Unpacking the Influencer Hype: Creatine

Creatine has quickly become one of the most talked-about supplements for women, especially in fitness spaces. It’s often promoted as something every woman should be taking - for strength, energy, and even brain health. Creatine is a natural compound produced from amino acids that helps your muscles produce quick energy during high-intensity activity. And yes, research does show that creatine can support muscle strength, recovery, and performance.

For everyday wellness, we need around 1-3g of creatine each day, unless you’re doing a lot of high intensity workouts that require short term energy bursts, in which case slightly more may be beneficial. Your body already makes around 1g of creatine each day through the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. You can consume creatine naturally through some foods, particularly meat and fish.

But here’s the reality: a creatine supplement is not essential.

It’s important to be aware that most supplements are manufactured and synthetic - and often aren’t as well absorbed by our bodies as natural food sources. Additionally, a lot of products add in unnecessary ingredients such as flavourings, colouring, fillers etc, which can cause side effects and risk longer term damage

For those already getting enough creatine through food, some may not respond to the creatine supplement - making it a waste of time and money. For vegans and vegetarians who aren’t able to consume or produce enough creatine naturally, a high quality supplement may help - but please do your research!

• Food sources of creatine include: (Quantities are approximate and based on 100g cooked)

  • Herrings - 1g

  • Salmon - 0.9g

  • Beef - 0.9g

  • Pork - 0.6g

  • Lamb - 0.5g

  • Sardines - 0.4g

  • Tuna - 0.4g

  • Chicken breast - 0.4g

  • Parmesan cheese - 0.4g

  Other key food sources to help your body produce creatine naturally:

  • Soy products e.g. tofu, tempeh, soy milk

  • Seeds e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, sesame

  • Nuts e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts

  • Wholegrains e.g. quinoa, brown rice, oats

  • Spinach and leafy greens

  • Dairy products e.g. milk, yoghurt, cheese

  • Seaweed, spirulina and nutritional yeast

Meaning: you’re not deficient just because you’re not supplementing.

If you’re someone who is already strength training consistently - lifting weights multiple times per week and actively working on building muscle, creatine may offer some benefit. But if you’re just getting started, exercising occasionally, or focusing on general health, it’s not where your focus needs to be.

For women who are short on time and money, this is where clarity matters. Because the biggest drivers of results are not supplements - they’re habits. Eating enough protein, moving your body regularly, building strength over time, and getting enough rest will always have a greater impact than adding a supplement.

There’s also the pressure factor. Social media can make it feel like you’re missing something if you’re not taking what everyone else is taking. But most influencers have very different lifestyles, goals, and levels of commitment. They’re often training at a higher intensity, and in many cases, they’re being paid to promote products.

That doesn’t make creatine bad, but it does mean it’s not universally necessary. If your budget is limited, your money is far better spent on quality food, supportive footwear, or even time-saving meal prep solutions. Creatine can be a helpful addition, but it’s exactly that: an addition. Not a requirement.