Creatine: Not Just for Bros
If you’ve ever been into weightlifting or know someone who is, you might be familiar with a white, powdery supplement called creatine.
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance found in your muscle and brain tissue that helps produce energy during high-intensity exercise and heavy lifting. For decades, athletes and bodybuilders have used it to increase strength and power as well as give their muscles a fuller, rounder look. (Think Captain America when he comes out of the buff pod.)
It’s been known for some time that supplementing with creatine can enhance both athletic performance and recovery. More recently, attention has turned to the various other benefits it may offer for brain, heart, and gut health—especially for women.
A 2021 review of the literature published in Nutrients reported that “creatine supplementation may be of particular importance during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, during and post-menopause.”
We’re talking improvements in strength, exercise capacity, body composition, bone density, mood, and cognition. It has also been shown to reduce exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress!(FWIW, I can vouch for this one personally.)
On January 1st of this year I started experimenting with creatine to see if I would feel a difference.
At the two week mark of taking a low, daily dose of creatine monohydrate (roughly 3 grams), I noticed I could squeeze out a few more reps of an exercise where I had previously plateaued. One week later, I was able to add both weight and an extra set to another heavy lift where I had been unable to make progress for some time.
As a woman who wants to build more muscle and bone while I still can, this was exciting news! But I have to say the most unexpected benefit I’ve experienced so far is the effect it’s had on my gut.
For the past few years I’ve noticed digestive upset in the evening following hard training sessions. Not bad enough to make me stop lifting heavy things, but frequent enough that I anticipated having some level of indigestion regardless of what or how much I ate. I just chocked it up to energy being diverted from digesting food to repairing damaged muscle tissue.
As it turns out, heavy training loads and lack of creatine stores can lead to increased erosion of the gut lining, in as little as thirty minutes! This is why low doses of creatine monohydrate (3-5 grams per day) are suggested as a potential fix for exercise-induced GI issues. It helps reduce inflammation, enhances cell resiliency, and modulates the immune system, especially when the gut is stressed from increased body heat and low oxygen during exercise.
In the short time I’ve been supplementing with it, I’ve found it to be incredibly helpful for getting my digestive system back on track.
How do we get creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid derivative, which means it is only found in animal foodstuffs like red meat, poultry, and seafood. A small amount is synthesized by the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. The easiest way to top up creatine stores is through supplementation with either creatine monohydrate or creatine hydrochloride (HCL).
Why is creatine supplementation especially effective for women?
Not only do women tend to consume less dietary creatine than men, but we also store 70-80% less of it than our male counterparts. Additionally, female hormones like estrogen and progesterone influence our need for it. This is why women tend to experience more noticeable effects when supplementing with creatine.
It’s important to note that supplements are not regulated by the FDA and some brands have been shown to contain contaminants. Please consult a physician prior to starting any new supplement and look for products that have been vetted through independent testing for safety and purity.
Resources:
Why Active Women Need Creatine
Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective
ROAR, Revised Edition: Match Your Food and Fitness to your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong Body for Life by Stacy T. Sims, PhD.