The newest wellness trend that has everyone—from your pilates instructor to your brother-in-law—obsessing? Creatine. The best creatine supplements, however, aren’t just for athletes, bodybuilders, or major fitness enthusiasts. “Anyone who exercises regularly, wants to support healthy aging, or is interested in cognitive performance can benefit from a creatine supplement,” says Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, who serves as a scientific advisor for Create Wellness and Alzchem.
Vogue’s Favorite Creatine Supplements:
Create Creatine Monohydrate Gummies
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Promix Creatine Micronized Monohydrate
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Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in your muscles and brain. “Your body makes it from amino acids from the food you eat like red meat, pork, seafood, and smaller amounts of dairy and eggs,” explains registered dietician and founder of Real Nutrition Amy Shapiro MS, RD. While it’s shown to boost strength, power, and endurance for exercise performance, it can also help aid in recovery, brain health, cognition, mood, and overall energy. “Creatine is foundational for energy production, supplying ATP in muscle and brain tissue, for daily activities, and during exercise,” says Smith-Ryan.
However, lifestyle, age, and diet can all determine your natural stores of creatine. “Anyone who strength trains regularly, women in perimenopause or menopause who want to support muscle maintenance and bone health, and people who eat mostly plant-based diets (since they naturally consume less creatine) are great candidates for a creatine supplement,” says nutritionist Mia Rigden, MS. “Supplementing with creatine helps increase your body’s baseline stores, allowing you to replenish energy more quickly.”
The benefits of creatine are many, and below, top dieticians and nutritionists weigh in on the best creatine supplements, what to look for, and how to incorporate them into your routine.
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Best Creatine Monohydrate Overall: Thorne Creatine Monohydrate Powder
- Why We Love It: Clean, effective, and backed by clinical testing, both Rigden and Shapiro praise Thorne’s micronized creatine monohydrate powder, earning it the top spot on our list. “Thorne is my go-to because it’s a single-ingredient creatine monohydrate formula that carries the NSF Certified for Sport certification, which gives full confidence in quality, and offers stringent third-party testing,” says Shapiro. The finely-milled powder dissolves into liquid instantly, making it simple to add to your daily routine, and can help support muscle overall. “Creatine is one of the most effective supplements for strength, energy, muscle maintenance, and healthy aging, especially for women,” says nutritionist Mia Ridgen. “Muscle is a metabolically active organ and increasing healthy muscle mass is one of the best things you can do for your current and future health.”
- Key Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine Per Serving: 5 grams
- Flavor: Strawberry
- Dosage: One scoop (6.2 grams)
Best Tasting Creatine Monohydrate: Create Creatine Monohydrate Gummies
- Why We Love It: When it comes to the best creatine supplement, Smith-Ryan says timing matters less than regularity. “The key to seeing results with any dosage of creatine is taking it consistently,” she says. These delicious bite-sized gummies come in six different flavors which makes choosing one to take daily easy and simple—no weird textures or clumpy powders. It also features a patented, clinically-tested form of creatine called Creapure. “Creapure creatine monohydrate is the gold standard and the most extensively studied form of a creatine supplement,” says Smith-Ryan. “Decades of research show it’s safe, effective, and easily absorbed.” Beyond the power-packed formula, the brand uses rigorous standards to ensure safety and efficacy. “I’m a big believer in simplicity and transparency and this creatine monohydrate is my go-to,” adds Smith-Ryan. “These gummies use pure Creapure® creatine monohydrate, are NSF certified, third-party tested, taste great, and support daily creatine intake on the go.”
- Key Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine Per Serving: 1.5 grams
- Flavor: Sour cherry, sour green apple, sour peach, blue raspberry, orange, watermelon
- Dosage: 3 gummies (1.5 grams per gummy)
Best Unflavored Creatine Monohydrate Supplement: ProMix Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate
- Why We Love It: Creatine can help supercharge your workout, as it helps aid muscle recovery and strength. “We naturally start to lose muscle mass after the age of 30 if we are not actively working to preserve or build it,” says Ridgen. “Creatine has been shown to increase strength and power, support lean muscle development, improve recovery, and potentially benefit cognitive function and mood (exciting research is in development).” Free of refined sugar, gluten, soy, GMOs, artificial sweeteners, and more, this unflavored creatine monohydrate is the best pre-workout with creatine because it’s unflavored, mixes easily into a protein drink or smoothie, and come in individual sachets with pre-measured, precise doses that can conveniently be stashed in your gym bag, purse, or work tote to be taken on the go for whenever you need a boost. “This creatine supplement is just one ingredient, creatine monohydrate, micronized for better absorption, and third-party tested,” says Shapiro.
- Key Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine Per Serving: 5 grams
- Flavor: Unflavored
- Dosage: 1 packet (5 grams)
Best Vegan Creatine Monohydrate Supplement: Momentous Creatine Monohydrate Powder
- Why We Love It: Another top choice of Rigden’s, this unflavored powder dissolves instantly into liquid, thanks to Creapure’s micronized creatine monohydrate formula. “Momentous is a reputable brand with strong testing standards,” says Ridgen. “This is a great, reliable option that uses creatine monohydrate.” It’s also vegan, which is perfect for those following plant-based diets. “A creatine supplement is especially valuable for vegetarians and vegans, who tend to have lower baseline creatine levels since dietary sources mainly come from meat and fish,” says Smith-Ryan. “Creatine helps fill that nutritional gap and supports both mental and physical energy.”
