Creatine Across a Woman's Life: A Research Map from First Period to Menopause

This review pulls together everything currently known about creatine across the female lifespan, from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause. The central finding is structural: women carry substantially lower baseline muscle creatine stores than men, which the authors argue is exactly why supplementation deserves more research attention in women, not less. The review covers emerging evidence on cellular hydration, sleep and mood, perimenopause, and postmenopausal bone health and strength, particularly when creatine is combined with resistance training. Worth flagging plainly: both lead authors serve as scientific advisors to a company that manufactures creatine, a conflict the paper itself discloses. The review's own honest conclusion is that despite creatine's long safety record in men, dedicated research in perimenopausal women specifically remains thin, and dosing strategies for women have not been optimised. It is best read as a map of where the evidence currently sits, not a settled verdict.