A study of the effects of creatine on women cyclists found that the supplement can help counteract performance drops during the menstrual cycle.

The 2023 study, “The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Loading on Exercise Recovery in Active Women throughout the Menstrual Cycle,” found what appeared to be a “clinically meaningful effect” of supplementation on some performance outcomes. The work of a team led by sports nutrition researcher Abbie Smith-Ryan, it was published in the journal Nutrients.

While not statistically significant, the data does suggest that creatine monohydrate could help counteract “sprint performance decrements” in the high hormone phase of the menstrual cycle. “This data can help inform creatine monohydrate loading strategies for active females,” the study said.

Previous research has shown that creatine supplementation boosts anaerobic exercise performance, but there is little data focusing on the effect on women generally, the study pointed out.

Creatine’s high-intensity benefits

The International Olympic Committee weighed in with a 2018 consensus statement that included creatine on a list of dietary supplements that have shown strong evidence of providing performance benefits. The IOC also named caffeine, nitrate, beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate as those that could help cyclists and other athletes.

Creatine supplementation may have a place in interval training, according to the IOC. Research indicates that among the most notable benefits of creatine is the ability to perform repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise.

In the Nutrients study, data was analyzed for 39 women cyclists who participated in the research. The women were either novice creatine users or had not consumed creatine supplementation within the previous six months.

The cyclists completed a repeated sprint test on a cycle ergometer. After warming up, they completed 10 six-second maximal sprints with 30 seconds of recovery between each. 

While the research appeared to show that creatine prevented performance drops, the study noted that more research is needed to examine the effect of a longer supplementation period on performance and recovery across different hormonal profiles. And, future research should evaluate the potential impact of creatine supplementation on amenorrheic females, the study noted.

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