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6 reasons women should be embracing creatine
Reclaiming our power
Society has long pushed women to be small, fragile, and delicate, often equating femininity with weakness and frailty. This narrow ideal has pressured women to shrink themselves, both physically and metaphorically, in order to fit into a mould that diminishes their true strength. The truth is that women are naturally strong, capable, and resilient. We quite literally bring life into the world—a powerful testament to these qualities.
Women need muscle too
Muscle is not just for men. Embracing strength and muscle is about reclaiming our power, redefining what it means to be feminine, and celebrating the natural strength that resides within every woman. By rejecting these limiting stereotypes, we can empower women to embrace their full potential, proving that strength is not only beautiful but also a fundamental aspect of who we are.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid (a building block of protein) found in various cells in our body including muscle, the gut and the brain.
At a cellular level, creatine puts a little more usable energy into your cell so they can work a little harder. It does this by helping to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the key energy carrier for our body and is vital for short bursts of intense physical activity like weightlifting or sprints (source). While it’s often associated with muscle cells, creatine also benefits other energy-hungry cells. Creatine supports a consistent supply of energy for cellular functions and overall performance.
Benefits for women
Did you know? Females actually store 70-80% less creatine in muscle tissue compared to males, which means females often benefit more from supplementing (1). Also, generally, women tend to consume less dietary creatine than men.
Creatine, often associated with male-dominated fitness circles, has more recently begun gaining traction as a popular supplement among women seeking to enhance their physical performance and overall well-being. Traditionally marketed towards men for its muscle-building benefits, newer research sheds light on how creatine can positively impact women’s health. Let’s explore this further.
Exercise endurance
One of the primary benefits of creatine supplementation, and perhaps what it's best known for, is its scientifically proven capacity to boost endurance. This is particularly during high intensity, short-duration activities such as HIIT training or weight lifting.
Extensive research suggests that supplementing with creatine can lead to significant improvements in overall performance including maximal strength, intensity and time to exhaustion due to increased anaerobic work capacity (2). Some research also suggests it may increase muscle glycogen stores when taken with carbohydrates, meaning longer lasting energy during extended workouts.
In one study in 2016 (3), female participants experienced a 15% increase in exercise performance after supplementing with creatine for 10 weeks, compared to just 6% in men – more than double the benefit. This outcome may be due to increased energy availability through enhanced ATP turnover during exercise and delayed neuromuscular fatigue.
In simple terms, supplementing with creatine could help you tire less quickly and sustain activity for longer periods.
Strength and muscle
Muscle isn't just looking good—it's essential for a wide range of health benefits. Building muscle mass enhances daily energy levels, regulates blood sugar, burns calories faster, strengthens the immune system, and supports functional independence as we age.
ATP is the main fuel source for high-intensity exercise. Because creatine can increase ATP, it is one of the few supplements repeatedly proven to increase strength and power (7). One 4-week study found a 17% improvement in cycling sprints, an 8 kg increase in bench press 1-rep max and 20% greater workload at a lower weight (8).
In addition to creatine’s role in ATP production, it may also increase IGF-1, a key hormone for muscle growth (4). Creatine also helps to increase the water content of your muscle cells, and it is these changes which trigger several processes that lead to the formation of new proteins, subsequently creating new muscle mass (5).
Another long-term benefit of creatine is the ability to perform more exercises or repetitions and lift heavier weights per training session. Although this may not make a difference in one week, the total amount of weight lifted is a key factor in long-term muscle growth (6).
Research showed that creatine increased the amount of lean muscle gained by females during a strength training program compared to those who did not supplement (9).
Post-workout recovery
Most women are skilled multitaskers, go-getters, and masters of juggling schedules. What do we famously struggle with? Rest.
When we're feeling highly motivated and consistently keeping up with our workouts, it's easy to overlook the importance of rest and recovery. However, effective recovery is crucial for maximising the benefits of exercise while reducing the risk of injury, particularly for women who are balancing their workouts with hectic schedules and life’s responsibilities.
Creatine helps by rapidly generating ATP for quicker recovery times, reduced muscle soreness and enhanced muscle repair following training. It can also help your body replenish lost muscle glycogen.
Research has found that creatine helps to enhance recovery time and function between workouts in females (10) as well as delaying muscle fatigue and reducing incidence of cramping, tightness and strains (11).
Mood and cognition
Beyond its physical performance benefits, creatine has shown evidence of positive effects on mood and cognitive function. The brain demands a constant supply of energy, and by increasing ATP availability in brain cells, creatine supports mental clarity, memory, and cognitive performance. Creatine’s capacity to alleviate mental fatigue makes it a valuable support for busy professional and overwhelmed mums.
Creatine has also been shown to improve our mood by modulating neurotransmitter systems such as the serotonin and dopamine pathways. This is especially helpful for those who struggle with mood swings during the menstrual cycle. With the increase of oestrogen and progesterone in the luteal phase, your body needs more creatine to help with hormone-mediated neurotransmitter changes, which affect your mood. Supplementing with creatine can help support those needs.
Hormone related symptoms
Creatine supplementation has been shown to ease symptoms that can arise during the menstrual cycle, such as brain fog and sleep deprivation. Creatine can lead to better mental clarity and more restful sleep.
Creatine can also enhance blood flow to the uterus, supporting the growth and shedding of the uterine lining, which is essential for a healthy menstrual cycle (12). As an antioxidant, creatine may also help reduce inflammation in the body, a factor that can contribute to menstrual cycle irregularities (13). Since inflammation is often an underlying cause of many menstrual disorders, reducing it through creatine supplementation may help promote menstrual cycle health.
Creatine - holding your hand through menopause
The onset of menopause can be challenging for many, as the change in hormones triggers a range of unwelcome symptoms.
As oestrogen levels drop, it can be difficult for women to build or maintain muscle as well as keep strong bones. Creatine supplementation, combined with resistance training, has been shown to counteract muscle, bone, and strength loss by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and bone resorption, while promoting bone formation.
A decline in oestrogen can also impact moisture levels in the body, affecting muscle elasticity. Creatine can help with slowing these processes down, when combined with regular exercise, particularly strength training.
Creatine’s beneficial effects on brain health and mental clarity can also help alleviate brain fog, a common and often debilitating symptom for menopausal women.
It is important that we take this moment to highlight the importance of resistance training as we age, as it helps women navigate these inevitable changes with greater ease.
True Creatine+ - the ultimate sidekick for women, at every stage of life.
Enhanced with the amino-acid taurine, our True Creatine+ is designed to ignite your inner potential. This daily ritual is enriched with essential nutrients vitamin D and bioavailable magnesium to combat tiredness and fatigue.
References
1 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
2 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865
4 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18708688/
5 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17652429/
6 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20847704/
7 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12433852/
8 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7778463/
9 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865/
10 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865/
11 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865/
12 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7912953/
13 - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865/).
