Creatine: What It Is, What It Does, and Why It’s Safer Than You Think

WASHINGTON — Creatine might sound like something reserved for bodybuilders or supplement junkies, but it’s actually one of the most widely studied (and misunderstood) tools in the fitness and wellness world. Whether you’ve seen it in pre-workout powders, heard it mentioned by a gym friend, or wondered if it’s safe, now’s a good time to get familiar.

A new study, reviewing decades of data and thousands of participants, has yielded promising results: creatine appears safe, with side effect rates comparable to those of a placebo. Let’s break it all down.

Breaking Down Creatine

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid that your body already produces; it’s stored mainly in your muscles and brain. While you do get some creatine from foods like red meat, many people, especially vegetarians and vegans, don’t consume enough to hit optimal levels. That’s where creatine supplements come in.

How Does Creatine Work?

When you consume creatine, either from food or a supplement, your body stores it in your muscle cells as creatine phosphate. This compound plays a key role in replenishing adenosine triphosphate — your body’s main energy source for short, high-intensity efforts like sprinting, lifting weights, or jumping.

Your muscles have a small reserve of ATP, but it burns out quickly. Supplementing with creatine helps you replenish energy more efficiently between sets, allowing you to recover faster and squeeze out a few extra reps or lift a heavier weight.

The Health Benefits of Creatine

So, what can all that do for you?

• May Help Build Muscle: Creatine helps support muscle repair and growth after resistance training. Across over 35 studies, adults who supplemented with creatine gained an average of two pounds of lean muscle.

• May Increase Strength: By replenishing ATP stores more quickly, creatine may improve strength and power output by up to 20%. That means faster sprints, more repetitions, and heavier lifts.

• May Improve Sports Performance: Beyond lifting, creatine can enhance performance in other high-intensity activities, such as sprinting, agility drills and plyometrics. These benefits apply to sports such as soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field.

• May Improve Brain Health: Creatine doesn’t just fuel muscles, it fuels the brain. Supplementation can increase brain creatine levels by up to 15%, potentially leading to better cognitive function and memory.
  • Creatine supplements have been shown to significantly improve memory and intelligence test scores in vegetarians, who typically have lower creatine levels.
  • There’s growing evidence that creatine may help with neurological diseases like muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, and could play a role in managing depression and anxiety.
  • Recent research also suggests creatine may help with recovery from traumatic brain injuries.
• Healthy Aging: Creatine can help counteract age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), support bone health, and improve brain function in older adults. Studies suggest that pairing creatine with resistance training can enhance muscle strength, boost memory, and reduce the risk of falls, all of which are essential for maintaining independence as we age.
  • In one study, older adults (ages 68–85) who took 20 grams of creatine daily for a week showed improved memory.

• Women’s Health: Women tend to have 70–80% lower natural creatine stores than men. Supplementation may be especially beneficial in reducing fatigue during menstrual cycles. It may also help during pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause by supporting muscle, bone, mood, and cognition across various life stages.

• Vegans and Vegetarians: Since it is difficult to get enough creatine if you don’t eat animal-based products, research suggests people following a plant-based diet benefit from creatine supplementation by boosting physical and cognitive performance.

Safety of Creatine Supplementation

There have been a lot of myths around the side effects of creatine. Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a comprehensive review of creatine safety, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in March 2025.

Here is what they found.

Participants and Study Design

• The researchers analyzed data from 685 studies involving over 12,800 participants who took creatine, and 652 studies with more than 13,000 people who took a placebo.
• Most participants took creatine monohydrate at an average dose of 12.5 grams per day, for around 65 days, with some studies lasting up to 14 years.

Side Effects and Results

• Side effects were reported in 13.7% of creatine studies, close to the 13.2% rate in placebo groups.
• Gastrointestinal discomfort and muscle cramps were slightly more common in creatine studies, but when individual participant data was analyzed, the differences were minor and not statistically significant.
• No significant differences were found in kidney health, total side effect frequency, or other clinical safety markers.
• Analysis of over 28 million adverse event reports showed creatine was rarely mentioned (less than 0.001%), and many reports weren’t even tied to creatine alone.

Takeaways

• Creatine is generally considered safe for both short-term and long-term use.
• There’s no evidence that it increases side effects compared to a placebo.
• Concerns about creatine harming the kidneys or causing major health issues are not supported by the data.

Not Just For Gym Bros

Creatine is one of the most studied and safest supplements out there. Whether you’re an athlete, an older adult, or someone simply looking to support your energy, brain, or muscle health, creatine might be worth exploring.

Just be sure to consult your doctor before starting any new supplement. But if you’ve been scared off by creatine’s old-school rep, the science is clear: it’s time to let that myth go.

Our website content, services and products are for informational purposes only. The Well News does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have medical concerns or questions, discuss with your health care professional.

You can reach us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and X