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1) Strength + lean mass (when combined with training)
This is the most consistent finding.
Creatine supplementation improves strength and performance and when paired with resistance training supports increases in lean mass. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand summarises a large body of evidence supporting creatine monohydrate for performance and training adaptations.
For women, the evidence base supports improvements in strength and exercise performance, with particular relevance across the lifespan.
Important nuance: creatine isn’t “magic muscle powder.” It helps you train better, recover better, and sustain output, that’s what drives results.
2) Body composition and “recomposition”
Creatine is not a fat loss supplement.
But it can indirectly support body recomposition by improving training quality, strength progression, and lean mass retention - especially when dieting or under high stress.
More lean mass = better long-term metabolic outcomes and more resilient body composition.
3) Cognition under stress or sleep deprivation
This is where it gets interesting and where people often overhype it.
The cognitive effects of creatine in “normal” well-rested people are mixed. A 2024 systematic review points out cognition results can be equivocal in unstressed individuals, but suggests stronger potential effects under stress states (sleep deprivation, low dietary creatine intake, older age).
Where the evidence becomes more compelling is sleep deprivation:
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A classic study found creatine supplementation had positive effects on mood and tasks that heavily stress the prefrontal cortex following 24 hours of sleep deprivation.
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A 2024 trial (published in Scientific Reports) reported a single high dose of creatine improved cognitive performance and processing speed during sleep deprivation, alongside measurable changes in brain energy-related markers.
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Other research has also explored creatine and cognitive performance during sleep deprivation contexts.
This matters to women because “sleep deprivation + cognitive load” is basically the job description for early motherhood, high-pressure careers, and life in general.
Do we have perfect data for every population? No. But the direction is biologically plausible and increasingly supported under stressed conditions.
4) Postmenopause: muscle and bone health (with training)
Creatine has been studied in older adults, including postmenopausal women, particularly alongside resistance training.
A 2-year randomised controlled trial investigated creatine plus resistance training and bone health outcomes in postmenopausal women.
This area is nuanced: results across the bone-health literature aren’t perfectly uniform (bone research rarely is), but the long-term RCT data is one reason creatine is increasingly discussed for women 40+ as a muscle-and-performance support tool that may have broader health implications when paired with strength training.
