The Comeback Kid: Creatine’s Cognitive Craze
Creatine’s reputation of muscle-maxxing, gym-bro performance enhancer is changing. The sports supplement is seeing a spike in sales because of the change. GNC, a major supplements retailer, saw 75% increase in creatine sales since 2020¹. The surge is driven by an interesting change in consumer demographics. Women now account for 30% of sales, up from 18% in 2020¹. The average buyer’s age is rising too: shifting from 30 years old to 35 years old in recent years¹. This could be explained by the fact that 70% of older adults use dietary supplements². Or that women report using supplements twice as often as men².
But what’s driving the crave for creatine?
In this month’s memo, we’ll be exploring creatine’s repositioning from gym-rat supplement to mensa-mommy performance enhancer. We’ll dive into creatine’s function in the body, the emerging research on its influence on cognitive function, how that’s changing the consumer makeup, and discuss limitations in market and application.
Creatine’s Role in Energy and Performance:
Creatine is a compound that supplies energy to tissues in the body. It’s mostly found in muscles but also in the brain. Although the body produces its own creatine, creatine supplementation is commonly used among athletes to improve muscle strength and performance during high intensity training and to reduce dehydration and muscle cramping. The benefits do come with possible side effects including nausea, dizziness, and water retention. But it’s generally considered a safe supplement for healthy individuals to consume³. The effects of creatine on physical performance are widely researched and accepted, but there’s emerging evidence of creatine’s positive effect on elements of cognitive function. What does this mean for the wellness space?
Creatine’s Expanding Benefits for the Mind and Body:
Creatine’s effectiveness in boosting physical performance has been extensively supported through decades of research. Lately, there’s growing evidence proving its effect on the mind. Let’s review some of the recent studies and analyses on cognition and how the market is reacting.
Last year, an analysis of several randomized controlled trials found improvement in short term memory, processing time, and attention time with creatine supplementation⁴.
What we’re seeing in the market: The nootropics industry is booming because there’s a growing consumer demand for support in cognitive health and mental performance⁵. Creatine’s positive effect on certain cognitive functions presents a promising opportunity for product development.
Another meta-analysis of experimental research found creatine supplementation was most effective with stressed or sleep deprived individuals⁶.
The industry parallel: Consumers are looking for cognitive enhancers due to their growing interest in stress management and mental wellness ⁵. In fact, more than ⅓ of Americans expressed desire for products that address cognitive functioning, stress, and anxiety management⁷.
Several studies support the benefits of creatine supplementation for older adults, who saw both physical and cognitive improvement⁸ ⁹.
Reflection in the Field: There is growing demand for goods and services that promote healthy aging, with a particular interest in preventative care⁷. As life expectancy continues to lengthen and the population continues to age, creatine could present a solution to support quality of life.
Various studies have found that women experience positive effects of creatine supplementation such as mood, energy levels, muscle strength, exercise performance, and body composition¹⁰ ¹¹.
The Opportunity Arising: Women’s spending on health products is on the rise⁵. The previously underserved and underfunded sector presents a growing opportunity¹².
Creatine’s Growing Pains
Although sales are soaring, creatine does present challenges for product developers and marketers. Let’s review how solubility and dosing are affecting creatine’s application and messaging.
Solubility Struggle:
There are different types of creatine supplements being sold on the market. The most commonly used and studied form is creatine monohydrate, but there are other forms such as creatine hydrochloride, creatine complexes with other nutrients, and creatine dipeptides. Creatine monohydrate is the optimal form for supplementation due to its high concentration and high absorption rate. In a powder format creatine monohydrate is stable, showing no signs of degradation with prolonged storage times. However, creatine monohydrate is difficult to dissolve into solutions and shows significant signs of deterioration, especially at high temperatures¹³. This limits the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate in RTD beverages.
