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Creatine for Women: Brain Health, Energy, and Aging Support
For years, when I heard the word “creatine”, I thought about bodybuilders, men trying to bulk up, and professional athletes. Normal women trying to stay fit and healthy? Not so much. But more recent creatine research has seriously shifted my perspective, especially when you start looking at what it may do above the neck. Your brain is an energy hog. Even though it makes up only ~2% of your body weight, it consumes roughly 20% of the body's energy. And, just like your muscles, your brain needs a constant supply of cellular energy to think, remember, focus, regulate your mood, and respond to all the surprises life throws your way, daily. That’s where creatine comes in. Science is finally shining a brighter light on the importance of creatine for women. Yes, it supports exercise performance and muscle strength, but creatine also offers benefits to brain energy, cognition, mood, sleep, and healthy aging [1,2]. As a nurse, health coach, and someone who has spent years teaching women how to make better choices for their brains and bodies, that gets my attention. Here’s what I think women should know: What Is Creatine? Creatine is not a steroid (just to get that out of the way). Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made primarily from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. You can supplement it, but your body also makes some creatine internally from the amino acids you consume, and you can also get whole creatine from food, particularly meat and fish. Most of the creatine in your body is stored in skeletal muscle, but your brain also contains creatine. Why? Energy. Your cells run on a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Think of ATP as your body's cellular energy currency. Every thought you have, every muscle you move, and every task your brain performs requires energy. But, your cells can't store unlimited ATP. Creatine helps your body regenerate ATP quickly, through what's known as the creatine-phosphocreatine system. To simplify, phosphocreatine acts like an emergency energy reserve that helps your cells recharge ATP when demand increases [3,2]. And our brains can be incredibly demanding. Why Creatine for Women Is Especially Interesting Male and female physiologies are different, so certain nutrients work differently when we consume them. Unfortunately, women are historically underrepresented in nutritional research, and especially in sports nutrition. Creatine is no exception [1]. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised to read a scientific review published in Nutrients that reported important sex-related differences in creatine metabolism and suggested that hormonal changes throughout a woman's life may influence creatine metabolism and the creatine-phosphocreatine system [1]. Creatine supplementation deserves particular attention during hormonally dynamic periods such as menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause [1,7]. Something fascinating that’s come from this new research: evidence suggests creatine may support a more favorable energetic environment in the female brain [1]. That doesn't mean all women need to take creatine. It does mean we need to stop assuming that studies conducted on men’s bodies and brains can be applied to all women. We’re different! Creatine and the Brain When Daniel and I talk about brain health, one of the messages we repeat constantly is: When your brain works right, you work right. Your ability to remember where you left your phone, concentrate during a meeting, control your impulses, manage stress, and stay emotionally balanced all depend on healthy brain function. Healthy brain function requires adequate energy. Creatine appears to act as an energy buffer in the brain, helping maintain ATP availability when energy demand increases [2,3]. Researchers have therefore become interested in whether increasing creatine availability might help the brain perform better; particularly when it is under greater metabolic stress [2,3]. “Greater metabolic stress” could include aging, sleep deprivation, or other circumstances (outside the gym) in which brain energy demands are harder to meet [3]. Creatine, Brain Fog, and Menopause If you've gone through perimenopause, you may know exactly what "brain fog" feels like. You walk into the kitchen and forget why you're there. A word you've used a million times suddenly disappears. You're staring at an email you've read three times and wondering why your brain refuses to cooperate. Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can coincide with changes in sleep, mood, metabolism, and cognitive function. Researchers are now investigating whether brain energy metabolism (yes, including creatine) could be part of this picture [7,6]. A fascinating exploratory study published in 2026 examined brain creatine concentrations in 12 healthy perimenopausal women who were experiencing symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles and neurocognitive complaints [7]. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, researchers measured creatine in multiple regions of the brain. They found associations between brain creatine concentrations and certain cognitive complaints [7]. Twelve women is a very small study. It doesn't prove that low brain creatine causes menopausal brain fog, nor does it prove that taking creatine will fix it. But, it does raise an important question. What happens if we improve creatine availability in the female brain? Researchers have started testing that too. Putting Creatine to the Test Another clinical trial studied 36 healthy perimenopausal and menopausal women with an average age of about 50 [5]. Participants received one of several low-dose creatine formulations or a placebo for 8 weeks [5]. One of the creatine groups showed an increase in frontal brain creatine, compared with the placebo group. And, that group also performed better than the placebo group on a measure of reaction time [5]. Researchers weren't just asking women whether they felt sharper. They asked the question while measuring the actual creatine levels inside the brain [5]. Again, this was a very small study using specific forms and doses of creatine, so I’m not suggesting we extrapolate those findings to every creatine supplement on the market. But again, it does provide more evidence that the relationship between creatine, menopause, and the female brain deserves more investigative attention. Could Creatine Help When You're Sleep-Deprived? This may be particularly relevant for women because let's face it: there are seasons of life when getting enough sleep can feel impossible. New baby Parenting teenagers Work deadlines Perimenopause Caring for aging parents The surprise 3 a.m. hormonal panic when your brain decides to review every embarrassing thing you've said since high school Your brain has a harder time performing when it's exhausted. Research on creatine and brain health suggests its cognitive effects may become especially relevant when the brain is metabolically stressed, including during sleep deprivation [3,2]. This makes biological sense. When the brain's energy demands are high, having a larger energy reserve may matter more [3]. Please don't interpret this as permission to trade creatine for sleep. Nothing replaces sleep. Creatine is a supplement, not a substitute for any of the daily habits that protect your brain health. But, it may help when you’re struggling. What About Mood? This is another area of early scientific exploration. Research reviews have identified potential relationships between creatine supplementation, brain energy metabolism, and mood [1,6]. That's particularly interesting for women, because hormonal fluctuations can influence both mood and brain energy metabolism [1]. If you're struggling with a chronically low mood, significant anxiousness, or a mental health condition, creatine alone is probably not the solution (or any other supplement, for that matter). This is a job for a qualified healthcare professional who can work through the whole picture with you. Brain health is never about just one thing. Creatine for Women Over 40 I think this is where the conversation needs to include, but expand beyond, creatine. After 40, and especially around menopause, women need to become more intentional about protecting both their brains and their bodies. Muscle matters to your brain Blood sugar matters to your brain Sleep matters to your brain Exercise matters to your brain Hormones matter to your brain Metabolic health matters to your brain Creatine is one tool that may have the interesting advantage of supporting two tissues we desperately want to protect as we age: muscle and brain. Creatine's benefits for muscular performance are much better established than its cognitive benefits [1,4]. Research also suggests it may be particularly useful for postmenopausal women when paired with resistance training [1]. That's why I wouldn't think about creatine as something you take instead of exercising. Think of it as something that may help support a comprehensive healthy-aging program that already includes strength training, movement, nutritious food, good sleep, stress management, and continuous learning. What Foods Contain Creatine? You naturally consume creatine when you eat animal products, especially: Beef Pork Salmon Tuna Herring Other fish and seafood Plant foods contain little to no creatine, which is one reason vegetarians and vegans generally consume much less dietary creatine. Your body can manufacture some creatine on its