“Should I be taking Creatine?” is one of the most commonly asked questions that I get as a certified holistic health coach. First of all, I don’t recommend taking supplements without consulting a medical professional first. Once you’ve done that, I do have some creatine brand recommendations, based on personal experience. Not all creatine is created equal and there are a few things you should know if you’re on the fence about taking it. But first, what exactly is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that helps generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which, in layman’s terms, is your cell’s energy currency. Creatine helps with performance in high-intensity exercise, but much more importantly, it supports muscle growth and strength (when combined with resistance training), may help with age-related muscle loss, enhances recovery and cognitive function. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched and safest supplements on the market. Monohydrate is the form of creatine that includes one water molecule (H₂O) per creatine molecule. It’s the most effective and affordable form of creatine on the market.
Creatine is definitely having a PR moment, much like protein is and it’s easy to get caught up in that hype, but before I started taking creatine, I really wanted to do my research and experiment with a few brands (which is what I do for all products).
Now, let’s bust some myths!
Myth #1: Creatine will make you bulky and is only for the gym bros.
Truth: No. Just no. I have to admit this is what I used to think, but what’s actually scary to me is the fact that you can lose up to 8% – 10% of muscle mass per decade*. Sarcopenia (age related muscle mass loss) is a key concern, especially for women over 30. Creatine combined with resistance training is a powerful combination that can help combat sarcopenia. Creatine allows your muscles to retain more water, but won’t make them bulky. However, the very BIG caveat that I have to highlight is that taking creatine without putting in the resistance training and maybe even cardio effort won’t change much for you alone. Muscle can’t be built unless you use it.
Myth #2: Creatine will cause bloating and weight gain.
Truth: You may put on a temporary few pounds (less than 5 lbs) due to pure water retention since creatine pulls water into your muscles, but this is not permanent weight gain and definitely not fat gain. Our weight fluctuates so much (hello, luteal phase!) that you shouldn’t see more than a regular fluctuation. I have worked with some women who complain about bloating and this is where picking a reputable brand of creatine may be helpful.
Myth 3#: Creatine will harm the kidneys.
Truth: If you have kidney problems, I highly recommend seeing your doctor first before taking creatine (you should do this regardless). Otherwise, studies have shown* that creatine does not have any harmful effects on the kidneys if you stick to the 3 to 5 grams of creatine / day dosage.
How To Take Creatine
For most people, between 3 to 5 grams of creatine daily is recommended. If you’re a high performance athlete, you may benefit from a loading phase with up to 20 grams of daily creatine in the first 5 to 7 days. Since I don’t fall into this category, I skipped this step and I don’t think it’s necessary for most people. You also risk more side effects in the loading phase. The timing of creatine is not as important, though you may want to take it right before you exercise. What’s most important (as with anything else) is consistency and taking creatine daily will help build that muscle tone that we’re all after, especially as we age. Resistance training for 30 minutes, at least twice a week is what you’ll want to do to help you in your muscle building efforts.
My Experience with Creatine
I’ve tried three different creatine brands and had a different experience with all of these. When it comes to the best brands of creatine for women, I think that you’ll want to look for a very high quality product and then try it for a few weeks to see how your body reacts to it. Here’s what I tried:
Cymbiotika Liposomal Creatine+ – I love the Cymbiotika brand. I take their Glutathione daily and I love that their products come in single-serve pouches, making them ideal for travel. Naturally, I thought their liposomal Creatine+ would sit equally well in my stomach. It didn’t. Just to be clear, I still think that Cymbiotika is an amazing brand and creates quality, whole food-based products and supplements. However, something about their creatine made me a bit nauseous and gave me a headaches. I started with two pouches a day, which I also think is on the high end, so that could have been the cause for my discomfort as well. Still worth a try if you’d like your creatine perfectly dosed and portable.
Thorne Creatine Monohydrate – My current-go to. It’s easy to digest, does not give me any discomfort and goes into my anti-inflammatory smoothie every morning. It dissolves fairly well, though I have not tried adding this to plain water or a liquid that’s less dense. I do worry about it dissolving well into something that’s not a smoothie, but I also don’t know if that’s much of an issue given that it’s taste-less. Overall, my number one pick for creatine in powder form. Thorne is a solid, reliable brand so if you’re new to creatine, I would give this a try first.
Momentous Creatine Monohydrate – This powder is a close second to Thorne’s Creatine Monohydrate. It’s a simple, tasteless powder, is equally well reviewed, and is in the same price range as Thorne. I would give this a try as well, knowing that you can trust this brand for quality, potency, and effectiveness.
Arrae Tone Gummies – I love these! They taste really good to me and since you’re getting 5 g of creatine (4 gummies) in non-powder format, you can easily take these to the gym, office, on a plane, etc. Although these are super convenient and have been working great for me in terms of digestion and brain boosting benefits, the one aspect I don’t love is that these have cane sugar in them. No other artificial ingredients or junk, but cane sugar is something I specifically try to avoid (except for when dining out or on vacation), so having to consume this daily isn’t ideal for me. I still purchase these for days when I’m on-the-go and traveling.
Need more resources on creatine?
Check out this podcast.
I also love this article by Dr. Stacy Sims.
Here’s another great podcast on the Science of Creatine.
I hope this gave you some insights into the best creatine brands that I would try out. Have you tried any other brands that you love? What’s your experience with creatine been like? Leave me a comment!
*Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6202460/
Kreider, R. B., Melton, C., Rasmussen, C. J., Greenwood, M., Lancaster, S., Cantler, E. C., Milnor, P., & Almada, A. L. (2003). Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 244(1-2), 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022465103962
de Souza e Silva, A., de França, E., dos Santos, C. J., da Silva, R. P., de Oliveira, R. B., & Cardoso, R. (2019). Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 29(6), 480–489. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2019.02.002
