This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your OB, midwife, or healthcare provider before beginning any supplement during pregnancy.
Creatine is having a moment
If you have been paying attention to the wellness and supplement space lately, you have probably heard a lot more about creatine. And for good reason. For a long time, creatine was mostly associated with bodybuilders, athletes, and building muscle. But the conversation around creatine has expanded significantly. Researchers are now looking at its potential role in cognitive health, healthy aging, energy metabolism, women's health, and even pregnancy.
As someone with a doctoral background in mental health and a deep interest in evidence based, integrative wellness, I wanted to dig into what the research actually says about creatine during pregnancy.
If you search this topic online, you will find everything from "absolutely not" to people recommending it without a second thought. As usual, the actual answer is more nuanced. So, let's look at the science.
First, what exactly is creatine?
Creatine is a compound our bodies naturally make from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. We also get it through foods like red meat, poultry, and fish. Once creatine is made or consumed, it is transported to tissues with high energy demands, particularly our muscles, heart, and brain. This is where creatine becomes really interesting.
Our cells use ATP as their primary source of energy. When energy demand increases, the creatine and phosphocreatine system helps the body rapidly regenerate ATP so our cells can continue functioning efficiently. In other words, creatine helps support cellular energy availability.
And pregnancy requires a lot of energy. Your body is growing an entirely new human while simultaneously building a placenta, increasing blood volume and cardiac output, supporting fetal brain and tissue development, and navigating major hormonal and metabolic changes. That increased energy demand is one of the reasons researchers have become interested in creatine during pregnancy.
What does the research actually say?
This is where I want to be very clear. Research on creatine use during human pregnancy is still developing. We do not currently have the same level of evidence that we have for creatine use in the general population. However, what researchers are finding so far is interesting.
A 2024 systematic review and meta analysis examining creatine supplementation during pregnancy across animal and human research found that maternal creatine supplementation increased creatine concentrations in the placenta and several fetal tissues, including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver. In animal models, increased creatine availability in the fetal brain has also been associated with protection against injury related to low oxygen availability. That potential neuroprotective effect is one of the most interesting areas of creatine and pregnancy research right now.
A 2024 study from Nhi Tran and colleagues at the Hudson Institute's Bioenergetics in Reproduction group looked at fetal sheep exposed to hypoxic events. Researchers found that prophylactic fetal creatine supplementation improved EEG recovery following oxygen deprivation and reduced seizure burden. Importantly, supplementation did not appear to alter normal fetal cardiovascular or neurological physiology in the study.
Researchers are investigating whether this mechanism could eventually have implications for conditions such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, which can occur when a baby's brain does not receive enough oxygen around the time of birth. Again, this was an animal study. We cannot automatically assume the same outcomes would occur in humans. But it gives researchers a compelling reason to continue studying creatine in pregnancy.
What about safety?
Safety is obviously the biggest question when we are talking about pregnancy.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition evaluated maternal creatine supplementation throughout pregnancy using a guinea pig model. Guinea pigs were specifically used because aspects of their fetal development more closely resemble human pregnancy than traditional rodent models. Researchers found no significant differences in maternal gestational weight gain, fetal growth, or measures of umbilical and fetal cerebral blood flow associated with creatine supplementation.
We also have some early human data. A 2024 open label dose escalation trial examined creatine monohydrate pharmacokinetics in women during their third trimester. Researchers found that pregnancy did not appear to substantially change creatine metabolism compared with nonpregnant women, and participants did not report major adverse events or side effects during the study.
That does not mean we can declare creatine definitively safe for every pregnant woman. It does mean that the early data we have so far has given researchers reason to continue studying it.
So why don't we know more?
This is an important part of the conversation.
Pregnant women have historically been excluded from clinical research because of concerns about fetal risk. While that caution is understandable, it has also created enormous gaps in women's health research. We have medications, supplements, and interventions that have been studied for decades in the general population, while pregnancy specific research remains limited. Creatine is just one example.