own, but dietary intake contributes to your overall creatine availability. This is another example of why I prefer to start with food. Eat high-quality, lean protein. Eat plenty of colorful, organic vegetables. Avoid ultra-processed food whenever possible. Keep your blood sugar healthy. Once your balanced diet is in place, then ask whether targeted supplementation makes sense for you. How Much Creatine Should Women Take? Most of the extensive research on creatine supplementation has used creatine monohydrate, and common maintenance protocols use approximately 3-5 grams per day [1,4]. Some athletic protocols begin with a much larger "loading phase," but that doesn't mean every woman needs one, particularly if your primary interest is long-term brain and healthy-aging support. There also isn't yet a scientifically established "perfect" dose specifically for women's brain health [7]. That's important because supplement marketing often gets way ahead of the science. More is not automatically better. If you're considering creatine, talk with your healthcare provider about your health history, medications, whether supplementation is appropriate for you, and what dose makes the most sense for your goals. Is Creatine Safe for Women? Creatine is one of the most extensively studied sports supplements available, and research generally supports a good safety profile in healthy people when used appropriately [1]. Of course, you should choose a brand you trust to provide a high-quality product. Look for a product that is NSF Certified for Sport, as a symbol of purity, label accuracy, and quality manufacturing. Kidney concerns come up frequently because creatine supplementation can affect creatinine, a blood marker commonly used when evaluating kidney function. That can complicate interpretation without necessarily meaning that creatine is damaging healthy kidneys [1]. However, if you have kidney disease, reduced kidney function, diabetes, hypertension, are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medications that can affect kidney function, or have another significant medical condition, don't start taking creatine just because you saw it on social media. Always talk to your healthcare professional first. Your brain deserves thoughtful decisions, not trendy ones. The Bottom Line on Creatine for Women The science is strongest for creatine’s role in exercise performance and muscle [1,4]. Research into creatine for women's brain health is new, but the emerging evidence around brain energy, memory, cognition, menopause, and metabolic stress is intriguing [2,3,5,7]. And I love that researchers are finally asking more questions specifically about women. At the end of the day, I think creatine shows a lot of promise for women’s health. But, just like every supplement, it works best when you are supplementing an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Yes, creatine may help support your brain's energy system, and combining creatine with resistance training can help maintain your muscles. You also need omega-3s to support healthy cell membranes. Exercise to support blood flow. Sleep to allow your brain to restore itself. A better brain isn't built on a single decision. It's built on many small ones, made intentionally, day after day. Creatine could be one of yours. References Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine supplementation in women's health: A lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):877. Roschel H, Gualano B, Ostojic SM, Rawson ES. Creatine supplementation and brain health. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):586. Dolan E, Gualano B, Rawson ES. Beyond muscle: The effects of creatine supplementation on brain creatine, cognitive processing, and traumatic brain injury. European Journal of Sport Science. 2019;19(1):1-14. Xu C, Bi S, Zhang W, Luo L. The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024;11:1424972. Korovljev D, Ostojic J, Panic J, et al. The effects of 8-week creatine hydrochloride and creatine ethyl ester supplementation on cognition, clinical outcomes, and brain creatine levels in perimenopausal and menopausal women (CONCRET-MENOPA): A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. 2026;45(3):199-210. Smith-Ryan AE, DelBiondo GM, Brown AF, Kleiner SM, Tran NT, Ellery SJ. Creatine in women's health: Bridging the gap from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025;22(1):2502094. Ostojic J, et al. Brain creatine concentrations and neurocognitive symptoms in perimenopausal women: associations with serum estradiol. Neuroscience Letters. 2026;880. Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before beginning a new supplement, particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney disease or another medical condition, or take prescription medications.
