When it comes to nutritional supplements, creatine is rarely at the top of the list for women, especially for us 35+ year olds. However, among fitness content creators it has exploded on TikTok and Instagram. Sales are up 114% over the past year.
Emerging research suggests that this well-known sports supplement, creatine monohydrate could be an overlooked ally, offering significant health and fitness benefits for menopausal and perimenopausal women.
“There are few supplements that I recommend across the board. Creatine is one of them. A growing body of research shows that it can help increase strength, power and athletic performance in females, and it’s also good for you brain health and maybe even your moodDr. Stacey Sims wrote on her blog in April 2023. I love Stacy’s books (see links below) and enjoy hearing her thoughts on supplements, especially as she tells it like it is. If there’s no research to back it up, don’t promote it.
Studies show that creatine can enhance muscle gains, performance and recovery. They also show that it can improve memory and sleep, reduce anxiety and depression!
After the age of 35, you naturally start losing muscle and it becomes difficult to build new muscle. Creatine supplements may help you build more muscle which translates to a higher resting metabolic rate, also known as a faster metabolism!
It can also have positive effects on mood and cognitive function.
Need more convincing? Let’s look at why creatine supplements might just be the supplement you didn’t know you needed.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural compound found in small amounts in some foods and produced by the body. It plays a critical role in energy production, particularly in high-intensity and short-duration activities. While creatine is often associated with male athletes looking to improve training performance and muscle mass, its benefits extend far beyond the realm of sports nutrition, offering unique advantages for women’s health, especially during menopause and after menopause.
Increases muscle strength and endurance
One of the most difficult aspects of aging for women is the loss of muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia. This natural decline is accelerated during and after menopause due to hormonal changes. Creatine supplements can combat these effects by enhancing muscle performance and endurance, making it easier to build and maintain muscle mass through strength training and resistance exercises. Creatine supplements help your muscles work harder and longer resulting in greater gains. Muscle gains lead to a healthy, faster metabolism which is what we want as older women! We want MORE lean muscle mass. From sprints to deadlifts, who doesn’t want to boost their exercise performance?
Enhances recovery and reduces fatigue
Fatigue is a common complaint among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Creatine has been shown to improve recovery time and reduce overall fatigue, making it a valuable tool for women who want to stay active and energized. Whether you’re fueling through a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session or just trying to keep up with daily activities, creatine can help support steady energy levels.
Supports brain health
Emerging research highlights the potential benefits of creatine for cognitive function, an area of concern for many women as we age. As an almost 40 year old, I still blame my brain fog on pregnancy hormones. Studies show, however, that creatine supplementation can improve memory and attention, particularly in tasks that require speed and accuracy. For perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who may experience cognitive changes or “brain fog,” creatine offers a promising strategy for supporting brain health.
In addition, a 2021 review of Brain Health in Women found that women with major depressive disorder who increased their daily antidepressant with 5 grams of creatine responded twice as quickly and experienced twice as much depression remission as women who took just their anti-depressant
May help with bone density
Osteoporosis and decreased bone density are major concerns for postmenopausal women, largely due to declining estrogen levels. While more research is needed, some studies show that creatine supplementation, combined with resistance training, can improve bone density by increasing the strength and mass of the muscles attached to the bones, thus putting more force on the bones themselves .
How to incorporate creatine into your routine
Incorporating creatine into your supplement regimen is simple.
The most common form of creatine monohydrate is usually creatine powder, but these days it’s also available in gum and pill form!
A typical dose is 3-5 grams per day, but it’s always a good idea to start with a lower dose to assess potential side effects. Start with 3 and work your way up to 5 or more grams each day. Yes, you should take it every day not just on the days you train. You can take it before, during or after your workout.
You need to be consistent for at least 4 weeks of at least 3 grams to start seeing any difference.
There are pros and cons to the various forms of creatine, such as capsules, powders, and gum. Creatine powders are the most common and tend to be the most economical option. They are flexible, allowing you to adjust your dose easily and mix the powder with your preferred liquid. I mix mine with water and BCAAs and drink during my workout.
However, some may find the powder form less convenient for on-the-go consumption compared to capsules or gum. Capsules offer the convenience of portability and require no mixing, making them a great choice for those with busy lifestyles, although they can be more expensive per serving. Gummies provide a tasty alternative, perfect for those who dislike swallowing pills or the taste of powdered supplements, but they often contain added sugars.
Possible side effects of creatine
You will not swell. You should not experience weight gain. Creatine is calorie free. Any weight gain would come from lean body mass, also known as muscle. Bloating is reportedly something that men experience more than women at first, but is a possibility for some due to water retention. Water retention is not fat! So if you notice the scale going up at first, don’t panic. Give it a week or so and it should fall back. This is water, not fat. Remember, you don’t need a charging phase that often leads to this side effect.
Taking creatine as a woman will not increase your testosterone.
Back in high school, kidney failure was reported among young male users who overused. This information has largely been revealed to be untrue for women.
When incorporating creatine into your regimen, it’s important to consider its potential interaction with other medications or supplements. Creatine may interact with medications that affect kidney function or water retention, such as NSAIDs, diuretics, and certain blood pressure medications.
Always consult a healthcare provider before starting creatine, especially if you are taking other medications or have pre-existing health conditions.
My experience with creatine supplementation
First, I just started taking creatine. I shared it on my Instagram and promised to bring you along. I am currently on day two of creatine supplementation. I use it Faster way to creatine which is one of the purest creatines on the market and has one ingredient. Fellow FASter Way coaches have been taking creatine for years and have been praising it for a long time. Many of us are excited to see what it has to offer our customers!
I take a variety of supplements, but I don’t take a ton. I don’t take collagen because the research is unclear if it works, but the research on creatine for women is promising and proven. Dr. Stacy Simms (who wrote Roar and Next level) also recommends it.
See my other one additional recommendations here.
