine concentration. Check with your provider before starting, especially if you have any health conditions.
What is the best type of creatine for women?
Creatine monohydrate is the most well-studied and recommended form. Dr. Naylor specifically advises choosing a plain creatine monohydrate product with no added ingredients, so you are not dealing with the dosing or side effects of anything else in the formula. Her personal recommendation is Thorne Creatine Monohydrate. A flavorless powder that mixes into water is the easiest to add to a daily routine.
Do women get enough creatine from food alone?
Most women do not. Women need approximately 13 milligrams of creatine per kilogram of body weight per day. In food, creatine comes primarily from meat and fish. Women who eat less meat, or who follow vegetarian or vegan diets, are at especially high risk of deficiency. Even women who eat meat regularly may not be meeting their needs, given the hormonal factors that affect creatine metabolism across the menstrual cycle and through menopause.
Meet Dr. Miranda Naylor:
Dr. Miranda Naylor, DO, DABFM, IFMCP, is a board-certified physician and founder of Modern Women’s Wellness, a functional medicine practice in California.
She specializes in women’s hormones, perimenopause, and longevity-focused care—helping women optimize metabolic health, hormone balance, and cellular function for more energy, resilience, and vitality.
Through her signature R.I.S.E. Method, she blends advanced diagnostics with personalized care to support women through every phase of life.
Connect with Dr. Miranda Naylor:
drmirandanaylor.com | @drmirandanaylor | Modern Women’s Wellness podcast
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Jessica Long (00:00)
A few weeks ago, I was at an event for Midlife Women and someone asked the expert panel, is creatine actually safe and helpful for us, or is this just a gym bro thing? And it reminded me how much confusion there is around this topic and how badly women just want a straight answer. So I messaged my friend Miranda. Dr. Miranda Naylor is a functional medicine doctor and the host of the podcast Modern Women's Wellness, which I highly recommend you follow.
She had already done an episode on how creatine affects women at every stage of their lives that I thought was so informative and so beautifully targeted to women. I asked her if I could run her creatine episode on my show, and she graciously said yes. So in this episode, Miranda breaks down what creatine is, why women naturally have lower stores than men, and why that matters for your muscle, your brain, your mood, and your sleep in midlife. Thank you so much, Dr. Miranda, for lending your wisdom to us once again on this show.
For staying on the forefront of research and for always keeping our best interests at heart. I can't wait for you to hear what she has to say.
Jessica Long (01:00)
Hello, my friend. You are in the right place. This is where smart and sassy women over 40 come to figure out all things midlife. We talk hormones, careers, relationships, and everything in between. I'm Jessica Long, health coach and fellow midlife woman on this wild ride with you. Stick around for honest conversations with experts, rebels, and wise women rewriting midlife on their own terms. Let's dive in.
Jessica Long (01:24)
Quick reminder before we start, This episode is for education and general information and is not medical advice. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making changes to medications, supplements, or beginning any treatment.
Jessica Long (01:36)
Creatine isn't just for bodybuilders. It's actually an incredible women's health supplement that you can utilize to support your brain function, your muscle and body composition, your mood, your sleep, and so much more. Today we're diving into the use of creatine and the importance of creatine overall when it comes to women's health through the different phases of womanhood, including premenstrual, reproductive years, pregnancy, postpartum.
Perimenopause and menopause. Let's talk about creatine. Now, creatine is one of the most underutilized supplements and nutritional aspects talked about for women's health. And today we're going to break down what it is, why we care about it, especially as women, and we have some great data to go off of. Now, recently there was an article that came out in May of 2025 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Called Creatine in Women's Health, Bridging the Gap from Menstruation Through Pregnancy to Menopause. Today I'm going to be referencing that and kind of summarizing that article for you. This was a great summary of the research that we have to date about creatine, especially in women's health, and really goes through the different phases of womanhood and how creatine can be helpful there. And so we'll be summarizing that, talking about that, and really giving you some actionable tips to take away.
with your health when it comes to creatine. Now, if you've heard about creatine before, you probably associated it with Jim Bros and muscle building. But here's the truth: creatine is not just for bodybuilders. It's actually one of the most well-researched, safe, and effective supplements out there. And it has huge benefits for women, especially when it comes to maintaining body composition, energy, mood, metabolism, and brain function.
So, what is creatine exactly? Creatine is a compound your body naturally produces from amino acids. Those are the building blocks of proteins. It's stored in your muscles and your brain, and it acts like a backup battery for your cells. It helps you make energy quickly, especially during times of physical and mental stress, like a tough workout, a demanding workday, and even getting through your cycle. So, why does this matter for women? For one, women have lower stores.
