Beyond Performance. Creatine Is Reaching New Consumers
Published by: 7/8/2025
Creatine’s rise reflects a broader shift in how people think about supplements. What was once focused mainly on athletic performance is now reaching consumers interested in long-term health, daily energy, and convenience. With increasing sales, growing interest, and innovation in formats, creatine is becoming a key player in both performance and wellness, and its influence continues to grow.
Creatine is becoming more common in new product formulations, especially across the global food, drink, and supplement space. Although it started from a relatively low base, the number of launches including creatine has steadily increased over the last five years. The majority (82%) have been in nutritional and functional drinks, while 13% appear in vitamins and dietary supplements. Sports and energy drinks make up the remaining 3%, showing that while performance remains a key area, creatine is increasingly being used beyond traditional categoriesi.
Creatine continues to grow steadily. Between 2022 and 2024, creatine sales rose from $310M to $378M, a 22% increase, while unit sales grew 35% ii. It’s now one of the main forces behind the overall +14% growth in the performance nutrition category, alongside hydration and electrolyte productsiii.
Based on search and engagement trends from Google and TikTok spanning March 2023 to February 2025, creatine is solidifying its position as a rising star in the supplements and ingestible category. Data from Spate’s Popularity Index reveals that creatine saw a 1.2K year-over-year increase in online interest, translating to 32.2% growth compared to the previous year. Its inclusion in the top 10 fastest-growing supplements signals that creatine is no longer limited to a niche audience. It is becoming a widely adopted supplement with significant traction across major digital platforms.iv
Creatine is gaining traction among a wider range of consumers, especially women and older adults. Recent studies offer growing support for the use of creatine among women, highlighting both performance and general health benefits. While creatine research has included women for years, more recent studies have begun accounting for hormonal cycles and life stages such as menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. This has led to better insights and stronger data.
A new review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition shows that creatine may support bone density, cognitive function, metabolic health, and mood in women. Researchers also point to possible benefits during pregnancy and in postmenopausal stages. These benefits include improved muscle mass, reduced fatigue, and better mental wellness.v
The rise in female-focused data has contributed to a sharp increase in sales. Creatine sales grew by 120% from 2021 to 2022vi, what was once a niche supplement favored mostly by male athletes is now being embraced by a much wider audience. A major factor in this expansion is the growing number of women adding creatine to their wellness routines. Women are not only major users of supplements but also tend to make health purchases for the household.
In the healthy aging space, creatine is gaining ground. With $435M in sales and +17% YoY growth, it’s now ranked among the top ingredients in the anti-aging supplement marketvii. As more research highlights its role in supporting energy at the cellular level, muscle maintenance, and even cognitive function, creatine is becoming a regular part of wellness routines across age groups.
Creatine’s growth is also influenced by changing preferences. Consumers are turning to formats that fit their routines, and gummies are leading to that change. With a 360% year-over-year increase in gummy salesviii, it’s clear that convenience is driving this format’s rapid rise.
As creatine continues to evolve beyond performance, brands have a unique opportunity to reach new audiences with smart, convenient delivery systems that meet real-life needs.
At Funtrition, we specialize in transforming clinically backed ingredients like creatine into experiential, easy-to-consume gummy supplements that support today’s definitions of health and wellness.
From tailored formulations to innovative gummy technologies, our end-to-end approach helps you deliver science with simplicity and create products that resonate with both performance-driven and lifestyle-focused consumers. We design creatine gummies that go beyond function, delivering taste, texture, and convenience in every bite.
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