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Creatine in the Body: Effects, Energy, and Scientific Findings

For a long time, creatine was primarily known from sports, but today it is also increasingly moving into the focus of health & scientific research. In this article, you will learn how creatine works in the body, what its functions are, and what current studies say about it.

Definition: What is Creatine?
6 Scientific Findings: Creatine in the Body
1. Muscle Strength, Muscle Mass, and Training Effects
2. Cognitive Function and Brain Performance
3. Strength Performance in Old Age
4. Cellular Health and Aging Processes
5. Creatine and Women's Health
6. Cellular Energy and Mitochondrial Function
Creatine in Relation to Aging
Creatine Monohydrate Myth, a Gold Standard?
Are there side effects associated with creatine?
When does creatine work?
Conclusion
Sources & Bibliography

What is creatine?

Creatine is a nitrogen-containing organic acid and also a carbon-nitrogen compound, which is formed from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. The body's own production occurs primarily in the liver and partially in the kidneys and pancreas. Additionally, you can ingest creatine through foods like meat and fish.

Creatine is therefore both an endogenous substance and a frequently used supplement in the form of creatine powder or creatine monohydrate.

The central mechanism:
Creatine is converted into creatine phosphate in the body and serves as a rapid energy supplier. It supports the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cell's most important energy unit.

This means: This makes energy available to your body more quickly during intense exertion – especially in muscle cells and the brain.¹

6 Scientific Findings: Creatine in the Body

Creatine was discovered in the 19th century. Michel Eugène Chevreul first isolated it from meat.² Subsequent studies showed that ingested creatine is not simply excreted but is specifically stored in the body—particularly in muscles.³ In the 1960s, the creatine kinase system was described, which enables rapid ATP regeneration.⁴

Today, it is known that: Creatine improves short-term energy availability and supports performance and training effects.⁵

Creatine plays a crucial role in the body's energy metabolism. Approximately ~95% of creatine stores are found in the muscles, while the rest is distributed in the brain, blood, and other tissues.²

Creatine in numbers, did you know:

~95% of the creatine in your body is in your
muscles⁵
Your body needs to replenish 1-3 g of creatine every day
(depending on muscle mass)⁵
667 g of beef provides 3 g of creatine ⁶

You can mainly absorb creatine through food like meat or fish.

1. Muscle Strength, Muscle Mass, and Training Effects

A large meta-analysis⁷ showed that creatine supplementation combined with training was associated with a significant increase in muscle strength and fat-free mass.

Results:⁷

+1.39 kg fat-free mass
+0.89 kg body weight
no significant effects on fat mass

Particularly important: Creatine itself is not a magic bullet; rather, it improves your training performance. This allows you to train more intensely, which leads to greater muscle growth in the long term. This applies to beginners as well as experienced athletes.

If you want to learn more about the effects of creatine on muscle growth, read our blog article on Creatine and Muscle Growth.

2. Cognitive Function and Brain Performance

A 2024 meta-analysis examined 16 randomized controlled trials with a total of 492 adults aged between 20 and 76 years.

The results show significant improvements in the areas of:

Memory performance
Attention
Processing speed

However, no significant effects were found for executive functions and global cognitive performance.⁷

Interpretation: Creatine could therefore be of interest for situations of high mental stress or limited energy availability.

3. Power Output in Old Age

A 2024 meta-analysis of 1,093¹ older adults investigated the combination of creatine supplementation and exercise compared to exercise alone.

The results showed:

significant improvement in maximum strength
moderate reduction in body fat percentage
no significant effect on bone density

Conclusion: Creatine could become particularly interesting in old age.

How does creatine benefit the physical performance of people over 50?

Its effect in older adults, among others, is well documented. Fitness is important throughout life. However, with increasing age, the body loses muscle mass, while body fat percentage increases. Creatine can address both of these issues.

Strength training can slow down the loss of muscle mass in all genders between 57 and 70 years old. The combination of strength training and creatine is more effective than training alone⁸
A meta-analysis with participants aged 50 and older confirms that creatine and strength training reduce body fat percentage more effectively than training alone.⁹ This could be due to the fact that more muscle mass increases the basal metabolic rate
Creatine also seems to act directly on adipose tissue by boosting energy consumption there

Can creatine prevent osteoporosis?

Bone density decreases with age, and the risk of fractures increases. Menopause can accelerate this process in women. Initial studies suggest that creatine in combination with strength training could slow down the age-related loss of bone mineral density. However, whether creatine actively builds bone density has not yet been definitively proven.¹⁰

4. Cellular Health and Aging Processes

A population-based analysis from 2025 investigated the association between creatine intake and epigenetic markers of biological aging in almost 5,000 individuals over 50 years of age.

The results showed a significant inverse correlation between creatine intake and epigenetic mortality risk parameters. Higher intake was thus associated with a lower biological risk profile.¹¹

Important: These are statistical correlations, not evidence of causality.