Than men when it comes to creatine. Creatine, again, is stored primarily in our muscle tissue. And because women tend to have less muscle, this can have a lower storage overall, meaning that we need to have more daily intake to get enough creatine and to really meet our needs. We also have hormonal influences when it comes to creatine metabolism. Estrogen seems to be a factor with creatine metabolism, and we may actually go through creatine faster when we have higher estrogen.
Now, women, especially in our 30s and 40s and beyond, often are dealing with energy issues, muscle loss, mood swings, and brain fog. And this could largely be due to creatine because we naturally have lower stores. And so that means we may benefit even more from supplementing with it. Research shows that creatine can support healthy muscle mass, balanced mood, enhanced cognition, and even play a supportive role.
Infertility and pregnancy. It's also promising for perimenopause and menopause when estrogen drops and energy and sleep and strength can take a hit. Let's give you the bottom line right off the bat. Creatine is not just a workout supplement, it's a women's health supplement. And it could be one of the simplest, most affordable ways to support your body and brain across all phases of your life. So let's walk through the phases of life.
And how creatine can be beneficial in each phase. Starting with the pre-menopausal reproductive years, this is when you're having a menstrual cycle regularly or fairly regularly. And this is where we really see creatine supplementation shine. There's a lot of research here. We know that there are different hormonal impacts at play with creatine metabolism, including our ability to synthesize, transport, and break down creatine.
Now, one of the biggest factors that I mentioned when it comes to women and creatine is that our dietary intake of creatine is likely not enough for many women. We basically need about 13 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. This largely we're getting through foods, if we're not supplementing them, and they're largely from meat. So animal meat and fish are some of the biggest sources of creatine that you can get in your diet.
This, of course, means that if you have a vegetarian or vegan diet, then you're much more at risk of being malnourished with creatine. So supplementation can absolutely be helpful for all of us, but especially if you have that kind of diet. Now, we talked about creatine helping muscle mass, and it absolutely is the case. Creatine supplementation can support high intensity exercise and can actually delay your experience of fatigue, interestingly, because again, creatine is helping with.
fast energy production, your ability to your for your cells to get energy. So it can be really helpful there. It can absolutely be supportive in building muscle and lean body mass. Creatine also supports cellular health and can increase the total body water by shifting water from outside of your cells into the inside of your cells, which is supportive for your overall cellular functioning. This can also be helpful with the feeling of bloating and water retention that often comes in the loot,
Luteal phase. Now, there has been some research specifically with women in different phases of their cycle. And it seems like, especially in the luteal phase, this can be a really big benefit of creatine supplementation. Creatine is also really helpful with brain health. It can help with the metabolism of the brain cells and really seems to improve cognition as well as sleep. Now, we're a little bit limited with some of the data here, but it seems like the quality and
continuity and quantity of sleep, meaning how much deep sleep you're getting, really restorative sleep, how long you're able to sleep without waking up, and being able to sleep continuously without having mid-evening or early morning wakeups. So it seems like there is a positive benefit there. Now, of course, there's some compounding factors here, because if you're having better performance with workouts and you're having more resistance training, we know that those also help with sleep.
So it's probably a mixed bag that they're helping, but it does seem like creatine, in addition to those other things, can be helpful when it comes to sleep. Now, interestingly, in pregnancy, it seems like creatine is playing a very important role as well. Now, there isn't data that I've seen with creatine supplementation in pregnancy. Of course, supplementation studies are really hard to do during pregnancy because no one wants to do any harm. But it does seem that creatine malnutrition, again, not getting enough dietary creatine.
Is really prevalent in pregnancy. And this does have an association with more poor outcomes in pregnancy. There was an evaluation done of a 2017 to 2020 NHANES data study that found that women who consumed greater than or equal to 13 milligrams of creatine per kilogram body mass daily were at lower risk of obstetric conditions compared to those who consumed less than 13 milligrams of creatine daily.
Another interesting fact is that the inside of our uterus and placenta actually can synthesize creatine during pregnancy. So this is likely a significant contributor to providing creatine for the developing fetus.
this suggests that creatine is really important when it comes to fetal development. And creatine levels are also highest in colostrum immediately after birth, before they drop off. So this also suggests that it's really important for a newborn baby to get a higher amount of creatine.
Now, perimenopause.
This is that phase before you're actually in menopause. It's when hormones are getting pretty wild. Now, sadly, there is really no data to date on women in perimenopause and the use of creatine, which completely blows my mind. I have a lot of patient-based data and I've had heard a lot of great outcomes with my patients and one studies with people reporting that they feel great with it.
