Finding the Best Creatine Supplements for Women
While creatine supplements are primarily taken by men, women may also benefit a great deal from incorporating them into their daily lives. “Compared to men, it's more challenging for women to put on muscle, so creatine can be beneficial for women looking to maintain or increase muscle,” says Zenker. “It may be especially helpful for women in postmenopause whose bodies have a harder time retaining muscle. In combination with strength exercise and a balanced diet, supplements like creatine can help counteract this natural muscle loss.
“There's also emerging research suggesting that creatine may improve bone mass and cognitive health,” Zenker continues, “but the evidence isn't conclusive.”
In effect, creatine is a great supplement to add to your routine, and it’s important to pair it with other healthy habits to see results. However, the supplement is only a good investment if you take it regularly, and flavor and consistency make a big difference in terms of how pleasant the supplement is to take. Learn more about how we made our recommendations based on flavor, consistency and other factors below.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Creatine Supplements for Women
Flavor
Most creatine you’ll find online and in grocery stores is unflavored, so you can add it to a smoothie, protein shake or beverage knowing it won’t alter the taste. However, creatine isn’t completely tasteless — most varieties we have tried are mildly to moderately bitter.
We therefore decided to rate the bitterness level of all our unflavored creatine recommendations. In addition, we rated the taste of flavored creatine supplements.
Consistency
Creatine powders are notoriously chalky and grainy. Fortunately, brands are working hard to create finer powders that mix into smoothies and beverages more easily without changing the consistency. We made sure to evaluate each product’s chalkiness and graininess and highlighted our favorite powders.
Independent Testing
When a supplement like creatine is third-party tested, you as a consumer have the assurance that the formula doesn’t contain contaminants such as heavy metals and banned substances. In addition, testing helps ensure that the product contains exactly what the label describes, and that the nutritional value is accurate. In our recommendations, we highlighted products that have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification or another third-party verification.
Type
Most creatine supplements come in the form of a powder that you can mix into a beverage. However, you’ll also find creatine in the form of chewable tablets, gummies and capsules. These types of creatine are generally more convenient and easier to take. However, you usually need to take many tablets, gummies or capsules to reach five grams of creatine (the standard dose). We chose to include gummies and capsules in our recommendations but not chewable tablets, as we didn’t find tablets to be pleasant.
Price
Unfortunately, the price of creatine increased in recent years because of shortages and inflation. While the cost hasn’t come back down to pre-inflation prices, you can still find affordable creatine supplements on the market. Generally, the price ranges between 20 cents and $3 per serving, so a 60-day supply costs anywhere between $20 and $70.
What Are the Different Types of Creatine Supplements for Women?
Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the most common form of creatine on the market. It also has the most research behind it to verify its efficacy. Typically, you’ll find it in powdered form, though it’s also sold as gummies, capsules and chewable tablets.
Since supplemental creatine is usually made artificially by synthesizing two molecules (sarcosine and cyanamide), it’s usually vegan. However, capsules and gummies may contain bovine gelatin and other non-vegan additives.
Micronized
Micronized creatine is an even finer form of traditional creatine monohydrate. The product is processed to a smaller particle size, which turns it into a very fine powder that more easily mixes into beverages. It may also be easier for your body to digest and absorb. However, micronized creatine monohydrate is typically more expensive.
Hydrochloride (HCl)
Creatine hydrochloride is a creatine molecule bound to hydrochloric acid. Some research shows that it may be easier for your body to absorb than creatine monohydrate and less likely to cause water retention (when the body’s tissues hold onto water). However, creatine monohydrate has more research behind it to verify its efficacy.
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