Creatine for Women: Muscle, Mood, Sleep + More

Creatine has many health and longevity benefits for women--beyond just increasing strength, which it’s been shown to do even in people over 65.

Let's take a deeper dive into this research about creatine for women. 

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Time Stamps: 

00:11 Creatine can specifically help females. Creatine kinase levels and creatine levels change throughout women’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen influences creatine levels and creatine kinase. Peri and post-menopausal women can benefit from creatine supplementation and more creatine in their food.

00:39 Creatine is involved in energy mobilization and metabolism in the brain. It affects glycine and GABA synthesis, and sleep.

00:55 Creatine influences athletic performance, muscular performance. As we age, we lose the ability to retain muscle mass.

01:25 Creatine is involved in helping babies develop in the placenta.

02:00 Creatine is found in chicken, pork, and beef.

02:11 Creatine helps with ATP synthesis and resynthesis in working muscles. It is not an anabolic agent.

02:28 Creatine is very safe for men and women. Early creatine supplements were paired with excessive amounts of sugar.

04:50 With ovulation, when estrogen is higher, there is an increase in creatine kinase and more focus on glucose oxidation.  During the menstrual cycle may be the optimal time to supplement with creatine.

05:47 With the reduction of estrogen from menopause, peri and post-menopausal women may benefit from creatine supplementation. There is reduced creatine kinase activity.

06:21 Women have more to benefit from creatine supplementation because body stores are low. Intramuscular creatine levels in women are only 10% compared to that of men.

06:55 Vegan or vegetarian females have the most to gain from creatine supplementation.

07:10 Creatine boosts athletic performance during intense exercise. It helps to re-phosphorylate utilized ATP. ATP becomes ADP when you move your muscles, adenosine triphosphate to adenosine diphosphate. Creatine attaches another phosphorous group to the ADP.

08:10 During pregnancy, post-partum, menstruation, during and post menopauses, creatine supplementation may be important. Sex hormones affect creatine kinase activities and the expression of key enzymes for the endogenous synthesis of creatine.

12:40 Vegan or vegetarian females may want to take about 5 grams of creatine.  You may do well with 1 or 2 grams of creatine if you have sufficient red meat and eggs in your diet.

14:08 Anaerobic work capacity, the ability to perform explosive short duration high intensity activities, after 5 days of creatine supplementation, increases as much as 22% anaerobic work capacity.

15:30 During pregnancy (shown in animal models), creatine supplementation enhances and augments neuronal cell uptake of creatine and supports mitochondrial integrity in offspring. This reduces brain injury.

16:00 During human pregnancy, creatine may provide a safe, low cost, nutritional strategy to reduce intra and post-partum complications associated with cellular energy depletion.

16:20 Brain cellular energy production shifts with changes in hormones of menopausal women. They may benefit from creatine supplementation.

17:00 Creatine is a possible countermeasure to menopausal decreases in muscle, bone, and strength, by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and serum markers of bone reabsorption. Loss of muscle mass with age is linked with insulin resistance and reduced insulin sensitivity.

19:00 Depression rates are 2 times higher among females compared to males. This depression has been directly linked to with hormonal milestones, like puberty and menopause.

19:44 Creatine is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that influence how we feel. There is a positive relationship between cerebral spinal fluid levels of creatine and dopamine and serotonin metabolites.

21:00 There is a 31% greater incidence of depression in adults with low creatine intake. Mood and depression improves with increased creatine intake from diet and supplementation.

22:35 Brain metabolism to support stages of sleep and wavelengths associated with sleep can be improved with creatine.

22:46 Creatine supports greater neuronal ATP resynthesis, impacting memory, attention, and cognition. Brain concentrations vary with age, lifestyle choices and other factors.  Sleep deprivation can deplete neuronal creatine levels.

23:30 A loading phase of creatine may be helpful. In general, of benefit may be a loading phase of 10 to 20 grams for about 5 days with a maintenance phase of 2 to 5 grams per day. Mike supplements with creatine before and after exercise (sometimes during). It is not stimulatory.