But it's surprisingly, there isn't actual data here in this population. Now we can infer that we know that common side effects in perimenpause include metabolic changes, they may lead to adverse adaptations in body composition, meaning usually we're gaining more fat, we're having a harder time keeping lean body mass and muscle. There are increased vasomotor symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, and declines in mental health and cognition, forgetting where you left the keys.
forgetting why you walked into the room, things like that. And this seems like it could be a really critical time for creatine because our creatine amount can really decrease in this phase also. we unfortunately don't have direct data to state that, but we can really make some, I think, very valid statements about the importance of creatine in perimenopause until we have some more clear data. Now there is a lot of data
Postmetopausally. So after you are done completely having periods, technically for at least a year is a definition. There have been several studies in women in that phase. And creatine supplementation does definitely offer significant benefits, particularly around maintaining muscle mass, improving strength, supporting bone health, enhancing cognitive function and mood.
Jessica Long (11:32)
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Jessica Long (12:24)
So again, through all phases of womanhood, it seems that creatine plays a really important role.
And getting enough through our diet can be a really important approach to this, but supplementation is also super safe and effective at really boosting up your intake and getting what you need and getting the benefits. Again, the benefits include improved exercise performance, can help with reduced fatigue, better cellular energy availability, supports cellular hydration, supports cognitive function and brain energy metabolism. It
can improve sleep quality. It also positively influences bone mineral density when paired with resistance training, especially, and can support positive mood. So I don't know about you, but I don't know a single person who wouldn't love to have a little bit of those benefits, especially when they're struggling with some hormonal symptoms. Now let's talk a little bit about dosing. A lot of the studies done on creatine supplementation are done with a loading dose.
Which is typically 20 grams per day, broken up usually in four servings of five grams. And this is done over five to seven days. This is it does seem to be the best way to increase muscle creatine stores as quickly as possible. Now, if you're not doing a loading dose, it seems that the equivalent time frame of just doing five grams daily would be about three to four weeks to gain that same concentration. So you can see that loading doing a loading dose.
can quickly increase your muscle stores and maybe get you some positive benefits sooner, but you don't necessarily need to. There is some debate about this. Some people recommend doing a loading dose, some don't. Lately in my practice, I haven't been requiring my patients to do a loading dose because I know that s many women are worried about increased water retention, which could potentially happen for a short period of time, especially when you're doing a loading dose.
So by not doing a loading dose, you may mitigate some of that and not feel like you're retaining a lot of water and feeling more puffy. So there's a choice there. For maintenance doses, I recommend three to five grams per day. This is also what's supported in the literature. slightly higher doses, about 15 to 20 grams per day for five to seven days, followed by five to 10 grams, could be more optimal.
For increased brain concentrations of creatine. So especially if brain symptoms are your concern, then you may want to consider even doing a little bit of higher dosing. Now, again, this is for females. Sometimes they're recommending higher doses for men and cycling through different creatine levels. I'm not talking about that today. This is specifically for women and really supporting your overall well-being. If you're curious about adding creatine into your routine,
My recommended product is Thorn Creatine Monohydrate. There are so many great products out there though. I just recommend making sure that you're using creatine monohydrate and not having anything else in the supplement. So you don't have to worry about the doses of other products in it or side effects, symptoms from other things in the product. I like to have it just pure. And what's really great about it is it comes in a powder, it's flavorless. So you could literally just mix it into water or whatever you want.
I personally like mixing it into my water and electrolytes while I'm working out. This is a side note, it's maybe more male supported, but you might have even more muscle benefits when you take creatine after a workout. So it doesn't really matter either way, but that could help if especially maintaining muscle mass is your priority. And as always, check with your provider before starting any supplement. You want to make sure it's right for you. Again, it's very safe, but
If you have any health concerns, make sure to talk to your provider before starting this.
Jessica Long (16:13)
Here are three key takeaways from this episode with Dr. Miranda. One, women naturally have lower creatine stores than men, and our estrogen levels affect how we metabolize it, which means we may actually need more than we think we do. Two, creatine supports your muscle, your brain, mood, and sleep, and the research is solid. It's not bro science. And three, getting started is really simple. Three to five grams a day of plain creatine monohydrate. No loading dose is required if you don't want one.
And I'm linking my favorite creatine that I take every single day in the show notes. If you're interested in trying creatine, it's a great place to start. And remember to follow Dr. Miranda's show, Modern Women's Wellness, and be sure you're following this show so you don't miss what's coming next. Thanks so much for listening, and I will see you soon.
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Disclaimer:
Belong Wellness and its members, managers, employees, contractors, and other agents or representatives are not licensed medical care providers and do not provide medical services or advice, including without limitation diagnosing, examining, preventing, treating, or curing any medical conditions. The information shared in this podcast is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. Please consult your medical doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Further, the opinions of guests on this show do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Jessica or anyone affiliated with Belong Wellness.
