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Creatine for Women: How Creatine Really Affects You and 7 Major Benefits of Supplementation

Creatine for Women: How Creatine Really Affects You and 7 Major Benefits of Supplementation

The use of creatine for women has significant benefits that span from exercise performance and muscle growth, to brain health, mood, and cognition. Many women are scared to take creatine, given the myths around side effects such as bloating, weight gain, or kidney issues. Let’s discuss how creatine really affects the body and highlight the numerous benefits of creatine for women of all ages.

 

What is Creatine and How Does It Work?

Creatine is a compound similar to protein that’s created in the liver and pancreas. The majority of creatine in our body is stored in our muscle, either as phosphocreatine or free creatine.

Our body naturally breaks down about 1-2% of our creatine every day, turning it into creatinine, which is excreted in the urine. 1-2% equals about 1-2 grams of creatine lost each day. This doesn’t account for increased losses from exercise, especially resistance training or high-intensity training.

 

Creatine’s Essential Role in Energy Production

To better understand how creatine works, we are going to take a trip inside the mitochondria of the cells, where energy is produced. Creatine kinase is an enzyme that turns creatine into phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is critically important for energy production. This energy that our body creates from food is called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. 

The final step to produce ATP within our cells’ mitochondria involves a chemical reaction called the creatine kinase reaction. This reaction is driven by phosphocreatine, and the effectiveness of this process and overall energy production is largely dependent on phosphocreatine stores.

 

Where Do We Get Creatine?

We get creatine from three sources. Firstly, our liver and pancreas produce creatine. We also get creatine from dietary sources and supplementation. The best food sources of creatine are animal-based proteins, namely red meat and fish. These protein sources contain creatine as well as important protein building blocks, the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. These amino acids are key components of creatine and other proteins.

It’s worth noting that most plant-based or vegetarian diets will not give you enough creatine to adequately replenish daily losses, and supplementation may be further warranted. Creatine supplementation can be beneficial even if you are eating adequate animal-based protein sources. These benefits go beyond improved athletic performance, so keep reading!

 

7 Benefits of Creatine for Women: A Case for Supplementation

Creatine monohydrate is the preferred form of creatine for supplementation. It is also one of the most well-researched supplements and has been shown to be highly effective for increasing high-intensity exercise performance and supporting muscle growth and recovery. 

Women have been found to have 70-80% lower creatine stores compared to men. Hormone changes throughout the lifecycle also influence creatine levels. This makes creatine supplementation potentially even more important for women than men!

 

1. Replenish depleted creatine levels during early pregnancy.

When comparing creatine kinase levels in women, the lowest levels were seen during early pregnancy. We know that during this time there is a significant increase in energy needs. This period of rapid growth and development is associated with a decrease in creatine stores. Although this is still an untapped area of research, supplementing with creatine during early pregnancy can safely support increased energy needs and replenishment of creatine stores. 

 

2. Support metabolic shifts throughout the menstrual cycle.

In cycling women of reproductive age, estrogen levels increase during ovulation and the mid-luteal phase. During these high estrogen states, we also undergo metabolic shifts. Most notably during this time, protein breakdown is higher and insulin sensitivity shifts. Creatine supplementation can support energy levels and offset the increase in protein breakdown

 

3. Enhance strength, athletic performance, and muscle growth.

Creatine supplementation is not just for power athletes or bodybuilders. Research has shown significant improvements in muscular strength and performance in both trained and untrained women. In these studies, they did not see large fluctuations in body weight, which is often a concern among women and prevents many from supplementing.

The amount of phosphocreatine stored within our muscles determines how much ATP, or energy, we produce. Phosphocreatine stores are used up during exercise, decreasing our energy availability and the ability to sustain high-intensity exercise. By increasing creatine levels, we are able to produce more energy, resulting in more strength, power, and sustained activity levels. 

The performance and muscle growth benefits of creatine for women are strongest when combined with resistance training. This is because when our muscles contract or are activated, they take up more creatine compared to when they are at rest. Research shows greater muscle growth and strength improvements in study groups where creatine supplementation is combined with resistance training, as opposed to supplementation alone. 

