Creatine is no longer just for gymgoers. Who may benefit most from it

Creatine is drawing interest beyond fitness circles as a way to support muscle strength with age. Experts say many adults may benefit, but they also advise speaking with a doctor and choosing products that have been independently tested.

My boyfriend turned 50 this year. He didn't trade in his car for something flashy or quit his job to start a garage band. Instead, he began taking creatine.

“What is that, exactly?” I asked.

“Oh, one of those things everyone takes after 50,” he said.

Or 30. Or 80, as it turns out.

My 84-year-old mom called recently to ask, “What’s, um, cree-ah-teen?” She also wanted to know what new popular music she should be listening to. She stays on top of the trends.

Creatine seems to be everywhere lately, turning into a must-have supplement. It fills store shelves and shows up repeatedly on social media.

“Should you be having creatine?” one fitness influencer, @tashmaraiss, urged on TikTok. “Only if you want to be absolutely jacked, smart and recovering faster.”

Was that true? I wanted to find out.

So what is this supplement all about?

What it is: Creatine is a natural compound that helps supply energy to our muscles. The body makes it in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, which are building blocks of protein. We also get creatine from foods such as red meat, fish, seafood and poultry. About 95% of the creatine in the body is stored in skeletal muscles, with smaller amounts in the brain, heart and other tissues. It helps support muscle performance and recovery and may also aid brain function.

Benefits: Creatine helps skeletal muscles regenerate ATP for energy. That produces quick bursts of power and increased strength, making it especially useful for short, intense activities like weight lifting, jumping, sprinting and high-intensity interval training. It may also support cognition, including short-term memory, reasoning and neuroprotection, particularly in older adults, although more research is still needed.

Creatine does not build muscle by itself. Instead, it supports exercise, helping you lift heavier weights or complete more repetitions per set. It also draws water into the muscles, which helps maintain cell volume and support muscle contractions. Combined with a balanced diet, that can help offset age-related muscle loss.

The experts weigh in

A sports medicine doctor says: The way experts think about creatine has changed over the last two decades, says Tracy Zaslow, a Cedars-Sinai Sports Medicine specialist. Doctors once viewed it mainly as useful for athletes in power-based sports such as weight lifting or cycling — activities where even the smallest gain in speed matters. But its potential use has broadened considerably, she says. “If you're not under 18, pregnant or nursing, have kidney or liver disease and aren't taking other stimulants or are bipolar, I'd recommend it,” she says. “It appears safe to take long-term as long as you don't have any of those risk factors.” For people over 40, creatine can help counter age-related muscle loss and may also support bone health, Zaslow says. “When partnered with resistance training, it can increase bone mineral content and reduce that reabsorption of the bone,” she says. “To help prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis.”

Zaslow also says some older warnings about creatine are outdated. “People used to believe creatine caused dehydration and cramps, but it doesn't seem to,” she says. “If anything, it might protect against cramps and heat issues because it increases the water content in muscles. Also, it was thought that it would cause liver or kidney disease. It does not seem to if you don't have a preexisting condition. But I always recommend checking with a doctor because they understand your full medical profile. And creatine is not regulated by the FDA, so choosing clean sources is really important.”

A nurse and fitness trainer says: “I recommend creatine to everybody, especially women in perimenopause and menopause,” says Michelle Nouraei, an L.A.-based nurse and fitness trainer who works mainly with active women as the owner of the Fit4Mom L.A. franchise. “As we age, we lose muscle. And women going through perimenopause and menopause lose muscle even faster because their estrogen declines. So as women, fight muscle loss by lifting weights and taking creatine to develop muscle to protect your bones.”

Nouraei says creatine may also help with some of the more uncomfortable symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. “Things like fatigue, foggy memory and mood,” she says. “But start low and slow and see how your body feels. Too much too quickly can give you stomach bloating, diarrhea, nausea and other gastric issues.”

For adults, the recommended daily amount is three to five grams. Nouraei tells patients and clients that a gradual approach is the safest way to begin: start with three grams a day for a week, then increase to four, then five. The timing matters less than consistency so the muscles stay saturated.

A registered dietitian says: Creatine is useful not only for workouts but also for helping the body recover from exercise, says Yasi Ansari, a UCLA Health dietitian who works with athletes. It can also support training adaptations. And it is not just for athletes, she says. “Vegetarians can benefit from creatine supplementation because they're not consuming the foods that have higher amounts of creatine, like red meat and salmon,” she says.

Ansari says creatine may also help older adults, and researchers are studying its possible cognitive benefits. “If you have sleep deprivation, creatine supplementation can help with fatigue and foggy memory,” she says. “It's almost like a battery recharge for the brain and the muscles. Creatine helps the recharge that takes place in the brain to support your functioning. It's promising, but we still need more research and information on that.”

She adds that creatine should complement, not replace, a solid diet. “It's important people are eating their protein, carbs, fat — you can take all the creatine you want, but if you don't have a solid foundation when it comes to your nutrition, you're not gonna see the benefits.”

Ansari suggests taking creatine with yogurt or in fruit smoothies. “It's great when you're taking it with carbohydrates,” she says. “That helps it get delivered to the cells because carbohydrates provide energy.”

Practical considerations

Side effects, warnings: Creatine is one of the most studied supplements, Ansari says, and is generally safe. Still, some people do not tolerate it well. Those with sensitive digestive systems should talk with a doctor because it may cause gas, bloating and other stomach discomfort. A small amount of weight gain is possible, but it is water weight rather than fat, Ansari says, and it is not guaranteed. “There may be some fluid shifts in the muscles — because there's more water stored in the muscles — but over time that should regulate itself,” she says. “And it's a very minor shift, not permanent weight gain.”

Shopping for creatine: Creatine comes in powder, capsule, liquid and even energy bar form. Look for creatine monohydrate and avoid products that use proprietary blends, which often do not disclose exactly how much creatine is included. Make sure the product has been third-party tested. Look for seals such as “NSF for sport” or “Informed Sport.” The NSF certified for sport website also offers a directory of clean, third-party-tested products.

Bottom line: Creatine is a widely researched supplement that is generally considered safe. By helping power muscles, it can allow people to exercise longer and with more intensity. It is not harmful to take if you do not exercise, but the benefits will be smaller. Bloating is often temporary, and other digestive side effects may be reduced by starting with a low dose and increasing gradually. More research is needed to better understand the link between creatine and cognition, but the supplement may support brain health, especially in older adults and in cases of sleep deprivation.

“There's a strong interest now in aging,” Ansari says, “and how we can maintain our physical strength, movement and health as we age — which is a beautiful thing. And creatine is one of the supplements that can support us in doing that.”