Creatine is arguably one of the most popular fitness supplements used by athletes of all kinds. Whether you’re looking to maximize muscle growth, increase explosiveness, or accelerate your recovery, creatine seems to do it all.
When it comes to choosing the right creatine product, things can get tricky. Which form is the best? How much do you need? What certifications should you look for? There’s a never-ending list of questions.
To help simplify the process of shopping for creatine, we’ve compiled a list of our top six creatine supplements for women. When choosing the best creatine supplements, we focused on products that provided clinically recommended doses of creatine, third-party testing, and additional nutrients that offered specific benefits for women.
But before we get into our top creatine supplements for women, let’s break down one big myth surrounding creatine—that it’s a man’s supplement.
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Isn’t Creatine Supplementation Just for Men?
This is a big misconception when it comes to creatine supplementation. While men are typically the primary consumers of ergogenic aids like creatine, these kinds of supplements offer just as many benefits for women, if not more.
Many women struggle with the idea of taking creatine due to the notion that it will make them “bulky,” similar to the myth that weightlifting makes women bulky—but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Women’s bodies are naturally designed to retain more fat mass than men due to variations in hormones—estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—which means not only is fat loss more challenging, but so is muscle growth. But testosterone levels don’t need to be through the roof for women to gain muscle, nor should they be.
Creatine supplementation for women gives them an extra edge on muscle growth. While it’s not going to pack on lean body mass as steroids would, the primary role of creatine is to recycle ATP to sustain energy availability during high-intensity work.
Put simply, creatine is intended to enhance energy production and availability to help you work harder for longer, not artificially enhance muscle growth.
So, why should women consider taking creatine supplements?
- Improves strength and exercise performance
- Enhances muscle growth
- Improves bone health when combined with resistance training
- May enhance mood and cognition by restoring brain energy levels and homeostasis
Some research has shown that due to hormone-related changes to creatine kinetics and phosphocreatine resynthesis, creatine supplementation is especially important during specific times, such as menses, pregnancy, post-partum, and during and post-menopause.
Here are our top picks for the best creatine products for women in 2024.
What Are the Best Creatine Supplements for Women?
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | 210 g (0.46 lb) | $44.99 |
| Thorne Creatine | 450 g (16 oz) | $42.00 |
| Klean ATHLETE Klean Creatine | 315 g (11.1 oz) | $32.80 |
| Naked Creatine | 500 g / 1 kg | $21.99/$35.99 |
| Onnit Creatine Monohydrates | 150 g (5.29 oz) | $14.99 |
| Kaged Creatine HCL | 75.23 g / 75 caps | $24.99 |
Best Overall for Women: Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Overview
Due to differences in hormones between men and women, building muscle for women can be challenging. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is our top pick for the best creatine for women solely because it contains additional ingredients designed to support muscle growth and strength, like hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB).
It also contains other ingredients like vitamin D and BioPerine, which offer additional benefits for bone health, strength, and nutrient absorption.
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is gluten-free and free from artificial colorings, sweeteners, and preservatives. It’s also third-party tested by Analytical Resource Laboratories, and you can find certificates of analysis (COAs) on the Transparent Labs’ website.
Product Highlights
- Provides 1.5 grams of HMB per serving, which has been shown to improve muscle growth and reduce muscle degradation
- Contains BioPerine, a standardized black pepper extract that’s shown to enhance nutrient absorption
- Delivers 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per scoop
- Added vitamin D helps to regulate serum levels of calcium and phosphorus, which are involved in muscle growth and bone health
- Gluten-free and free of artificial sweeteners, colors, and preservatives
- Available in 14 flavors, including unsweetened
- Naturally sweetened with stevia
- Third-party tested for purity and potency
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | 210 g (0.46 lb) | $44.99 |
Bottom Line
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB was our top pick for the best creatine supplements for women because it contains HMB and BioPerine to further support women’s muscle growth. Because low levels of testosterone make it more challenging for women to build muscle and strength, the combination of creatine monohydrate and HMB has been shown to offer benefits for building strength and lean body mass, improving exercise performance, and attenuating muscle degradation, especially for women.