5. Creatine and Women's Health

A 2024 analysis involving over 4,500 women investigated the connection between creatine intake and reproductive health.

The results showed:

a lower risk of irregular menstrual cycles
associations with various reproductive health parameters

Again, these are associations, not causal effects.¹²

Creatine is increasingly being researched in the context of women's health. If you want to learn more about the effects of creatine on the menstrual cycle and menopause, read our detailed blog article on this topic here.

6. Cellular Energy and Mitochondrial Function

Creatine plays a central role in cellular energy homeostasis. It stabilizes ATP availability and particularly supports energy-intensive tissues.

In the context of mitochondrial function, creatine is increasingly being investigated as a supporting factor in energetic stress and impaired energy production.¹³

Creatine in relation to aging

Creatine is increasingly being investigated in connection with biological aging processes. The focus is not on individual symptoms, but on fundamental cellular mechanisms that become more important with increasing age.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction
A central aspect is mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are crucial for energy production in the body. With increasing age, their performance can decrease, which can manifest itself, among other things, in reduced physical resilience and lower regenerative capacity. Creatine supports cellular energy homeostasis by stabilizing ATP availability and thus contributing to the maintenance of energy production.¹³

Epigenetic Changes
Epigenetic changes, which are closely linked to biological age, are also being investigated in this context. Observational studies show that higher creatine intake may be associated with more favorable epigenetic markers. These markers are related to the individual aging process at the cellular level.¹²'¹⁴ These are statistical correlations that do not allow for direct causal statements.

Oxidative Stress
Another relevant factor is oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant protective mechanisms. Creatine does not primarily act as an antioxidant, but can indirectly contribute to reducing cellular burden through a more stable energy supply.¹³

Cellular Senescence
Furthermore, creatine is being investigated in the context of cellular senescence. This is the state in which cells lose their ability to divide and are functionally impaired. A stable energy supply is considered an important factor for maintaining cellular processes and could therefore play a role in this context.¹¹

Watch our video with Cosmo Bulasikis, an expert in functional medicine & general practitioner, & learn why creatine is more than just muscle building.

"For me personally, creatine is the most important supplement in training. I clearly notice that my strength performance is more stable. The data has been consistent for decades, and my experience confirms this."

The myth of creatine monohydrate, a gold standard?

If you're looking into creatine supplements, you'll quickly find that creatine monohydrate is the most commonly recommended form. In scientific literature, it's considered the "gold standard" – and for good reason.

Creatine monohydrate is the most thoroughly researched form of creatine. A large portion of existing studies on its effects, safety, and dosage are based precisely on this compound.⁵ This means there is a particularly large amount of reliable data available on its use in sports, for supporting muscle strength, and for general tolerability.

Another advantage is its high bioavailability. This means your body can absorb creatine monohydrate well and efficiently store it in the creatine reserves of muscle cells. While other forms of creatine are often advertised, in many cases they show no consistent advantages over creatine monohydrate.

Creatine monohydrate also performs very well in terms of safety. At recommended dosages, it is considered well-tolerated for healthy adults. Occasional side effects such as mild gastrointestinal discomfort can occur, but these are rare and usually dose-dependent.

If you want to use creatine as a dietary supplement, creatine monohydrate is currently the scientifically best-supported choice. At the same time: creatine is not a miracle cure, but rather unfolds its effects primarily in conjunction with training, nutrition, and sufficient regeneration.

Are there any side effects associated with creatine?

Creatine is generally considered a well-tolerated and safe supplement. The European Food Safety Authority classifies creatine intake as harmless at a daily dose of three grams.⁴

Nevertheless, you should be aware of the following possible side effects before you start:

Water Retention: In some people, water retention can lead to a short-term, slight weight gain of 1 to 3 kilograms. Women often notice this more strongly, although the effect is generally less pronounced in them. Read more about this here.
Gastrointestinal Issues: Some people react sensitively to creatine at higher doses or on an empty stomach, experiencing feelings of fullness or bloating. Rare side effects can include diarrhea or vomiting.
Individual Differences: Creatine tolerance varies from person to person. Factors such as body weight, diet, and training intensity play a role.

Caution is advised for those with pre-existing conditions such as kidney problems, diabetes, or high blood pressure. In any case, speak with your doctor or naturopath before you begin taking it.

When does creatine take effect?

Studies consistently show that a daily intake of 3–5 grams of creatine is optimal. Even 3 grams per day can produce positive effects. A loading phase is optional but not necessary, as it offers no long-term advantages over consistent daily intake.

Conclusion

In summary, creatine is far from being of interest only to men or strength athletes. Women can also benefit from its versatile properties – for example, in terms of muscle strength, regeneration, energy supply, and athletic performance. At the same time, studies show that women often have lower creatine stores, which can make supplementation particularly relevant. The key factors here are regular intake and an individualized consideration of diet, daily life, and training goals. Overall, creatine is considered one of the best-researched supplements and, when used correctly, can be a valuable support for active men and women.