Creatine has been around forever, but in the past, it was seen as more of a "bodybuilder" supplement and not a supplement for the average woman. But nowadays, that theme is changing. Along with more women in the weight room (yay!!), more and more women are turning to creatine to help reach their health and fitness goals.
In fact, creatine is an INCREDIBLY valuable tool for health, especially in midlife and beyond.
Creatine can help:
Build strength
Decrease recovery time
Improve athletic performance
Improve brain health
Prevent cognitive decline
Improve mood
Mitigate some of the effects of poor sleep
Decrease osteoporosis risk
Sounds pretty good, right? And the good news is that you don't have to take a lot of creatine to see these effects. Most women can take 3-5 grams of creatine daily to get all the benefits.
Most women can take 3-5 grams daily and get all the benefits.
I would recommend starting very slowly, especially if you tend to have a sensitive stomach. Start with just 1 gram per day for a couple days, then increase to 2 grams per day, and then keep increasing until you hit 5 grams per day.
If you start to have stomach upset, back off on your dose again.
You can try increasing it even slower, but if symptoms return again, just stick with the lowest dose you can tolerate.
For post-menopausal women, I generally recommend a higher dose, since research has shown that the lower doses don't work as well in this age range.
Ultimately, getting10 grams a day seems to benefit post-menopausal women.
And in everyone who takes creatine, I always recommend doing strength training (twice weekly, sometimes more). You'll maximize the benefits of taking creatine when you also do regular, full-body resistance training.
So with all these benefits, what are the downsides to creatine? Well, aside from the cost of adding another supplement to your routine, you may have already guessed that creatine can cause digestive discomfort. Use the strategy above to minimize that.
The other downside is weight gain. You will -- and should -- gain water weight while taking creatine, since muscles hold more water. On average, 3-5 pounds.
Creatine increases the amount of water in your muscles and make them appear fuller.
Most people like the way this looks, but if you are used to seeing yourself "smaller" it might take you by surprise.
Some people report bloating with creatine, but not everyone.
If you don't like the "bloated" or "full" look, but still want the benefits of creatine, I tell clients to just stop creatine a couple weeks before going on vacation or a big event and get it out of your system. You can just restart it afterward :)
Some people report increased hair shedding after about 3 months on creatine. If you are one of these people, you can stop it for a while and see if the shedding improves, then try taking it again and see if the shedding comes back.
If it does, you can either stop creatine, or talk to your doctor about whether taking something like minoxidil to counteract the hair loss makes sense for you.
Finally, some people worry about the harm to their kidneys and blood pressure from creatine. THIS IS USUALLY NOT A CONCERN unless you have pre-existing kidney disease, and your doctor has told you not to take creatine.
Creatine may make your creatinine level go up slightly, but this is not generally an indicator of real kidney problems. It is just a normal thing that happens when you consume a lot of dietary creatine (same thing happens when you build muscle, or when you eat a lot of protein).
As long as you are staying well-hydrated throughout the day and have normal kidney function, you should be fine (but ALWAYS clear any new supplements with your doctor first. And always tell them you are on creatine, so they don't worry if your creatinine level rises slightly).
Regarding blood pressure concerns: Creatine at very high doses may cause a temporary slight increase in blood pressure, but at 5-10 grams it does not generally cause high blood pressure. In fact, it may actually improve blood pressure in some people.
So, what else do you need to know about creatine?
It's found naturally in animal products. But the amount you'd have to consume from regular foods to get the same amount in a supplement is excessive, so taking creatine powder is a much easier way to do it.
Creatine monohydrate is the best-studied form of creatine, and as a bonus it is also the cheapest form. Take a reputable brand, there are many. I use Thorne, but use whatever you like :)
Creatine is NOT the same as creatinine. Creatine is the stuff you consume. Creatinine is a blood test that indirectly measures kidney function. You can't measure the amount of creatine in your blood.
You can take pills or powder. I recommend powder for most people because it is much less expensive to get the amount you need. It's flavorless so you can just mix it into your drink.
You can take it any time of day that's convenient. Slight benefit to taking it post-workout, but the benefit is so minor that it really doesn't matter. Just take it consistently, because you need a month or so to see all the benefits.
No need to do a "loading dose" (unless you are a post-menopausal woman that is following a specific protocol, which should be guided individually). Just take your dose, work your way up to your eventual 5 grams, and then stay on 5 grams for the rest of your life.
All right, that's a whole lot about creatine and I'd love to hear what other questions you have!
Cheering for you always,
Nicole
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