Creatine Benefits You Actually Need to Know

Like many, you might associate creatine with gym workouts. While creatine does offer potent muscle building support, research is unlocking a surprising variety of other benefits you should know about. Today we’ll look at creatine’s health benefits—some of which may surprise you.

Key Takeaways

• Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements for athletes.¹
• Creatine monohydrate is highly beneficial to endurance and the building of lean muscles.¹
• Creatine is associated with healthy cognitive function and brain health in stressed or older individuals.²
• When used as part of a strength training regimen, creatine can indirectly support bone health. In healthy postmenopausal women, creatine may also offer bone support.³
• Vegetarians and vegans may experience a “baseline gap” in their creatine intake as dietary creatine is generally limited to animal sources.⁴

Key Terms

• Creatine: a compound formed in animal organs from amino acids. After physical exertion, creatine helps the body regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for cellular energy.
• ATP: the shorthand name for adenosine triphosphate, the primary energy-carrying molecule used to power cells for the performance of biological processes. Used for both nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
• Creatine monohydrate: among the most widely studied supplements, this form of creatine is made by combining the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine and then binding the creatine to a single water molecule.
• Loading phase: a short period in which high doses of a supplement are taken in order to quickly saturate the body’s stores.

Common Uses for Creatine

It’s well known that creatine helps in the gym and after exercise, supporting endurance and promoting the building of lean muscle mass. To promote strength resilience after a workout and a more comfortable recovery, creatine is a classic. But there’s more to this supplement than you may have thought.^1,3

The Benefits Most People Haven’t Heard About

Creatine’s benefits aren’t limited to the gym—it’s being studied for its benefits in mood and cognition across age groups and activity levels. Here are some other ways it promotes health and vitality:

Creatine and Your Brain

Supplementation has been shown to increase levels of creatine in the brain, which can be especially important for those who are under stress (e.g. sleep deprived) or are older. This is because during times of stress, high amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are consumed by the cells—ATP is their primary source of energy, and the brain can account for 20% of the body’s total energy demands. Creatine works to regenerate optimal levels of ATP, but while some creatine is produced naturally in the liver and transported to the brain, the adult brain becomes less efficient at receiving this ATP through the blood-brain barrier, and so increasing creatine intake, whether through diet (ex. red meat, seafood) or supplementation can help support healthy brain function and potentially long-term brain health.⁵

It should be noted that vegetarians, vegans or anyone who doesn’t consume sufficient levels of creatine from animal sources can be subject to a baseline gap, meaning they may benefit from additional creatine support through supplementation.⁴

Creatine and Bone Health

Research suggests a link between creatine’s support for muscle mass and bone health in the context of resistance training. For postmenopausal women, there’s also indication of improved bone health.³ Learn more in Benefits of Creatine for Women.

Creatine and Healthy Aging

Maintaining lean muscle mass is an important factor in healthy aging, and studies show that supplementing with creatine as a part of a resistance workout can deliver better results than strength training alone. This benefit may also contribute to improved bone health for older women as improving muscle mass can support stronger bones.³

Additionally, some research indicates a link between creatine supplementation and support for focus and memory function in older adults. This may be due to supplementation helping to restore levels of creatine, the body’s production of which naturally declines over time.⁶

Creatine for Vegans and Vegetarians

Dietary creatine is found in animal foods—beef, pork, chicken, and fish. This lack of plant-based sources can pose a challenge for vegetarians or vegans. As a result, those who follow such diets may experience a baseline gap of serum creatine.⁴ Additionally, low levels of vitamin B12 (experienced by some vegetarians and vegans) is associated with reduced production of methionine, which can lead to lower creatine levels. Methionine, along with glycine and arginine, is among the three amino acids that the body needs to form creatine.^1,7

Fortunately, Swanson offers a vegan-friendly Creatine Monohydrate Powder that delivers potent creatine benefits from high-quality nature-identical sources. Read more in The Vegan Creatine Advantage Plant-Powered Athletes May Be Missing.

