Creatine Monohydrate: The one supplement you actually need in 2026
If there’s one supplement you add to your 2026 wellness toolkit let it be this one - Creatine Monohydrate. Your ticket to improved performance, cognitive function and longevity.
There's a lot of noise in the wellness world. New supplements, new trends, new things to add to your already-overflowing routine. So when we tell you to add one more thing, we mean it. Because creatine monohydrate isn't a trend - it's the most researched supplement in existence, and the science behind it (especially for women) is seriously impressive.
What even is creatine?
Creatine is a natural compound produced in your body - primarily in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas - and stored mostly in your muscles. Your body uses it to resynthesise ATP, which is your cells currency for fast, ready-to-use energy. Think of ATP as your body's battery, and creatine as the charger.
Your body produces about half the creatine it needs on its own.The rest comes from food - particularly red meat, fish, and dairy. The catch? You'd need to eat an unrealistic amount of these foods daily to reach levels that actually make a meaningful difference to performance and health, unlike some nutrients where a balanced diet is sufficient. That's where supplementation comes in.
The benefits of supplementation: more than just building muscle
Yes, creatine supports muscle growth and performance. But that's just the beginning.
Strength + Performance
Creatine increases the amount of phosphocreatine stored in your muscles, allowing you to replenish ATP faster during high-intensity exercise. Translation: more power output, stronger performance = better results.
A 2021 systematic review of randomised trials in older women found that adding creatine to resistance training produced significantly greater strength gains compared to training alone.
Reformer pilates + strength circuit training + creatine = magic muscles.
Faster Recovery
By buffering the hydrogen ions (the waste/by-products) that build up during intense exercise, creatine helps delay the onset of fatigue and supports faster muscle recovery.
Less soreness, quicker bounce-back, more consistency in your training.
Brain Function + Beating the Fog
Your brain uses ATP - a lot of it. Research shows creatine supplementation supports cognitive function by restoring brain energy levels, which is particularly significant for women as women already have lower creatine levels in the frontal cortex (the area responsible for mood, attention, and decision-making).
Studies have demonstrated improvements in short-term memory, working memory, reasoning, and processing speed.
Research has also found an inverse relationship between dietary creatine intake and the incidence of depression - it has even been used in clinical trials to enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy in women.
Muscle Preservation + Longevity
From around our 30s, we naturally begin to lose muscle mass - a process that accelerates during menopause. This isn't just an aesthetic issue; it affects strength, metabolism, bone density, and long-term independence.
Creatine supplementation, combined with resistance training, has been shown to preserve and build lean muscle mass in postmenopausal women, supporting healthy ageing from the inside out.
Bone Health
Falling oestrogen doesn't just affect muscle - it accelerates bone mineral density loss too.
A two-year randomised controlled trial of postmenopausal women found that creatine supplementation (combined with exercise) improved key markers of bone geometry and bending strength at the femoral neck - important for reducing fracture risk as we age.
Mood Support
Particularly during perimenopause and menopause, creatine has shown promising results in improving mood and reducing the severity of mood swings.
A recent randomised controlled trial found creatine supplementation was superior to placebo in enhancing reaction time, elevating frontal brain creatine levels, and showing advantage in reducing mood swing severity in peri and postmenopausal women.
Why Women Need It More Than You Think
Here's the part that often surprises people - women naturally have 70–80% lower creatine stores than men. That's not a small gap - that's significant - and it means that while creatine benefits everyone, women stand to gain even more from supplementing it.
Research published in the ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition’ highlights that hormonal fluctuations across a woman's life - during menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause - directly affect how the body produces, stores, and uses creatine.
As oestrogen declines during perimenopause and menopause, creatine availability declines with it. This creates a compounding effect: less oestrogen → less creatine → less muscle → less ATP → more fatigue. Supplementing creatine is one of the most evidence-backed ways to interrupt that cycle.
How to Supplement:
The gold standard form - and the most extensively studied - is creatine monohydrate. Research consistently shows it's the most effective, safe and bioavailable form available.
Dosing:
The evidence-based sweet spot for most women is 3–5g per day, taken consistently.
Is It Safe?
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most extensively researched dietary supplements in existence and has an excellent safety profile in healthy adults. As with any supplement, individuals with kidney disease, those on nephroactive medications, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should speak with their healthcare provider before starting.
Now Available at the hub
We've made it easy for you Soulmates. We're now stocking Naked Harvest Creatine Monohydrate - 100% natural, vegan, and GF, with seamless mixability so you can add it to anything without the chalky aftertaste.
Pick it up at reception and start making creatine your daily essential. Your muscles, your brain, and your future self will thank you.
Available for purchase at Soulhub reception — ask our Soul Squad team for more info
*Always consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any new supplement, particularly if you have existing health conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding.*