 

4. Combat oxidative stress and improve recovery time. 

Creatine also has antioxidant effects, and increases the activity of other antioxidant enzymes in the body. Because of this, it helps neutralize free radicals and combat oxidative stress. We know that high levels of oxidative stress significantly impact hormone health. On the other hand, we also see that hormone changes, especially the decline in estrogen during perimenopause, also contributes to increased levels of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Exercise can either help or hinder inflammation and hormone health. This is highly dependent on the type of exercise, how much we are exercising, and how we are fueling before and after exercise. If we are following a hormone-friendly workout plan, creatine supplementation can be a helpful addition to further mitigate oxidative stress, replenish energy stores, and improve exercise recovery.

 

5. Boost bone health, especially in post-menopausal women.

Creatine in women, especially post-menopausal women, has been shown to improve bone strength along with muscle strength. This is critical, since perimenopausal declines in estrogen leave women at a much higher risk of low bone density and osteoporosis. Improved bone strength was particularly significant when combined with resistance training, which we know is another fantastic tool to help support bone health!

 

6. Support brain health, cognition, and mood.

Women have been shown to have lower creatine stores in the frontal cortex of the brain as well as throughout the body. This area of the brain is responsible for mood, cognition, memory, and emotions. There is building evidence that shows creatine supplementation can have a positive impact on mood and cognition, even more so for women than for men. 

Creatine demands increase during periods of high mental stress and tasks that rely on focus, attention, and memory. Supplementation has been shown to support increased ATP production in these situations, similar to how it increases ATP in muscle tissues during exercise.

Supplementing with creatine also supports energy levels and brain activity in the context of impaired sleep and sleep deprivation, which often impacts mood and cognition. Whether from hormonal shifts, stress levels, pregnancy, etc., women are more susceptible to sleep issues and sleep deprivation.

There is also existing research exploring the role of creatine in depression and mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. It’s been suggested that proper signaling of these brain chemicals is actually dependent on appropriate creatine levels. Researchers have also seen an association between the severity of depressive episodes and creatine and phosphocreatine levels in the brain, with severity increasing as creatine levels decreased.

Creatine supplementation has even been researched for its potential role in treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

 

7. Reduce symptoms of Long-COVID

One study showed daily creatine supplementation significantly reduced several symptoms of long-COVID. These included body aches, fatigue, headaches, breathing problems, and difficulty concentrating.  

 

How to Use Creatine Effectively Around Workouts

The benefits of creatine largely depend on current creatine levels in the body. For example, someone who consumes little protein and few creatine-containing foods is more likely to experience a more significant impact from supplementation. The goal of supplementation is to build up creatine stores, as opposed to increasing creatine levels in the short term.

There are different methods of supplementing with creatine, which will impact specific dosage recommendations. Much of the research on women shows benefit from supplementing with 3-5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily to build and maintain elevated creatine stores. There of course are individual considerations to determine the best dosage for you.

To get the most out of your creatine supplementation, especially if you are using it for its exercise performance benefits, take creatine shortly after exercise, when your muscles are most receptive. For even more muscle growth benefits, pair your creatine with a complete protein source, like our Functional FuelPRO protein powder. There is additional evidence to show that adding a carbohydrate source can increase creatine uptake by the muscles.

Drinking enough water while supplementing with creatine is key, because creatine pulls water into the cells. Ensuring you are well hydrated can help offset any potential side effects like muscle cramping or fatigue. 

Another reported side effect and fear that women have around creatine supplementation is weight gain and water retention. However, water retention is more prevalent among men supplementing with high loading doses of creatine. Some water retention can also occur if consuming excess carbohydrates post-workout alongside creatine supplementation. Finally, when used appropriately, both short and long-term supplementation is perfectly safe for healthy individuals, and doesn’t pose a risk to kidney function.

 

What Are You Waiting For?

As you can see, there are a wide variety of benefits and considerations when it comes to creatine for women. If you are looking for individualized support based on your body’s needs, be sure to check out our 1:1 Coaching Program! With personalized advanced functional lab testing, supplementation, and using food as medicine, we help individuals like you optimize your nutrition, exercise performance, and hormone health. Apply for our waitlist for 1:1 coaching today!

 

 

Written by Romana Brennan, MS, RD

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