The lack of large scale randomized controlled trials in pregnant women does not automatically mean that researchers have identified a problem with creatine. It means we do not yet have enough high quality human pregnancy data to make definitive conclusions about its safety or benefits. Those are two very different things. Right now, we have an extensive body of research supporting creatine's use in the general population, encouraging preclinical pregnancy research, and emerging human pregnancy data. Emerging is the key word.
Creatine has already entering the prenatal wellness space
Interestingly, some women's health companies are already incorporating creatine into products designed for pregnancy and postpartum.
Perelel Health, an OBGYN founded women's health company, includes 3 grams of creatine monohydrate in its Triple Support Protein Powder, along with plant based protein and prebiotic fiber. The company has also invested in clinical research on the formula.
I think this is worth paying attention to, not because the existence of a prenatal product proves that creatine is safe during pregnancy, but because it shows where interest in women's health research and prenatal nutrition is moving. Creatine is no longer just a gym supplement.
If you are considering creatine during pregnancy
If you are pregnant and interested in creatine, this is where I would start.
First, talk to your OB or midwife. Pregnancy is not the time to add supplements simply because something is trending on social media. Bring the research with you and have an informed conversation about whether supplementation makes sense for you specifically.
Most creatine research in the general population uses creatine monohydrate, and maintenance doses commonly fall around 3 to 5 grams per day. Creatine monohydrate is also the form with the strongest research base.
I would also pay close attention to supplement quality. Third party testing matters all the time, but I think it matters even more during pregnancy. You want confidence that the supplement contains what the label says it contains and has been screened for contaminants.
Products worth knowing about
Thorne Creatine Monohydrate
Thorne's creatine is simple: one ingredient, creatine monohydrate. It provides 5 grams per serving and is NSF Certified for Sport, meaning it undergoes independent testing for label accuracy and substances prohibited by major athletic organizations. If your priority is a straightforward creatine monohydrate product from a company with strong third party testing standards, this is one I would look at.
Perelel Triple Support Protein Powder
If you prefer something designed specifically with women's health and pregnancy in mind, Perelel's Triple Support Protein combines 3 grams of creatine monohydrate with 20 grams of plant based pea protein and prebiotic fiber. Perelel was founded with OBGYN involvement and specifically markets the formula for pregnancy and postpartum use.
As with any supplement during pregnancy, I would still discuss it with your provider before adding it to your routine.
The bottom line
So, is creatine safe during pregnancy?
The most accurate answer right now is that we do not have enough large scale human pregnancy research to give a definitive yes or no. However, the research is worth watching.
Preclinical studies are exploring potentially meaningful benefits for fetal energy metabolism and neuroprotection. Early safety research has been encouraging. Human studies are beginning to emerge, and researchers are increasingly interested in the role creatine could play in pregnancy.
In my opinion, this is exactly what evidence based wellness should look like. We do not need to be afraid of emerging research. We can be curious. We can read the research. We can ask better questions. And we can bring those questions to our healthcare providers so we can make informed decisions for our own bodies and pregnancies.
That is ultimately the goal at VIRELLA: giving women the information and tools to participate more actively in their own wellness.
References
Tran N, et al. Prophylactic Fetal Creatine Supplementation Improves Post Asphyxial EEG Recovery and Reduces Seizures in Fetal Sheep: Implications for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. Annals of Neurology. 2024.
Safety of maternal creatine supplementation: evidence from a guinea pig model of full term pregnancy. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025.
Open label, dose escalation trial of creatine monohydrate in pregnancy. 2024.
Creatine supplementation during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta analysis of animal and human studies. 2024.
Creatine supplementation during pregnancy: summary of experimental studies suggesting a treatment to improve fetal and neonatal morbidity and reduce mortality in high risk human pregnancy. NIH National Library of Medicine.
Examine.com. Is creatine supplementation safe during pregnancy? Updated May 2025.
Perelel Health. Triple Support Protein clinical trial findings. August 2026.
