Women and Creatine

Creatine Benefits Women 

1. Muscular Development and Strength

2. Endurance Training

3. Metabolic Health

4. Mood and Cognitive Effects

1. Muscular Development and Strength 

Women only require a small amount of creatine daily to feel the impact of supplementation on their health. Only 3-5g, which is a little scoop, is needed to build muscular strength and lean mass. There is a creatine loading phase which can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to fully saturate the body. Creatine stores energy in muscles during high-intensity training so that individuals can push harder, do more repetitions, lift heavier, and synthesize protein. 

This translates to greater muscular definition and strength gains. Creatine draws water into muscle fibres to help repair them after an intense exercise session and create new muscle. Water causes muscles to swell and appear larger. Women can also feel energized once they start adding creatine to their diets so that they can push through tough workouts.

2. Endurance Training

Ladies, if you are an endurance athlete who enjoys cycling, swimming, or running, creatine supplementation will aid you in reducing muscular fatigue so you can cover long distances with more ease. Creatine increases muscle efficiency so that you don't have to work as hard to get similar or better output on harder training days.

Post menopausal women who are seeking better energy as their estrogen and testosterone levels naturally decrease may benefit from taking creatine. Losing muscle mass becomes an issue during this time and creatine can help maintain healthy lean mass when combined with resistance training.

Even menstruating women can find that their hormones fluctuate less when they are taking creatine on a regular basis. It can assist with brain fog, fatigue, boost energy and combat sleep deprivation. Creatine is also good at reducing inflammation which can often occur around the time of a woman's cycle.

3. Metabolic Health

Post-menopausal women can suffer from muscle loss as they age as their hormones decrease. Creatine can improve body composition and bone density when combined with resistance training. Creatine can also help women burn more calories from fat during exercise because they are pushing harder through sets. Anytime muscle mass has a chance to increase, metabolism also gets a boost. The power that women get from creatine is beneficial for high-intensity interval training, explosive movements, and sports conditioning.

4. Mood and Cognitive Effects

Women can get mental clarity and focus from taking additional creatine. If she is on anti-depressants, creatine can help enhance the effects of the medication so that a woman can regulate her mood better. Creatine can also protect women's brains from oxidative stress, which is the result of aging. Creatine is known to assist women with bipolar disorder and anxiety by regulating dopamine and serotonin.

Women Should Consider Supplementing with Creatine

With all the benefits listed above, is it really a surprise that women should take creatine or consider adding it to their nutrition? It seems that people who go to the gym and athletes are more likely to use creatine versus the general population. Creatine doesn't contain any calories, nor does it taste like anything. It dissolves easily in liquids so a post-workout shake is ideal to add a small scoop to. If you want more advice on how to add creatine and other supplements to your diet, feel free to reach out and schedule a nutrition consultation with us to go over your eating habits, lifestyle, and physical routines so that we can create a plan that caters specifically to your goals.

We offer nutrition coaching, small group training and 1:1 training to help the busiest individuals incorporate a love of movement into their lives.  Please call/text us at 1-825-945-7733, or fill out the online contact form today!