3 Reasons Women Should Take A Creatine Supplement In Menopause

Women’s bodies are constantly changing. And just when you may feel like you’re getting a grasp on living in harmony with your hormones, menopause hits (or perimenopause to be more exact). This inevitable transition comes with a lot of physical and mental changes no one asked for. 

Creatine rose to fame as the go-to supplement for gym bros. Anyone wanting to bulk up, lift heavier, or run faster1 was taking creatine. And research shows that it absolutely helps those fitness enthusiasts achieve their goals.* 

But more and more data is showing that this supplement is beneficial for women, especially as they age. Why? Well for starters, everyone’s internal production of creatine declines with age.

However, women’s creatine stores (yes, the body stores, and even makes some of its own creatine from amino acids) are about 70-80% lower2 than men's. And women eat significantly fewer dietary sources of creatine—like meat, fish, and other animal proteins—on average.

So supplementing with creatine can be an easy, and effective way to raise your internal stores of the compound to reap the benefits.* 

Muscle mass tends to decrease and fat mass tends to increase thanks to changing sex hormone levels. 

As muscle is more metabolically active than fat (i.e. muscle burns more calories at rest), maintaining and even building lean mass is vital for your metabolism and preventing excess weight gain—although sometimes no matter what, slight weight gain during this time is to be expected. 

Creatine supplements are most potent at building lean muscle when paired with strength training. Strength training includes exercises where you’re pushing, pulling, or lifting or lifting things—including body weight.

While strength training can support body composition on its own, creatine gives you an edge in getting the most results out of those efforts so you can actually look toned. 

Menopause may be tiring. Whether it’s a result of poor sleep from night sweats or you feel slower in your tasks throughout the day, menopause may seemingly drain your energy3 and leave you without motivation to work out.

But creatine can help energize your muscles. About 95% of the body’s creatine stores are found in the muscles where it is then used to make energy in the form of ATP4. This cellular energy production ramps into gear when you are physically active—like during a workout class, or on a run or walk. 

Brain fog is another common occurrence5 of menopause. Whether there are brief lapses in memory or difficulty with concentrating, thinking clearly seems to take more than it once did. 

And creatine may help clear things up. 

That’s because the remaining amount of the body’s creatine stores are in the brain. As the brain is one of the most energy-guzzling organs6 in the body, it could use some quick energy now and then for challenging mental tasks.

Eating enough high-quality protein is one way to promote healthy creatine levels. To get the research-backed amount of the compound (5 grams daily for muscle and 10 grams for brain), a supplement is the easiest way to do so. 

mindbodygreen's creatine+ is a great choice: It provides the ideal form of creatine (creatine monohydrate) at an optimal 5-gram dose in addition to the amino acid taurine.

Taurine takes this formula to the next level by further supporting muscle health, cellular energy, longevity, and mental well-being).* 

While menopause typically comes with a series of unwanted side effects, it also acts as an open door to really taking control of your health.