How to Use Creatine

Creatine supplements come in a variety of forms and are considered safe for healthy adults. The standard dose is around 3-5 g daily, but when first beginning, one option is to take a larger dose of around 20 g (typically divided into four servings per day) for the first 5-7 days. This is called the “loading phase,” and while it isn’t required, it can help the body to increase its stores of creatine faster in the beginning so you can enjoy benefits sooner. As with most supplements, consistency and a routine are what matter most, as building and maintaining optimal creatine levels in the body is the goal.

If muscle gain is your primary objective, take creatine with a meal that features carbohydrates and protein near to or just after a workout. At first, you may notice some weight gain, but this is typically intramuscular water rather than fat and shouldn’t be cause for concern.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does creatine do for your body?
  Creatine is used by the body to synthesize adenosine-triphosphate (ATP), the primary source of energy used by the cells to power physical activity and cognitive function. So adequate creatine levels help maintain mental performance, memory, and focus—particularly during periods of increased cognitive demand or fatigue. Furthermore, by supporting muscle strength and physical performance, creatine may also help promote regular weight-bearing activity, an important factor in maintaining healthy bones throughout life.^1,3,5
• Why did I gain weight after taking creatine?
  When first taking creatine, you may experience an increase in weight, but this is not from fat. This is due to the way in which creatine draws water into the muscles for improved hydration, affecting total body water (TBW) readings.⁸ This effect should level off after a few weeks.
• What is creatine loading?
  “Loading” refers to an optional strategy for quickly boosting the body’s stores of creatine by taking a larger dose (ex. 20 g daily in four doses of 5 g each) for the first 5-7 days and then settling into a maintenance dose (3-5 g per day) moving forward.

Conclusion

More than just a gym supplement, creatine monohydrate can deliver powerful benefits to most adults who want to bolster their muscle and bone health while also supporting proper cognitive function. This is particularly true for those who follow vegetarian or vegan diets. If you’d like to boost your overall wellness, be sure to check out our line of creatine supplements (from powders to gummies!) today.

Swanson

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources

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2. Avgerinos, K. I., Spyrou, N., Bougioukas, K. I., & Kapogiannis, D. (2018). Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental Gerontology, 108, 166–173.
3. Chilibeck, P. D., Candow, D. G., Gordon, J. J., Duff, W. R. D., Mason, R., Shaw, K., Taylor-Gjevre, R., Nair, B., & Zello, G. A. (2023). A 2-year randomized controlled trial on creatine supplementation during exercise for postmenopausal bone health. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 55(10), 1750–1760.
4. Gutiérrez-Hellín, J., Del Coso, J., Franco-Andrés, A., Gamonales, J. M., Espada, M. C., González-García, J., López-Moreno, M., & Varillas-Delgado, D. (2024). Creatine supplementation beyond athletics: Benefits of different types of creatine for women, vegans, and clinical populations—A narrative review. Nutrients, 17(1), Article 95.
5. Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Ostojic, S. M., Prokopidis, K., Stock, M. S., Harmon, K. K., & Faulkner, P. (2023). “Heads up” for creatine supplementation and its potential applications for brain health and function. Sports Medicine, 53(Suppl. 1), 49–65.
6. Marshall, S., Kitzan, A., Wright, J., Bocicariu, L., & Nagamatsu, L. S. (2026). Creatine and cognition in aging: A systematic review of evidence in older adults. Nutrition Reviews, 84(2), 333–344.
7. Kaviani, M., Shaw, K., & Chilibeck, P. D. (2020). Benefits of creatine supplementation for vegetarians compared to omnivorous athletes: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), Article 3041.
8. Powers, M. E., Arnold, B. L., Weltman, A. L., Perrin, D. H., Mistry, D., Kahler, D. M., Kraemer, W., & Volek, J. (2003). Creatine supplementation increases total body water without altering fluid distribution. Journal of Athletic Training, 38(1), 44–50.