The Study
Creatine monohydrate supplementation strategies on body composition and water distribution in female recreational athletes
This study is like a fair test where people were randomly given different supplements without knowing which one they got. It can show that creatine loading probably causes more water to go inside muscle cells, but it's too small to say for sure if it changes body fat or muscle mass for most women.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study checks if taking creatine makes your body hold more water inside your cells, especially in young active girls.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This shift means more water moved into cells, which can help muscles work better, even if total body water didn’t change.
- 2After 14 days, the group taking 20g of creatine per day had 1.35% less water outside cells compared to total body water.
- 3The 5g group and sugar pill group had no change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
Isaac H. Avon, Kyle S. Levers, Natalia Wasilcyzk, Eden Glick, Eleanor U. Flacke, Anneliese Silverman, Payton Lynch, Alex Rainey, Henry Ball, Ashleigh Sorokin, Andrew M. Stranieri, Yichen Jin, Todd H. Miller
Related Content
Claims (6)
Creatine pulls water into your cells, making them swell a bit, and that swelling is how it helps your body work better.
Taking creatine every day for two weeks doesn’t change how much water is in or around your cells — even though the balance between them might shift a little — at least in young women who work out regularly.
Taking creatine for two weeks — whether a little or a lot — doesn’t change weight or body composition in young women who work out regularly.
Taking 20 grams of creatine every day for two weeks might help young active women hold more water inside their cells, which could support muscle function.
Taking a fake supplement (like sugar powder) for two weeks doesn’t change body water balance in young female athletes, so if real creatine does change it, the effect is likely from creatine itself.
Taking 5 grams of creatine every day for two weeks doesn’t seem to change how water is distributed in the body for young women who work out regularly.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.