Buying guide for best creatine for women
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For years, athletes and gym enthusiasts have sung the praises of creatine for its ability to boost exercise performance and improve muscle strength. However, research has found that it can have additional health benefits, especially for women. In fact, the best creatine for women can help build strength, increase muscle mass, boost cognitive function and improve mood, particularly as they age.
Creatine is an energy-boosting compound that naturally occurs within the body. It’s found in skeletal muscles, the heart, the brain and other tissues, but is produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas. You can also get creatine in your diet from foods like beef, chicken, pork, salmon and shellfish.
Creatine supplements are often used by athletes and weightlifters to boost energy and performance at the gym or aid postworkout recovery, but research suggests they can also help women prevent loss of muscle and bone density as they age and improve memory and other cognitive functions.
At BestReviews, we’ve researched and evaluated creatine supplements for women to help us find the best formulas. Our top pick, the BIRDMAN Creatine Monohydrate Powder, dissolves easily in cold liquids and has a delicious pink-lemonade flavor despite its sugar-free formula. Its added electrolytes also make it an ideal post-workout drink.
Editors’ picks
BIRDMAN Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Editors’ Favorite
Number of Servings: 30 | Weight: 9.84 oz | Flavor: Pink Lemonade | Creatine Type: Creatine Monohydrate | Sweetener: Stevia
The BIRDMAN Creatine Monohydrate Powder is a creatine formula for women that can do it all. It contains 5 grams of pure micronized creatine powder to help women build lean muscle and increase strength. It also includes electrolytes from Himalayan pink salt to aid postworkout recovery. The formula features ingredients to help with skin hydration, elasticity and glow, too, including hyaluronic acid, zinc and vitamins C and E.
This creatine supplement has a delicious pink-lemonade flavor, but it’s sugar-free. Instead of sugar, it uses stevia, a natural sugar substitute, as its sweetener, so each serving contains just 4 calories. The formula is 100% vegan and gluten-free, too.
You’ll have an easy time using the BIRDMAN Creatine Monohydrate Powder because it fully dissolves in cold liquids, leaving no grit or clumps. You only have to stir or shake the mixture vigorously to create a tasty postworkout beverage.
California Gold Nutrition Sport Pure Creatine Monohydrate
Use Coupon: BEST20
Number of Servings: 91 | Weight: 16 oz | Flavor: Unflavored | Creatine Type: Creatine Monohydrate | Sweetener: N/A
With an unflavored formula, the California Gold Nutrition Sport Pure Creatine Monohydrate is a versatile creatine supplement. You can mix it into water, other hydration beverages, protein shakes, meal replacement shakes and smoothies without altering the taste. It requires just 6 to 8 ounces of liquid to blend it with, and it's easy to fully mix in a blender- or shaker-style cup.
Each serving contains 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, which can help build lean muscle, boost athletic performance and prevent muscle fatigue after workouts. It doesn’t contain any animal ingredients or animal by-products, either, so the formula is suitable for vegans.
Best of all, the California Gold Nutrition Sport Pure Creatine Monohydrate is an excellent value. Its large 16-ounce container provides approximately 91 servings and includes a convenient scoop so you know exactly how much to add to your liquid of choice.
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder
Simple Yet Solid
Number of Servings: 100 | Weight: 17.9 oz | Flavor: Unflavored | Creatine Type: Creatine Monohydrate | Sweetener: N/A
The Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder may have a simple formula, but it’s a highly effective pre- or postworkout supplement for women. It contains 5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate per serving to help boost strength and endurance. The unflavored powder blends easily into water or juice, too, making it easy to add to your routine.
Nutricost uses an independent, accredited lab to test this creatine supplement, so you can trust that the ingredients listed on the label are what’s actually inside the container. The formula is vegan and dairy-, gluten- and soy-free. Its ingredients are all non-GMO, too.
Plus, it’s an ideal option for women who take creatine daily, as each container contains 100 servings. A scoop is included, too, to ensure you mix the right amount into your liquid.
BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Excellent Value
Number of Servings: 200 | Weight: 35.27 oz | Flavor: Unflavored | Creatine Type: Creatine Monohydrate | Sweetener: NA
It’s difficult to find a better value than the BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate Powder. Each container holds more than 35 ounces of unflavored creatine powder, which provides 200 servings. Each serving has 5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate to help women reach strength and performance goals.
The unflavored powder makes this supplement highly versatile as well. You can mix it with water or juice, or add it to your favorite smoothie or protein shake. It works for women of all lifestyles, too, so everyone from elite athletes hoping to boost performance to seniors looking to maintain muscle can benefit.
The BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate Powder is sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and additive-free. In fact, its third-party lab-tested formula contains nothing but pure creatine monohydrate, so you can still use it if you have common food allergies.
AiVital Creatine Gummies for Women
Best Gummies
Number of Servings: 30 | Weight: 14.8 oz | Flavor: Berry | Creatine Type: Creatine Monohydrate | Sweetener: Stevia
The AiVital Creatine Gummies for Women is the perfect option for women who want a quick, tasty way to add creatine to their diet. These gummies feature a three-in-one formula, containing 5 grams of creatine monohydrate to boost lean muscle, 2 grams of collagen for joint and skin health and 1 gram of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to soothe post-workout muscle soreness.
The gummies have a delicious berry flavor but use stevia as a sweetener, making them a zero-sugar supplement. They are quick and easy to take daily because there’s no messy powder to mix into a liquid. As a result, they are perfect for taking on the go.
