Creatine Isn't Just for Athletes

Written by: Claudia Haller NBC-HWC

​Why this natural compound may be worth a closer look, no matter your age or fitness level

As a board-certified health and wellness coach, I am naturally curious about health-related topics. So when I kept hearing buzz around creatine, I wanted to understand what it was all about. I attended a webinar from a supplement company I trust, featuring a panel of professionals sharing research and real-world experience. What I learned genuinely surprised me, and I think it might surprise you too.

For those of you who don’t know what creatine is, it is a natural form of energy found mostly in your muscles and brain. It is made up of three amino acids: arginine, methionine, and glycine. Your body naturally makes creatine, and you also get it from protein-rich foods. However, many people don’t get enough from their diets alone. Our bodies only make one gram per day, and we get about one more gram from food sources like meat, fish, and dairy. Vegetarians and vegans, in particular, tend to fall short. Your muscles and brain typically need two to four grams per day to work optimally.

Why do we need creatine?
Creatine is stored in our bodies as energy. It plays a vital role in helping to regenerate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the main energy source of a cell. Without it, our bodies wouldn’t be able to perform essential functions such as muscle contraction and nerve signaling. It provides a steady supply of energy to our muscles so that they can keep working. This is necessary all the time, just for normal, daily function, but it’s especially important when you’re exercising.

Creatine provides the energy that cells needin order to build and repair their structures…which means it’s essential not only for muscle building and repair, but for growth and development.

What about brain health?
So now we know that creatine is important for our muscles to function, grow, and repair themselves. But did you know that creatine also supports brain health?
First of all, let’s talk about how crucial it is for the brain to get the energy it needs. Your brain accounts for only two percent of your body weight…and yet, it uses twenty percent of your total energy, mainly in the form of ATP. We have already learned that creatine is responsible for the production of ATP, which means it plays a very important role when it comes to powering our brains.

So, who can benefit from supplementing their natural creatine?
Athletes: You’ve likely heard about ATP in reference to short bursts of exercise. If not, let me explain. Your muscles store very small amounts of ATP, and it’s used up very quickly. So, when an individual does exercises like sprinting, heavy lifting, or any kind of explosive movement, ATP is the power behind it. It’s a super fast system, but as we talked about, it’s in short supply because our bodies simply don’t make much on their own, and if we’re not getting lots of lots of high-protein food, we’re not adding much to that already limited store. This is why athletes sometimes take creatine supplements. The more exercise they perform, especially high-intensity exercise, the more energy they need behind it. Having larger stores of ATP is therefore beneficial. Creatine supports muscle strength and physical performance. It’s also helpful for those who want to increase their muscle mass.

Now, if you’re not an elite, powerhouse athlete, you may be wondering: “Are creatine supplements really for me?”

Perhaps you are a woman in mid-life or older.

You enjoy exercise, but you’re not interested in high-intensity workouts or building huge muscles.

Why would you be interested in creatine supplements? You may be turned off by the idea, thinking of it as something akin to steroids or other scary-sounding athletic supplements. Not to worry, that is not what we’re talking about here. First of all, creatine is a naturally occurring substance that your body already recognizes (and, in fact, needs). It’s generally considered safe, although you should always talk to a healthcare professional before taking any supplements.

So, let’s talk about the other types of individuals who may benefit from some added creatine.
Adults 50 and older: Creatine may be beneficial for older adults in preserving strength and bone health. Bone and muscle loss are, unfortunately, natural side effects of getting older. This can negatively impact your strength, agility, and balance, which is why older people are more prone to falls and injuries. Creatine combats this by helping with the body’s bone remodeling process (which naturally slows down as we age). It also increases muscle energy and reduces muscle protein breakdown, helping you stay strong as you grow older.
In addition, studies suggest that creatine supplements may help brain function in older adults, including:

• Short term memory and
• Processing speed & reasoning.

There is even promising evidence that creatine supplements could help people with cognitive conditions like dementia!
A recent study conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center showed that creatine supplements produced improvements in working memory and executive functioning in people with Alzheimer's disease. There is still a lot of research to be done in this area, but these preliminary results suggest exciting potential.

Women in mid-life: Women of all ages can benefit from some extra creatine, particularly because women tend to have lower natural stores of it than men (about 70 to 80 percent less). Plus, our natural creatine levels can dip throughout the dramatic hormonal shifts our bodies go through. Ah, the joys of being a woman! Supplementing creatine can help keep your levels more consistent through your menstrual cycle, as well as through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.