Best Runner-Up: Thorne Creatine
Overview
Thorne Research Creatine is our runner-up for women’s best creatine supplement. If purity and potency are important to you, this creatine supplement hits the nail on the head, containing a single ingredient—creatine monohydrate. At just $0.44 per serving, Thorne Creatine is also incredibly cost-effective compared to other creatine supplements.
As a micronized creatine monohydrate powder, it’s more soluble in water and dissolves completely, which can help reduce some of the GI side effects and weight gain people experience when taking creatine.
Thorne Creatine is also NSF Certified for Sport, a third-party certification that tests for purity, potency, and the presence of specific substances banned in competitive sports. It’s also free from dairy, gluten, and soy, making it suitable for women with dietary restrictions.
Product Highlights
- Contains 5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate per scoop
- Unflavored and free of artificial ingredients and preservatives
- Third-party tested and NSF Certified for Sport
- Produced in a CGMP-compliant facility
- Cost-effective ($0.44/serving)
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Thorne Research Creatine | 450 g (16 oz) | $42.00 |
Bottom Line
When it comes to clean supplements, Thorne is one of the best brands. While there are several options for pure creatine supplements, their creatine monohydrate is a clean and cost-effective product for the quality you get. But for those looking for flavors or other supplements mixed in, such as glutamine or aminos, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Best for Athletes: Klean ATHLETE Klean Creatine
Overview
Creatine monohydrate is a huge supplement in the fitness world, and there’s no better option for a clean creatine supplement than Klean ATHLETE Klean Creatine. Klean ATHLETE is part of the Douglas Labs’ line—one of the leading clinical providers of dietary supplements known for their safety, efficacy, and use of third-party testing.
If you’re a female athlete looking for an NSF Certified for Sport, unflavored, GMO-free creatine supplement, this should be your go-to. Not only is it free from banned substances, but it’s also free of anything else that could compromise your health performance—artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners.
Plus, each serving contains 5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate—and that’s it.
Product Highlights
- Delivers 5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate per serving
- Third-party tested and NSH Certified for Sports
- Single-ingredient formula
- GMO-free and formulated without wheat, gluten, or artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Klean ATHLETE Klean Creatine | 315 g (11.1 oz) | $32.80 |
Bottom Line
Athletes need to be mindful of what they put in their bodies, and Klean ATHLETE’s Klean Creatine is just that—5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate designed to maximize performance and muscle recovery. Back by one of the most reputable supplement companies, Klean Creatine is our top pick for female athletes looking for an edge from creatine.
Best for Vegans: Naked Creatine
Overview
Naked Creatine is the only vegan creatine on our best-of list and is one of the best examples of clean, well-tested products with minimal ingredients that don’t sacrifice efficacy—it contains only 100% pure micronized creatine monohydrate and supplies 5 grams per serving. It’s also one of the most economical creatine supplements for women.
In addition to being certified vegan, Naked Creatine contains no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors and is soy, GMO, and gluten-free.
All Naked Nutrition products are manufactured in CGMP-certified facilities and are audited by third-party organization, Silliker.
Product Highlights
- Unflavored and single-ingredients
- Contains 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate per serving
- No additives and no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
- Third-party tested and certified free of heavy metals, allergens, and gluten
- Available with up to 200 servings per container
- Micronized for enhanced solubility and absorption
- Subscription-based discounts if purchased off the website
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Naked Creatine | 500 g | $21.99 |
| Naked Creatine | 1 kg | $35.99 |
Bottom Line
Naked Creatine is for women wanting purity. It’s a single-ingredient micronized creatine monohydrate that supplies the standard dose of creatine per serving without all the nasties. And if you want to buy in larger quantities, it’s available in 30 and 60-serving containers.
Best Money-Back Guarantee Creatine: Onnit Creatine Monohydrate
Overview
If you’re worried about wasting your money on a supplement that won’t work, Onnit has your back—it’s one of the few supplement companies that offer a money-back guarantee on their products.
Finding a clean supplement that works can be tricky for women, which is why we’ve added Onnit Creatine Monohydrate to our best-of list. It’s one of the most cost-effective options on our list, at just $15 per container, making it a great option for women looking to try creatine without a huge financial commitment.
Onnit Creatine Monohydrate is soy-free, dairy-free, and vegan-certified, making it a good option for women who struggle with dietary restrictions or food intolerances.