Each container of the AiVial Creatine Gummies for Women has 120 gummies. The recommended serving is 4 gummies per day, so a bottle provides a month’s supply of creatine.
How we analyzed
There are so many creatine supplements for women on the market that sorting through the options can be overwhelming. To find the best formulas, we analyzed customer reviews to see which creatine supplements best met user expectations. Specifically, we evaluated which formulas contained pure creatine monohydrate, underwent third-party testing for purity and potency, offered the best flavor, were easiest to take and provided the best results. Overall, we considered more than a dozen creatine supplements for women and chose our top picks based on quality, ease of use and results.
What are the benefits of taking creatine for women?
While many people think of creatine as a supplement for athletes and weightlifters, it offers benefits beyond workout performance that can make it an excellent supplement for women, particularly as they age. Some of the health benefits that creatine for women offers include:
- Improves exercise performance: The reason that so many athletes and weightlifters swear by creatine is that it can help increase speed, letting you lift more weight and generate significant force in short periods while in the gym. This improved performance can obviously help women who are looking to increase strength and maintain a healthy weight.
- Aids in building lean muscle: When paired with strength training and a healthy diet, creatine can help women increase lean muscle mass, which is especially important as women age.
- Prevent muscle and bone mass loss: In addition to helping women build lean muscle, creatine can help maintain muscle and bone mass as women age, especially when paired with exercise and a healthy diet.
- Boost brain function and mood: Studies show that creatine supplements can support brain health by increasing cellular energy, which helps improve memory and attention span. It can also boost mood by reducing symptoms of depression and may even make antidepressant medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work more effectively.
What are the downsides of taking creatine?
While research supports creatine as a safe, low-risk supplement, it isn’t without its potential side effects. The most common side effects of creatine include:
- Gastrointestinal issues: Some women may experience nausea, vomiting, heartburn, bloating, cramps and decreased appetite.
- Temporary weight gain: Women sometimes experience temporary weight gain when starting creatine supplements. However, the weight is due to increased water retention, not body fat.
Keep in mind that women who have health issues or are pregnant or nursing should always consult a doctor before taking creatine or any other supplements.
Key features to consider
Best type of creatine
While you can find supplements that use other types of creatine, such as creatine hydrochloride, creatine monohydrate is the most thoroughly researched form. It is also widely considered the most effective type, so it is the gold standard among creatine supplements.
To ensure that the creatine monohydrate supplement you choose is the highest quality, opt for a formula that is certified by a third-party organization, such as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) or the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). This verifies that it contains pure monohydrate and is free of impurities.
While some creatine monohydrate supplements are flavored, be mindful of the sugar content. You can find formulas that use artificial sweeteners to keep the calorie count down.
Form
Powders
Most creatine supplements come in powder form. It’s mixed with water or another liquid, so you can drink it. Powder formulas are the most easily absorbed, which often makes them more effective. It isn’t the most travel-friendly option, though, because creatine powder typically comes in a large bottle. Some formulas don’t fully dissolve in liquid, either, leaving you with a gritty, chalky beverage.
Capsules
Creatine capsules feature an outer shell filled with creatine powder. The shell dissolves when it reaches your digestive tract, but the extra step means that creatine capsules aren’t absorbed as easily as creatine powder. However, creatine capsules are easy to take on the go, making them ideal for travel.
Gummies
Creatine gummies are similar to creatine capsules, but they are chewed rather than swallowed whole. As a result, they come in various flavors, such as grape or strawberry. They don’t absorb as readily as creatine powders, so you may not see as many benefits. Like capsules, they are extremely travel-friendly.
How to take creatine for women
It’s generally recommended that women take 3 to 5 grams of creatine daily. Some creatine supplements call for a loading dose of up to 25 grams, which is a larger amount taken for a short period to help your body reach an effective creatine concentration more quickly. It’s usually best to follow the supplement's guidelines to determine the proper dosage.
Some people choose to take creatine before or after workouts, but it really doesn’t matter when you take it. What’s more important is that you take it daily, so you should take it even on days you don’t exercise. That ensures that your body’s creatine stores stay steady, so you can see real benefits.
If you are using creatine powder, it often dissolves better in warm liquids, like coffee or tea. However, mixing it in your smoothie or protein shake is a good option if you aren’t a fan of the powder’s taste.
Staying hydrated
While it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re getting enough water, it’s especially important to stay hydrated when using a creatine supplement. Drinking plenty of water not only aids your body in absorbing creatine but also helps restore any hydration it loses as creatine draws water into your muscles. Increasing your water intake may also help with some of the gastrointestinal side effects that creatine can cause and can even help combat the water retention that often occurs with the supplement.
FAQ
Q. How much does a creatine supplement for women cost?
A. Creatine supplements for women vary in price based on the formula and number of servings but most range from $15 to $50. Creatine gummies are typically the most inexpensive, costing between $15 and $30. Creatine capsules are usually a bit pricier, with most formulas ranging from $20 to $35. Creatine powders generally have the largest price range, depending on size, formula and type. The majority cost between $20 and $50.
Q. Is creatine safe to take during pregnancy?
A. While creatine is probably safe for use during pregnancy, there isn’t enough research to recommend it definitively. As a result, consult with your doctor before using it during pregnancy.
Our expertise
Jennifer Blair has covered home, kitchen and lifestyle topics for BestReviews since 2017. She has written over 150 articles on products such as air fryers, robot vacuums, sunscreen and multivitamins. While she doesn’t currently take a creatine supplement, she has tried a few in the past and uses a collagen peptide powder as part of her wellness regimen.