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Improve Your Brain and Mood with Vitamin D and Fish Oil
New research published in The FASEB Journal argues that vitamin D along with marine omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important for serotonin synthesis, release, and function in the brain. It also suggests that vitamin D and omega-3s could work together to improve cognitive function and social behavior with particular relevance to overall mental health. In other words, all three nutrients working together may boost your mood and promote mental wellness. Nice. Who couldn’t use a mood boost and greater mental wellness? The research shows one more instance of the scientific community recognizing how vital vitamin D, and EPA and DHA from fish oil are to keeping your brain healthy and happy – and how taking them together may support your brain function and mental well-being in a powerful way. Clinical neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, brain imaging expert and Amen Clinics founder Dr. Daniel G. Amen, has recommended for years that most everyone get up to 3 grams of fish oil per day and at least 2,000 IUs of vitamin D to boost brainpower, mood and other mental wellness. Dr. Amen typically makes this recommendation because most Americans are extremely deficient in both vitamin D and omega-3s – nutrients critical to brain and body health. Unless you are actively seeking to bolster your vitamin D and omega-3 intake, chances are strong that you are not getting enough either. The research study reports that 70% of all adults and 67% of children, aged 1-11, do not have adequate levels of vitamin D. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health previously suggested that having low levels of omega-3 fatty acids is a leading preventable cause of cardiovascular problems and problems with attention, memory, self-control and self-harm! So let’s take a closer look at these vital brain- and body-boosting nutrients. EPA, DHA and the Brain The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are really important to the optimal function of your brain and here’s why. DHA makes up a large portion of the gray matter of the brain. DHA and EPA promote healthy blood flow, which is essential to optimal brain function. These fatty acids are major building blocks for membranes, cell structures that are vital for all our cells to function – and are crucial for our cell membranes to perform at their best. Our nerve cells, and especially the connections that they make (the synapses) need to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Think of omega-3s as high quality motor oil for the finely-tuned engine that is your brain. Taking a quality fish oil concentrate is a great way to ensure you get enough of these healthy omega-3s. If you need a little more convincing, take note: A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that EPA- and DHA-rich fish oil helps elevate mood. One twenty-year study involving 3,317 men and women found that people with the highest consumption of EPA and DHA were less likely to have mood challenges. A tremendous amount of scientific evidence points to a connection between consumption of fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, healthy and cognitive function. A Danish team of researchers compared the diets of 5,386 healthy older individuals and found that the more fish in a person’s diet, the more likely were these individuals to maintain high-performance memory into old age! To choose a quality fish oil, be sure it’s ultra-pure and choose a product that supplies at least 500 mg of DHA and 500 mg of EPA per day. Some inferior quality brands are lacking in one or the other or sometimes both. Now, you may be wondering, what about vitamin D? Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” is best known for building bones. But it is also an essential vitamin for brain health, mood, memory, and healthy circulation. The body transforms the vitamin form of D (D3, cholecalciferol) to a hormone that has wide-ranging importance in our tissues. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with mood challenges and difficulties with sociability, attention, memory, circulation, and immunity. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiencies are becoming more and more common, in part because we are spending more time indoors and using more sunscreen. Vitamin D is so important to brain function that its receptors can be found throughout the brain. Vitamin D plays a critical role in many of the most basic cognitive functions, including learning and making memories. The scientific community continues to wake up to the importance of vitamin D for a broad spectrum of brain functions. A number of studies have linked higher vitamin D levels to better cognitive function in older men and women, and some experts are convinced that the hormone produced from the sunshine vitamin is a major player in optimal cognitive function. When it comes to being happy, the scientific evidence is clear. The higher your vitamin D levels, the more likely you are to feel happy rather than blue. The current Daily Value recommended dose for vitamin D is 400 IU daily, but most experts agree that this is well below the physiological needs of most individuals and instead suggest 2,000-10,000 IU of vitamin D daily. References: Patrick, R et al. Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action, part 2: relevance for ADHD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior. FASEB J fj.14-268342; published ahead of print February 24, 2015. https://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2015/02/23/fj.14-268342.abstract Danaei, G et al.The preventable causes of death in the United States: comparative risk assessment of dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors. PLoS Med. 2009 Apr 28;6(4):e1000058. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000058 Colangelo, LA et al. Higher dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is inversely associated with depressive symptoms in women. Nutrition. 2009 Oct;25(10):1011-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=depression+EPA+DHA+3317 Kalmijn, S et al. Dietary fat intake and the risk of incident dementia in the Rotterdam Study. Ann Neurol.1997 Nov;42(5):776-82. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=fish+consumption+5386+dementia Moran, LJ et al. Vitamin D is independently associated with depression in overweight women with and without PCOS. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2014 Nov 4:1-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25366261 Perna, L et al.Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cognitive decline: a longitudinal study among non-demented older adults. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2014;38(3-4):254-63. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24969663
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