The solubility and stability of creatine monohydrate limit its application in product development. A promising alternative is creatine hydrochloride, which has improved solubility. A small study found similar positive physical benefits from creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride supplementation¹⁴. However, the hydrochloride format is more than 3x more expensive per dose than the monohydrate format¹⁵.
As creatine sales continue to grow, I expect to see more research and development to expand the format and application in food and beverages.
Dosing Dilemma:
There is no agreed-upon optimal protocol needed to see cognitive support benefits, which means we’re a ways away from marketing cognitive functional benefits. There is evidence supporting no side effects of short-term, low dose (3-5g / day) creatine supplementation¹⁶. However, further research is needed to determine the effect on kidney function at higher doses and for longer periods. Despite this challenge, I expect more high dosage creatine supplements to enter the market as consumers become more interested in the cognitive benefits.
The Next Chapter for Creatine
Creatine historically has been coveted by fitness enthusiasts for the physical performance boost. Now the narrative is changing. As research continues to emerge on the cognitive benefits creatine has, particularly on women, stressed individuals, and the aging population, the consumers adding creatine to their basket is changing. And creatine sales are booming as a result. Although the supplement presents challenges in format, application, and dosing, the growing interest in creating will bolster its market growth. In short, creatine is no longer just about bigger muscles, it’s becoming about sharper minds.
Could creatine be the bridge between sports supplement and mainstream mental health?
Sources:
1: Bloomberg (September 2025). Women and Older Adults are Driving Sales of Creatine Higher. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-02/women-and-older-adults-are-driving-sales-of-creatine-higher?embedded-checkout=true
2: Gahche, J.J. et. al. (August 2017). Dietary Supplement Use Was Very High among Older Adults in the United States in 2011–2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5610553/
3: Mayo Clinic (December 2023) Creatine. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-creatine/art-20347591
4: Xu, C., Bi, S., Zhang, W., & Luo, L. (July 2024). The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39070254/
5: Research and Markets. (December 2023). Nootropics market size, share & trends analysis report by form, distribution channel, region, and segment forecasts, 2023-2030. https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5516235/nootropics-market-size-share-and-trends-analysis#:~:text=The%20global%20nootropics%20market%20size,continue%20over%20the%20forecast%20period.
6: Roschel, H., Gualano, B., Ostojic, S. M., & Rawson, E. S. (February 2021). Creatine supplementation and brain health. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020586
7: McKinsey (January 2024). The trends defining the $1.8 trillion global wellness market in 2024. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-trends-defining-the-1-point-8-trillion-dollar-global-wellness-market-in-2024
8: Rawson, E. S., & Venezia, A. C. (March 2011). Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21394604/
9: Stares, A., & Bains, M. (2020). The additive effects of creatine supplementation and exercise training in an aging population: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30762623/
10: Smith-Ryan, A. E., et. al. (May 2025). Creatine in women’s health: bridging the gap from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40371844/
11: Smith-Ryan, A. E. et. al. (2021). Creatine supplementation in women’s health: A lifespan perspective. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33800439/
12: McKinsey (February 2022). Unlocking opportunities in women’s healthcare. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/unlocking-opportunities-in-womens-healthcare
13: Antonio, J., et. al. (February 2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: What does the scientific evidence really show? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7871530/
14: Eghbali, E., Arazi, H., & Suzuki, K. (October 2024). Supplementing with which form of creatine (hydrochloride or monohydrate) alongside resistance training can have more impacts on anabolic/catabolic hormones, strength and body composition? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11629957/
15: Fazio, C., Elder, C. L., & Harris, M. M. (February 2021). Efficacy of alternative forms of creatine supplementation on improving performance and body composition in healthy subjects: A systematic review. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/9000/Efficacy_of_Alternative_Forms_of_Creatine.94079.aspx
16: Neto, J. O. V., et. Al. . (May 2020). Novel renal biomarkers show that creatine supplementation at 5 g/day for 35 days does not affect kidney function in healthy young adults. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7329184/