- Key Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine Per Serving: 1 gram
- Flavor: Unflavored
- Dosage: 1 scoop (5 grams)
Best Creatine Gummies: Arrae Tone Creatine Body Composition Gummies
- Why We Love It: When it comes to the best creatine supplement for women, there actually isn’t a specific type of creatine that’s different or better for women versus men. “Creatine is creatine,” says Smith-Ryan. “However, since women tend to have lower amounts of muscle mass and may eat less dietary animal protein, they often have lower natural stores of creatine, which may enhance their effects when starting creatine supplementation.” Creatine can be helpful for women as it supports muscle maintenance and bone health. Vegan, non-GMO, and delicious, these creatine gummies are a fantastic way to ease into taking creatine supplements without having to worry about mixing powders.
- Key Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate, ginger root, postbiotics
- Creatine Per Serving: 5 grams
- Flavor: Mixed berry
- Dosage: 4 gummies (5 grams total)
Everything You Need to Know
“Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in our bodies (in the liver, kidneys and pancreas),” says Shapiro. “We get small amounts from certain foods including red meat, pork, seafood and more. We primarily store creatine in our muscles and it helps regenerate energy during short bursts of high-intensity activity.” [These] supplements can help increase the amount of creatine stored in our muscles. “This can help improve performance, cellular hydration, and metabolism,” adds Shapiro.
What are the benefits of creatine?
The benefits of creatine are many and creatine supplementation has been studied scientifically for decades. “Evidence demonstrates an improvement in exercise performance—strength, power, and endurance—as well as increases in training volume, which supports improvements in muscle mass,” says Smith-Ryan. “More recently, creatine benefits have been shown in recovery, brain health, cognition, and mood, and overall energy.” Creatine is most effective when used in a routine of strength training and eating adequate protein. “These are the main pillars of building muscle,” says Rigden. “Think of creatine as a little extra boost if you’re already doing those things.”
What to Look for in a Creatine Supplement
- Form: In terms of effectiveness, you’ll want to choose a creatine supplement formula that’s called creatine monohydrate. “Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and effective form,” says Rigden. “It is generally well-tolerated, widely available, and consistently shown to deliver results.”
- Dosage: When it comes to dosages, there’s a few factors to consider. “The recommended dosage is three to five grams per day,” says Ridgen. You may have heard of a “loading phase” in which individuals take a large amount of creatine all at once to quickly build up their stores. “A loading phase is not necessary, but you should take it everyday (not just post-workout),” says Rigden. Shapiro echoes that statement, noting that some people report “stomach discomfort, bloating and diarrhea” if they choose to do a loading phase.
- Creatine per Serving: Smith-Ryan, Ridgen, and Shapiro all agree: the optimal dose of creatine is 3–5 grams per day for overall benefits. “Newer research indicates that higher doses—8–20 grams daily—may enhance cognitive function, particularly in situations involving sleep deprivation or high mental stress,” adds Smith-Ryan.
- Third-Party Testing: “Third‐party testing is a marker of trustworthiness,” says Shapiro. “It verifies that the product contains exactly what’s on the label.” Beyond getting your money’s worth, (who wants to pay for 5 grams of creatine only to get 2 grams?) testing can reduce risks. “Testing ensures the supplement is screened against potentially harmful contaminants like heavy metals, banned substances (important if the user is an athlete/competing), and other mislabeled ingredients,” adds Shapiro. “Having lab-verified brands means fewer unknowns and more confidence in quality.”
How much creatine should women take per day?
According to Smith-Ryan, there is no specific creatine for women. However, the one caveat is that, depending on lifestyle factors, women tend to have lower amounts of muscle mass and may eat less dietary animal protein which can mean they have lower natural stores of creatine. “Both men and women produce and use creatine in similar ways, so the recommended daily dose is the same: 3–5 grams per day,” she says. “If women are searching for the brain and cognitive benefits, they may need a higher daily dose—about 10 grams—per day.”
Should you take creatine supplements?
You can take creatine supplements based on your concerns, your goals, your health, and your lifestyle. “Generally speaking, anyone who is not expecting it to substitute for foundational healthy behaviors can benefit from creatine,” says Shapiro. Of course, it’s important to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement. “For otherwise healthy adults, creatine is one of the safest and most effective supplements you can take—it’s supported by decades of research and real-world evidence,” says Smith-Ryan. “However, creatine is not a magic panacea, and thus may not be the first step for individuals with some chronic diseases such as kidney disease.”
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue‘s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to creatine supplements, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients composition (i.e. the type of creatine featured), form, dosage, clinical studies, certifications, and the body and wellbeing concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
- Amy Shapiro MS, RD, CND is a registered dietician, nutritionist and founder of Real Nutrition.
- Mia Rigden, MS, CNS, is a Los Angeles-based nutritionist, chef, and author.
- Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, MS, PhD is professor of Exercise Physiology and Nutrition in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, and Co-Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, and Human Performance Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is also on the scientific advisory board for Create.
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