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Creatine has become one of the biggest talking points in health and fitness circles. Once considered a supplement reserved for bodybuilders, it’s now being recommended by everyone from elite athletes and dietitians to everyday gym-goers and wellness influencers. But as its popularity has grown, so too has the confusion around it.
Spend a few minutes scrolling through social media and you’ll quickly come across claims about creatine side effects, from bloating and kidney damage to hair loss. Others suggest creatine is only worth taking if you’re trying to build muscle. But how much of what you see online is actually true? Despite the growing number of myths surrounding creatine, many of these claims aren’t supported by current scientific evidence.
In reality, creatine is one of the most extensively researched supplements available. While it’s well established for supporting strength and exercise performance, researchers are also exploring its potential role in healthy ageing, cognitive function and brain health.
At HIF, we believe the best health decisions are informed ones. In this article, we’ll look at what creatine is, how it works, who may benefit from taking it and what the latest science says about some of the internet’s biggest creatine myths.
Creatine isn’t an artificial chemical or stimulant. It’s a naturally occurring compound that your body produces every day and stores ready for when your muscles need a quick supply of energy.
It’s made from three amino acids in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, with around 95% of the body’s creatine stored in skeletal muscle. Smaller amounts are also found in the brain and other organs, where they help support normal cellular function.
Your body also gets creatine from foods including beef, lamb, pork and fish. Because plant foods contain very little creatine, people following vegetarian or vegan diets often have lower natural stores. For most people, the creatine produced by the body and obtained through food is enough to support everyday activities. Supplementation simply increases those stores beyond their normal level, giving your muscles a larger reserve of readily available energy during demanding physical activity.
Before we look at the benefits, it helps to understand exactly how that energy system works.
Every movement you make relies on energy. Whether you’re sprinting for the train, lifting shopping bags, or completing your final set at the gym, your muscles are powered by a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The challenge is that your body only stores enough ATP for a few seconds of high-intensity effort. Once those stores run low, your muscles fatigue and performance begins to drop. Creatine helps solve this problem.
Inside your muscles, creatine is stored as phosphocreatine. Its job is to rapidly regenerate ATP, allowing your muscles to keep producing energy during short, repeated bursts of activity. This doesn’t suddenly make someone stronger or faster overnight. Instead, it may help you complete another repetition, maintain your power output for longer or recover more quickly before your next effort. Over weeks and months of consistent training, those small improvements can add up to meaningful gains in strength and performance.
Creatine has been studied for decades, making it one of the most researched nutritional supplements available. While its role in improving strength and exercise performance is well established, researchers continue to explore how it may support healthy ageing and brain health.
Improved Strength and Exercise Performance
The strongest evidence for creatine relates to its ability to improve performance during short bursts of high-intensity exercise. By helping your muscles regenerate energy more quickly, creatine can improve your capacity to perform repeated efforts during activities such as resistance training, sprinting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). In practical terms, that might mean completing an extra repetition, lifting a little more weight or maintaining your power output for longer before fatigue sets in.
While those improvements may seem small during a single workout, they can accumulate over time. Research consistently shows that when creatine supplementation is combined with a structured resistance training program, it can support greater gains in muscle strength, power and lean muscle mass compared to training alone.
Importantly, creatine doesn’t build muscle on its own. Instead, it helps you get more from your training, allowing the body to better adapt to the exercise you’re already doing.
Better Recovery and Training Capacity
Progress doesn’t happen during a workout – it happens when your body recovers afterwards.
While sleep, good nutrition and appropriate rest remain the foundations of recovery, creatine may provide additional support by helping your muscles restore their energy stores more efficiently between bouts of exercise.
Some research also suggests creatine may reduce muscle cell damage and inflammation following intense training, which may contribute to feeling ready for your next session sooner. This can be particularly beneficial for athletes or active people who train frequently or participate in sports requiring repeated high-intensity efforts. Rather than acting as a recovery supplement on its own, creatine supports your ability to consistently train at a high level over time.
Supporting Healthy Ageing
Although creatine has traditionally been associated with younger athletes, researchers are increasingly interested in its role in healthy ageing. As we get older, it’s natural to gradually lose muscle mass and strength. This process, known as sarcopenia, can affect mobility, balance and independence, making everyday activities more challenging.
Resistance training remains one of the most effective ways to slow this decline, and growing evidence suggests creatine supplementation may enhance these benefits. Studies have found that older adults who combine creatine with regular strength training often experience greater improvements in muscle strength and physical function than those who exercise without it.
