Creatine after 50. Should women actually be taking it?

Mention creatine and you probably picture huge tubs of powder, bodybuilders and young men trying to put on as much muscle as possible.

So it’s understandable that many older women assume:

“That’s definitely not for me.”

But creatine has spent decades being marketed alongside bodybuilding tubs and gym culture, so plenty of women still assume it is something that makes you “bulky”.

That is not a good description of what creatine does.

Creatine helps replenish a rapid energy system used by muscle and other tissues.

The interesting question for women after menopause is whether supplementing it can help preserve or improve muscle and strength, particularly alongside resistance training.

And this is where the research gets interesting.

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials in postmenopausal women found small improvements in lean mass and leg-press strength, with clearer benefits when creatine of at least 5g per day was combined with resistance training.

But muscle and strength may not be the whole story.

Creatine is also being studied for its effects on the brain.

Research has found potential benefits for memory, with some particularly interesting findings in older adults. There is also emerging evidence around other areas of cognitive function, although the research here is still developing.

So should every woman over 50 take it?

No.

But for a healthy woman who is strength training, creatine is one of the supplements I consider genuinely interesting rather than just clever marketing.

If you have kidney disease, significant medical conditions, or take medicines that make supplementation something you should discuss with a clinician, get individual advice first.

My view?

Creatine is one of the supplements I would put much higher up the list than most of the products marketed as “menopause supplements”.

But it is still a supplement.

Strength training, food and the basics come first.

"Creatine won’t suddenly make you bulky. For women who strength train, it’s one of the better-researched supplements worth knowing about, with potential benefits for muscle, strength and possibly memory as we get older."

- Danielle Frost

RESEARCH / USEFUL SOURCES

•  2026 systematic review and meta-analysis: Creatine in postmenopausal women