One Supplement Women Should Add To Their Rotation If They Want To Get Stronger In 2024
Women are no longer just sticking to the cardio machines at the gym. We're migrating in droves to the weight room—lining up for the squat racks and lifting increasingly heavy free weights and kettlebells. Our focus is no longer to be smaller but to be stronger.
If building strength is on your agenda this year, pairing resistance training with adequate protein will be vital for building muscle. From there, one supplement could really give you a physical and mental edge: creatine.*
You may have seen some men at the gym crush creatine in their post-workout shake. But there is compelling data to show that this popular supplement is just as beneficial for women—if not more so.
What is creatine?
Creatine is one of the most studied supplements out there. Creatine is a compound that the body makes naturally using the amino acids methionine, glycine, and arginine.
This compound piqued the interest of gym goers first because about 95% of creatine is stored in muscles, where it's used for energy. It's particularly important for energy production during short, high-intensity exercises, like lifting weights or sprints. So, not having enough stores of creatine during a workout may limit the energy or workload the muscle is able to handle.
There's also a small amount of creatine stored in the brain. But for women, creatine stores are about 70-80% lower than men's, and women eat significantly fewer dietary sources of creatine (like meat, fish, and other animal proteins) on average.
The benefits of creatine for women's health
A comprehensive review of creatine supplementation and women's health published in 2021 stated that supplementation is beneficial at every life stage—with very little risk. "Recent research has shown that supplementation with creatine can be beneficial for women's health during menstruation, postpartum, and peri- and postmenopause,"* says board-certified sports nutritionist Stevie Lyn Smith, M.S., RDN, CSSD.
"In premenopausal women, creatine can improve exercise and strength capacity. When it's alongside resistance training, creatine can lead to an increase in muscle mass and can potentially improve bone mineral density, particularly in postmenopausal women,"* Smith notes.
Creatine is still less studied in women than in males, but that gender-based research gap is thankfully narrowing. Smith is particularly excited to see continued research on creatine storage and production around hormonal fluctuations during menstruation.
Creatine can also help with mental strength
As creatine is also found in the brain, there's emerging evidence that creatine intake is linked to better mood regulation, improved cognitive performance, and less mental fatigue.*
Women are more likely to experience sleep challenges (in part due to pregnancy and menopause) that impact mental capacity, further supporting the important potential of creatine supplementation for women.
While the authors of that 2021 review agree that supplementation may be a particularly effective way to increase creatine stores, eating more animal-rich protein in general also has mental health benefits.
Are there any downsides of creatine?
Creatine supplements aren't associated with much risk. Creatine is widely studied and has a robust safety profile, it's also consumed in food in most diets. "The biggest pushback I hear from women is around the potential for some weight gain and bloating when starting creatine," says Smith. "But this is from cellular hydration—or water retention—in the muscles."
With proper dosing, these effects can be minimized (more on this next), and they're not something everyone will experience. If individuals do experience these effects there's likely only a small and short-term increase in weight (that's due to water weight, not body fat) during the initial period of supplementation. These effects are also more associated with a "loading" dose phase, such as 20 grams a day.
"Some clients I have worked with have been able to work through this fear and have seen great results with creatine, including increases in strength and the ability to maintain muscle mass,"* Smith assures.
The stronger together plan
New to creatine supplements? Set a strong base for yourself by starting with the right daily amount. Too much may lead to unwanted bloating, and too little won't have the effect you want.
The recommended creatine dose for optimizing strength and muscle health is 3 to 5 grams per day. Evidence suggests that a creatine intake of at least 3 grams a day is enough to provide significant health benefits, although many clinical trials support a 5-gram daily dose.
It doesn't matter when during the day you fit creatine in, just as long as you are consistent with it. And it's best to take it all at once.
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