While creatine isn’t a substitute for staying active, it may be another useful tool to help support healthy ageing and maintain quality of life as we grow older.
Brain Health and Cognitive Function
One of the most exciting areas of creatine research has very little to do with exercise. Just like muscles, the brain has high energy demands. Because creatine helps support cellular energy production, researchers are investigating whether increasing creatine stores could also benefit brain function.
Early research suggests creatine may help support cognitive performance during periods of mental fatigue or sleep deprivation, when the brain is working harder than usual. Scientists are also exploring its potential role in healthy ageing and neuroprotection, with studies examining whether creatine may help support brain health later in life.
While these findings are promising, this research is still developing. More large-scale clinical studies are needed before creatine can be recommended specifically for improving cognitive health. For now, the strongest evidence continues to support its benefits for exercise performance, while its potential role in brain health remains an exciting area to watch.
For many years, creatine research focused primarily on men. Fortunately, that’s changing, with more studies now exploring how women may benefit from supplementation throughout different stages of life.
Women generally have lower natural creatine stores than men, partly due to differences in muscle mass and dietary intake. As a result, supplementation may help support improvements in strength, exercise performance and recovery when combined with regular resistance training.
Researchers are also investigating creatine’s role during the menopausal transition. As hormone levels change, many women experience declines in muscle mass, strength and physical function. Emerging evidence suggests creatine, alongside resistance exercise, may help support muscle health during this stage of life. There is also growing interest in whether creatine could support cognitive health in women as they age. Australian researchers, including those involved in Western Sydney University’s MenoCOG Trial, are currently investigating whether creatine supplementation may help support cognitive function during menopause. While the findings are still emerging, they reflect the growing recognition that creatine may have benefits extending well beyond sport.
Whether your goal is improving gym performance, maintaining strength as you age or supporting an active lifestyle, creatine is increasingly being recognised as a supplement that may benefit women just as much as men.
Search for creatine online and you’ll quickly come across plenty of conflicting advice. While it’s understandable that people want to know whether a supplement is safe before taking it, some of the most common concerns about creatine aren’t supported by the current evidence.
Here’s what the science says.
Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?
Yes, but probably not in the way you’re thinking.
It’s common to notice a small increase on the scales after starting creatine, particularly during the first few weeks. This is because creatine draws more water into your muscle cells, a process known as intracellular water retention.
This isn’t the same as gaining body fat. Instead, it’s a normal part of how creatine works and may even contribute to muscles looking slightly fuller. Your overall diet and activity levels—not creatine itself—are what determine whether you gain fat.
Does Creatine Cause Water Retention?
Yes, but it’s often misunderstood.
Creatine increases water stored inside muscle cells, not under the skin where it causes puffiness or bloating. For most people taking the recommended dose, this intracellular water supports normal muscle function and isn’t associated with the bloated appearance often described on social media.
Some people may experience mild digestive discomfort if they take very large doses at once, but this is different from water retention.
Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?
Current evidence doesn’t show that creatine directly causes hair loss.
The concern comes from a small 2009 study that found an increase in dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to male pattern baldness in people who are genetically predisposed. However, the study didn’t show that participants actually lost hair.
Since then, larger reviews have found no convincing evidence that creatine supplementation causes hair loss. Genetics remain the biggest factor in male pattern baldness.
Is Creatine Bad for Your Kidneys?
For healthy adults, current research shows that taking creatine at recommended doses does not damage the kidneys.
Creatine can increase creatinine levels in blood tests, but this doesn’t necessarily indicate kidney damage. Creatinine is simply a natural by-product of creatine metabolism and needs to be interpreted alongside other measures of kidney function.
If you have existing kidney disease or another medical condition, speak with your GP before taking creatine or any dietary supplement.
Creatine is one of the simplest supplements to use. You don’t need expensive products or complicated routines to experience its benefits. For most people, choosing a quality supplement and taking it consistently is all that’s required.
How Much Creatine Should You Take?
For most healthy adults, 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day is the recommended dose. This is enough to gradually increase and maintain your body’s creatine stores. Taking more than the recommended amount won’t necessarily produce better results and may increase the risk of digestive discomfort.
Do You Need a Loading Phase?
A loading phase is optional, not essential. Some people choose to take around 20 grams per day, split into four doses, for five to seven days to saturate their muscles more quickly. However, taking 3 to 5 grams daily will achieve the same result over a few weeks. If you’re happy to be patient, there’s no need to load.