People with ADHD: Creatine may help with improved focus, especially for people with ADHD. Individuals with ADHD typically have low levels of dopamine, the chemical in the brain responsible for motivation. Dopamine is the brain’s “reward system.” It’s released during pleasurable activities, making us want to repeat them. When someone with ADHD naturally struggles with finding sufficient amounts of dopamine, the result is a continual search for stimulation…meaning difficulties with focus, impulsivity, inattention, and sometimes hyperactivity.

How can creatine help with this? By increasing cellular energy and protecting the neurons in your brain…which produce dopamine!

Dopamine production needs lots of energy, particularly…you guessed it…ATP. Since creatine increases ATP, it goes to say that creatine supports dopamine synthesis.
Creatine also keeps your neurons safe from damage so that they can keep doing the important work of producing everything your body needs, including that feel-good chemical, dopamine.

Plus, overall brain support is always helpful for managing ADHD symptoms. When our brains are less fatigued, and we have improved cognitive function, everything is that much easier.

Anyone with chronic stress: Not only does creatine improve cognitive function, but it’s known to positively affect mood. Under stressful situations, the brain’s energy metabolism can become depleted. Low brain energy is linked to mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Creatine (with its creation of ATP) helps to boost your brain’s energy so that it can perform all of its many functions correctly, including mood regulation.
Also, creatine supports better sleep during times of stress. I can’t tell you enough how important sleep is to your health…physical, mental, and emotional! According to recent studies, people with sufficient creatine levels are at lower risk of experiencing sleep disturbances than those who are lacking. It may also increase sleep duration.

…And, if you’re still not getting a good night’s sleep, creatine can help lessen the negative effects of that sleep deprivation. Since it supports brain function, it can help you to bounce back more easily.

So, how can we make sure we get enough creatine?
Well, there are a few different ways to ensure you’re getting sufficient creatine. The first is by maintaining a healthy diet with plenty of protein. Some natural sources of creatine are animal products, like meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. For vegetarians, this can be tricky, but there are plant-based sources, including nuts, beans, and even vegetables and whole grains. It’s also important to eat those plant-based foods because even if they don’t provide high levels of creatine, they are important for synthesizing it into your body. Eating a well-rounded diet is always a good idea.

If diet is not enough, you may consider supplementation. Creatine supplements come in several forms. It can be purchased as powders, capsules, gummies, chewable tablets, or as part of pre-workout mixes. Often, creatine is combined with other substances, like BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids), which promote the growth of lean muscle mass and support muscle recovery, or Alpha-GCP (Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine), which helps with memory, attention, and learning.

Either way, it is vital to make sure your body is getting the energy that it needs. Creatine (along with other healthy practices like strength training, sticking to a balanced diet, and allowing yourself plenty of rest) may help. If you are ready to discuss your options, I’m here for you.

Sources:
Cleveland Clinic Medical Professionals. “Creatine.” Cleveland Clinic, 18 Nov. 2025, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17674-creatine.
​
Creatine Shows Potential to Boost Cognition in Alzheimer’s Patients. www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/creatine-alzheimers-research.html.

“Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 3, Mar. 2021, p. 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877.

Findlay, Simina. “Can Taking Creatine Cause Insomnia?” Healthline, 24 June 2025, www.healthline.com/health/creatine-insomnia.

“Mayo Clinic: How Creatine Supports Brain Health.” Thorne, www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/mayo-clinic-how-creatine-supports-brain-health

Nasm-Cpt, Addison Aloian, and Olivia Luppino. “What Does Creatine Do for Women? Benefits, Side Effects, and How to Use the Supplement.” Women’s Health, 6 Dec. 2024, www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a44716483/creatine-for-women

Smith, Aaron N., et al. “Creatine Monohydrate Pilot in Alzheimer’s: Feasibility, Brain Creatine, and Cognition.” Alzheimer S & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, vol. 11, no. 2, Apr. 2025, p. e70101. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70101.

Smith-Ryan, Abbie E., et al. “Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 3, Mar. 2021, p. 877. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030877.

“Why Everyone’s Talking About Creatine.” UCLA Health, 22 Oct. 2025, www.uclahealth.org/news/article/why-everyones-talking-about-creatine.