Product Highlights
- Cost-effective ($0.50/servings)
- Vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and soy-free
- Informed Sport certified
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Small container size
- Only available in unflavored
- Single-ingredient formulation with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per 2 scoop
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Onnit Creatine Monohydrate | 150 g (5.29 oz) | $14.99 |
Bottom Line
Onnit Creatine Monohydrate is a great option for women just dipping into the world of creatine. It’s clean, cost-effective, free of nasty ingredients, and Informed Sport Certified, ensuring you get a reputable and safe product. And with a money-back guarantee, if you don’t like it or it doesn’t work for you, you’re not out a chunk of change.
Best Tasting Creatine: Kaged Creatine HCL
Overview
Knocking back a scoop of chalky, unflavored powder isn’t for everyone—but with Kaged Creatine HCL, you don’t have to. We’ve pegged it as our top pick for the best-tasting creatine for women thanks to two wicked flavors: fruit punch and lemon-lime.
While creatine monohydrate has been crowned King of muscle growth, there are a few advantages to creatine HCL:
- The addition of hydrochloride enhances water solubility and absorption, making a smaller dose required
- Offers the same results as creatine monohydrates: muscle growth, strength gains, and lean mass gains
- Increase creatine stability, reducing the need for a loading phase
If you’re not a die-hard supplement user or aren’t keen on multi-scoops of powder, Kaged Creatine HCL might be up your alley.
However, Kaged Creatine HCL does use small amounts of sucralose, so it might not be the best option for women looking for a clean formulation.
Product Highlights
- Informed Choice and NSF Certified for Sport
- Uses sucralose as a sweetener
- Available in veggie capsules
- Cost-effective
- Available in fruit punch, lemon-lime, or unflavored
- 750 mg creatine hydrochloride per serving
Pricing
| Product | Amount | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Kaged Creatine HCL | 75.23 g | $24.99 |
| Kaged Creatine HCL | 75 veggie capsules | $24.99 |
Bottom Line
Most creatine products tend to be unflavored, but Kaged Creatine HCL offers two delicious flavors that tickle the taste buds. Although not the cleanest creatine supplement on our list, it’s third-party testing by Informed Sport, making it a safe option for competitive athletes concerned about banned substances that may be floating around the label. And if you find the flavors off-putting, Kaged offers Creatine HCL in veggie capsules for the same price.
How to Choose the Best Creatine Supplement for Women
Finding supplements that are both reputable and effective can be tricky, but when you know what to look for, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips to help you find the best creatine supplements for women (and any other supplements).
Form
Creatine supplements are available in three forms: powder, liquid, or capsules. The form you choose will dictate how effective or ineffective it will be. For example, liquid creatine supplementation risks degradation over time, making it a less effective option than powders or capsules.
Creatine metabolism for powder tends to be faster than for capsules, making it the more popular form of creatine taken by women.
Testing
Always opt for third-party tested products when looking for any natural supplement. Regardless of whether it’s creatine or another supplement, third-party backing and certifications ensure your product is clean and free of harmful or banned substances. Most creatine supplements have one of two certifications: NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice—either is acceptable.
Dose
How much creatine you take will significantly affect your results. The typical creatine dose is 5 g/day for maintenance or 20 g/day for a loading dose—don’t buy a product where you’ll have to take 5 scoops or 6 capsules to meet the recommended dose. If you do a creatine load, break up your doses to avoid GI side effects.
Cost
Creatine supplements aren’t a one-time thing—if you want to see results, you must consistently supplement. If you start taking creatine, have a budget and long-term plan in place. Before you purchase a product, consider the price-to-servings ratio and ensure whatever you pick fits your budget. Price should translate into benefits and gains.
Takeaway
Creatine supplements are a dime a dozen, but finding one that’s suitable for women’s needs can be a challenge in itself. While any of these products will benefit muscle growth, strength, athletic performance, and even cognitive function, not every product will work for every woman. If you’re just delving into the world of creatine, don’t be afraid to experiment and find which supplement works best for you.
ReferencesEditorial Process:
Some of the links in this article could be affiliate links, which can provide us compensation at no cost to you if you decide to purchase supplements. These are products we personally stand behind. This site is not intended to provide personal health recommendations and you should connect with a registered dietitian or nutritionist before using any supplements.
