Is Creatine safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Creatine. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Creatine is used as a dietary supplement to increase muscle mass and improve exercise performance. Creatine is a normal component of human milk, supplying about 9% of the infant’s daily requirements, although the amount varies by country and ethnicity.[1,2] Creatine levels are highest in colostrum, with levels decreasing over the first 2 weeks postpartum before stabilizing.[3] Milk levels of creatine have not been measured after supplementation in humans. Creatine blood levels are lower in vegan than omnivorous mothers.[4] Some authors speculate that creatine supplementation of nursing mothers might help avoid creatine deficiency syndromes, but no studies are available that test this hypothesis.[5] Creatine is converted into creatinine in the mother's and infant's bodies. It can increase the infant's serum creatinine, which may alter estimations of the infant's kidney function.[6] Until more data are available, it is probably best to avoid creatine supplementation unless it is prescribed by a healthcare professional.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Creatine is a normal component of human milk. Milk levels of creatine have not been measured after exogenous administration in humans.
Maternal Levels. North American and European milk creatine values average about 10.5 mg/L with a range of 9 to 12 mg/L. This value translates into about 7 mg daily for intake via milk for exclusively breastfed infants, or 10% of an infant’s daily requirement for 0- to 6-month-old infants. Adequate daily intake of creatine for 7- to 12-month-old infants is estimated to be 8.4 mg. Creatine levels might be elevated in the Indian population, reaching 38 mg/L at 6 months of lactation in one study.[7]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Creatine is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Creatine” (LM937). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.