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3 Long-Term Benefits Of Taking Creatine Supplements Daily*
Rarely are supplements quick fixes for a problem (no matter how much we want them to do). Many require you to take an adequate dose daily to reach a desired benefit. And even once you start seeing results, continued supplementation is likely needed to maintain that. This holds true for creatine powders.
Creatine is not something you crush in a shake pre- or post-workout and expect your muscle size to grow overnight. Rather, it’s a supplement that works overtime to support multiple body systems. And if you stay consistent with it, this simple powder can have lifelong benefits that take you through your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond—no matter the age you start taking it.
Muscle health
Ok, so this benefit likely isn’t surprising, but gaining muscle mass (and tone) isn’t something that’s just aesthetic, it’s absolutely vital to maintaining optimal health with age.
Muscle mass decreases about 3-8% each decade after 301. And reduced muscle mass increases the risk of falls and reduces balance—which affects your physical activity and your ability to do daily tasks around the house.
However, you can take steps to prevent muscle loss. Creatine supplementation has the potential to increase aging muscle mass, muscle performance, and strength (when paired with a strength training program). Studies show this is true even for folks who started supplementing with creatine between the ages of 57 and 70 years.
Bone health
There’s emerging evidence that creatine also supports bone health when used alongside a strength training regimen.*
Bones are always turning over—meaning old bone tissue is being removed while cells called osteoblasts create new tissue. However, new bone formation declines with age. This can alter the integrity, strength, and geometry of the bone.
New research indicates that creatine supplements may be especially helpful for postmenopausal women (as the decrease of estrogen makes bones more vulnerable).*
One study found that postmenopausal women who took 8 grams of creatine2 daily for a year (in addition to resistance training 3 times a week) had better bone health than those taking a placebo.*
Cognition
Creatine also has some pretty profound effects on brain health, particularly on memory.
Researchers of a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (specifically on the impact on creatine and memory for healthy adults) concluded that it enhanced measures of memory performance3.* And those between the ages of 66 and 76 experienced the most benefits.
What’s also interesting is that research indicates vegetarians respond more favorably4 to memory tasks post-creatine supplementation than meat eaters (likely because animal products are the only food sources of creatine, so vegetarian’s baseline creatine intake is lower).*
Why is consistency so important for creatine?
The goal of creatine supplementation is to saturate your body’s creatine stores. Yes, your body makes some creatine on its own or you ingest it through animal products, but even so, the average meat eater will walk around with only 60-80% of their creatine stores filled5. And that’s not enough.
Not to mention, aging is associated with lower levels of creatine. Considering that you tap into your muscle creatine stores during exercise or stores in your brain during complex mental tasks, your creatine levels are constantly fluctuating.
Research shows that creatine supplements are an efficient way to saturate your creatine stores, and once you do, you start reaping the compound’s full benefit.*
How to best supplement with creatine
Taking 5 grams of creatine monohydrate—the most researched form of creatine—daily is the minimum amount needed to support muscle health. This will saturate your creatine stores within a month.*
However, you’ll need a slightly higher dose to best support bone and brain health. To get those benefits bump your intake up to 8 to 10 grams daily6.
mindbodygreen’s creatine+ is a great daily choice to support your long-term health.* Not only does each serving offer 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, but it also provides 2 grams of the amino acid taurine.
Taurine comes with its own set of longevity-supporting benefits, like supporting heart health and blood pressure.*
Customers have been loving creatine+ to help tone their muscles and enhance their strength.*
I noticed a difference!
The takeaway
Taking a creatine supplement daily brings long-term physical and mental benefits.*
This consistency is key. Give the supplement about 4 weeks to saturate your creatine stores and then continue to take it daily to maintain those optimal levels. And don’t forget, creatine works best with strength training (ideally 2-3 times a week). Not sure where to start? Check out our at-home strength training guide here.
6 Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804956/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25386713/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9999677/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6093191/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z#d1e539
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10526554/
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