Should You Take Creatine? A Guide for Women in Menopause: Dosage Recommendations and Health Considerations

All About Creatine in Menopause: Should YOU Be Taking It?

As women navigate through the murky waters of menopause, many of us are seeking solutions to combat the unwanted effects. One increasingly popular supplement is creatine, known primarily for its benefits in athletic performance. However, it may also offer additional advantages for women in menopause.

Reasons To Consider Creatine During Menopause:

1. Muscle Preservation:

One of the significant changes women face during menopause is a decrease in muscle mass. Creatine has been shown to support muscle maintenance and slightly increase muscle growth, assisting women in staying strong and muscular. Creatine also improves workout performance and recovery, which means better results from your workouts for you.

2. Bone Health:

The effects of building muscle and strength are not just aesthetic. Strength training is a GREAT way to build bone density, and protect your spine and hips from fractures as you age. So by improving workout ability and recovery, creatine indirectly supports better bone health.

3. Workout recovery:

   This can be a HUGE benefit in menopause. Creatine can speed up muscle recovery between intense workouts. Since recovery is naturally going to be slower in menopause (thank a lot, hormones, ugh) any little benefit you can add with recovery can make a difference over time.

4. Cognitive Function:

   There is some evidence that creatine can be protective to the brain. Many women report cognitive changes during menopause, such as memory lapses or brain fog. Creatine use may positively affect memory, especially in adults over 65.

5. Possible mood support:

   Some newer research suggests creatine may have a role in improving mood, and supplementation might add to the effectiveness of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), a well-known treatment for depression.

   While this is new research, it is promising.

Reasons You Might Want to AVOID Creatine:

1. Possible bloating/digestive issues:

   This is the biggest one I see as a reason why people stop taking creatine. You can get around it by using a smaller dose, dividing up the dose throughout the day instead of all at once, staying well hydrated, and mixing powdered creatine into slightly warmer water (for whatever reason that seems to help). But despite all this, sometimes people just experience bloating on it. And that's miserable. BUT some people experience no bloating whatsoever, so it really just seems to be individual.

2. High blood pressure:

   People who already have high blood pressure should discuss ANY supplement with their doctor, including creatine. Creatine can raise blood pressure a bit; not usually a problem in healthy individuals, but if you already have pre-existing high blood pressure you need to be cautious. Chronically high blood pressure is a major cause of medical problems, so you definitely don't want to be walking around with high blood pressure for a long time and not know it.

3. Hair thinning (anecdotal):

   Some women report that after about 3 months of use, creatine starts to thin their hair out. There are no rigorous scientific studies to support this, it's purely anecdotal, but just something to keep in mind. Since DHT is involved in female pattern hair loss, theoretically if creatine raises DHT in women (unknown if it does), it could potentially cause hair thinning — but this is purely speculative.

4. Kidney issues:

   If you already have kidney disease, you probably do not want to take creatine, since it can put strain on your kidneys. Talk with your doctor to verify. If you do NOT have kidney disease, know that creatine will "artificially" elevate your creatinine level a little bit

   (same thing happens when you eat a lot of protein, or have a lot of muscle mass).

   It's not a true reflection of kidney disease, it just elevates the lab marker (creatinine) that is often used as an INDIRECT marker of kidney health. A better lab test in this case would be Cystatin-C, which is not influenced by diet or creatinine use. However, that test is a bit more expensive, though insurance may cover some/all of the cost.

Dosing Recommendations and Safety Considerations for Creatine

When considering creatine supplementation, thankfully most of us don't need to do a complicated loading protocol any more. You can just start with a small amount to test the waters-- even as low as 1-3 grams daily-- and if you are doing fine after a few days, increase to 3-5 grams per day. You can take it any time of day that's convenient, and you should take it even on non-workout days.

Do not mix with large amounts of caffeine. Do not mix into scalding hot water (this decreases effectiveness). Warm water is fine. Do NOT use unregulated supplements- make sure the creatine you choose is 3rd party tested.

Though there are different forms of creatine, the best-tested form is creatine monohydrate.

While creatine is generally considered safe for most healthy people, some people may experience side effects like stomach upset at first.

It is crucial to stay well-hydrated if you take creatine, as it draws water into muscle cells, which can sometimes lead to dehydration if you're not drinking enough fluids.

A Final Note About Creatine in Menopause:

The pros of using creatine during menopause include various scientific studies demonstrating benefits for muscle preservation, recovery, cognitive function, and overall physical performance.

However, it’s also important to be aware of when creatine isn't the best choice for you. And always keep in mind that, like any supplement, individual responses will vary.

Please consult with your individual healthcare provider before starting any new supplement to ensure it is recommended.