When Is the Best Time to Take Creatine?
There isn’t a perfect time of day to take creatine. While some studies have looked at whether taking it before or after exercise makes a difference, the evidence suggests that consistency is far more important than timing.
Choose a time that fits your routine, whether that’s with breakfast, after your workout or in your evening smoothie, and aim to take it every day.
How Much Water Should You Drink When Taking Creatine?
There’s no need to dramatically increase your water intake simply because you’re taking creatine.
Instead, focus on staying well hydrated throughout the day, particularly if you’re exercising regularly or spending time in hot weather. Drinking enough water to replace fluids lost through sweat will help support both your overall health and exercise performance.
What Type of Creatine Should You Buy?
If you’re standing in front of a shelf full of supplements, the simplest option is often the best.
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched form of creatine and has consistently been shown to be safe and effective. Despite the marketing around newer formulations, there’s currently little evidence that more expensive alternatives provide additional benefits.
When choosing a supplement, look for products that have been independently third-party tested for quality and purity. You can find reputable options at Chemist Warehouse, community pharmacies and established sports nutrition retailers.
While creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements available, it’s important to remember that no supplement can replace the foundations of good health.
Regular exercise, a balanced diet, quality sleep and staying hydrated all play a far greater role in supporting your long-term health and wellbeing. Creatine should be viewed as something that complements these healthy habits, not a shortcut or substitute for them.
If you’re considering taking creatine, it’s worth thinking about the bigger picture. Are you strength training regularly? Are you eating enough nutritious foods to support your activity levels? Are you giving your body time to recover? Answering “yes” to these questions will likely have a greater impact on your health than any supplement alone.
At HIF, we’re passionate about helping Australians take a proactive approach to their health. Whether you’re looking to improve your fitness, build healthier habits or simply better understand your body, our Healthy Lifestyle Hub is packed with practical, evidence-based information to support your wellbeing. You can also explore HIF’s range of Health and Wellbeing Programs, designed to help members stay active, informed and supported at every stage of life.
Creatine is one of the most extensively researched supplements available, with strong evidence supporting its role in improving strength and exercise performance. While research into healthy ageing and brain health is still developing, the early findings are promising.
For healthy adults, creatine is considered safe when taken as directed, and many of the common myths surrounding weight gain, hair loss and kidney damage aren’t supported by current evidence.
If you’re considering creatine, focus on the basics: choose a quality creatine monohydrate supplement, take it consistently, and remember that it works best alongside regular exercise, good nutrition, adequate sleep and hydration. If you’re unsure whether creatine is right for you, speak with your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
What does creatine do?
Creatine helps your muscles produce energy during short bursts of high-intensity activity. This can support improvements in strength, power and exercise performance when combined with regular training.
Is creatine safe?
For healthy adults, creatine is considered one of the safest and most extensively researched supplements available. As with any supplement, it’s important to follow the recommended dosage and speak with your GP if you have an existing medical condition or concerns.
Does creatine make you gain weight?
Creatine may cause a small increase in body weight when you first start taking it, but this is usually due to increased water stored inside your muscles rather than an increase in body fat.
Does creatine cause water retention?
Creatine increases water within muscle cells, which supports normal muscle function. This isn’t the same as the bloating or puffiness that people commonly associate with water retention.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
Current evidence doesn’t show that creatine directly causes hair loss. While one small study raised questions about a hormone linked to male pattern baldness, larger reviews have not found convincing evidence that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss.
Is creatine good for brain health?
Researchers are investigating whether creatine may support cognitive performance, particularly during periods of mental fatigue, sleep deprivation and healthy ageing. While early findings are promising, more research is needed before firm recommendations can be made.
What does creatine do for women?
Creatine may help women improve strength, exercise performance and recovery when combined with resistance training. Researchers are also exploring its potential role in supporting muscle and cognitive health during menopause and healthy ageing.
How much creatine should I take?
For most healthy adults, 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day is enough to increase and maintain creatine stores.
What is the best time to take creatine?
The best time is simply the time you’ll remember to take it. Research suggests consistency is more important than whether you take creatine before or after exercise.
How much water should I drink while taking creatine?
There’s no specific amount of water you need to drink because you’re taking creatine. Aim to stay well hydrated throughout the day and increase your fluid intake if you’re exercising heavily or in hot conditions.
What type of creatine should I buy?
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and widely recommended form. Choose a quality product that has been third-party tested, and be cautious of expensive formulations that claim superior results without strong scientific evidence.