NEW YORK – If you follow people on social media who talk about menopause, chances are, you have seen discussions of creatine, which has long been popular among athletes and bodybuilders.

It is one of a slew of supplements advertised to address the disruptive symptoms and health risks that can come with the menopausal transition, from hot flashes to urinary tract infections.

Creatine is a compound that the body produces naturally and stores mostly in muscles, which then use it to generate energy. Most people also consume creatine through meat and seafood.

The main argument menopause influencers make for it is straightforward.

Oestrogen levels decline during perimenopause, which generally leads to less muscle mass. Doctors routinely urge women to do strength training to combat that muscle loss, and supporters of creatine supplements say they could help increase the effectiveness of strength training and improve women’s health as they age.

Some influencers also claim that creatine can improve memory and mood, two things many women struggle with during and after perimenopause.

Creatine, specifically a form called creatine monohydrate, has been studied more extensively than other supplements, which tend not to have good evidence that they help with menopausal symptoms. Creatine is generally safe, and studies have found it can modestly increase muscle mass and exercise performance for some people.

But people do not have a full picture of how it might work in menopausal women, several experts said. Here is what to know about it.

There is evidence, including from randomised controlled trials, that creatine supplements can help with muscle mass and performance. These benefits may be most useful for competitive athletes, where even a small improvement can be meaningful.

However, most studies of the effects of creatine have focused on men, and some research that has included women suggests that men may see greater benefits. So the evidence cannot necessarily be extrapolated to women, experts ...