Creatine is one of the most widely researched amino acids to support physiological and nutritional aspects of metabolism and exercise. Creatine supports cellular energy in working muscles, including the brain and heart, to help meet the body’s energy demands by increasing the rate of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, which fuels the functioning of every cell of the body.*

Benefits of creatine for women

Although creatine is often supplemented by individuals who do high-intensity exercise, there are many studies showing its health benefits, especially for women, beyond the walls of a gym. What does creatine do for women? The evidence shows that creatine can be majorly beneficial in helping women maintain muscle, body composition, mood, energy, and overall health throughout their lifespans.* 

Women consume less creatine

About one gram per day of this non-essential nitrogenous amino acid is produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. The body also obtains creatine through food. The typical carnivorous diet provides 1-2 grams of creatine daily from milk, meat, and fish as the best dietary sources, although the source, cooking time, and muscular differences affect creatine values after ingestion.1 Plant-based diets provide significantly less.

Generally, women tend to consume less dietary creatine than men.2

Women store less creatine 

The brain holds about five percent of the body’s creatine stores, while muscles hold the other 95 percent. The average 180-pound male stores about 145 grams,3 and in the muscles, there is enough creatine to support 10 seconds of high-intensity movement4 before needing rest to replete. 

However, females only store 70-80 percent of the amount of creatine that males store,5 and females are known to store less in the brain in the areas that control mood, cognition, memory, and emotion.6 At full potential, the body can hold around 160 grams of creatine, so if many males are operating with creatine tanks at three-quarters full, females are less than two-thirds full.

Taking creatine to correct deficits

Luckily, the deficits can be easily corrected. Creatine supplementation hits the blood in a matter of hours, and in as little as a few days to weeks, creatine supplementation can lead to an increase in total creatine pools (phosphocreatine and free) of about 30 percent, and an increase in phosphocreatine (the quick source) stores by upward of 40 percent.7* Because the body uses creatine every day to operate the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs – and the body can only make so much – stores need to be repleted daily. Once creatine supplementation stops, body stores can revert to typical storage levels in as soon as a week, depending on dose, frequency, and muscle type;8 but in many cases, it takes only 30 days to end up where you started.

Female hormones influence the need for creatine

When should women take creatine?

Female hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, are known to alter creatine bioavailability, as well as the expression of enzymes that synthesize creatine in the body. If you are making less and perhaps not consuming enough, then the health benefits of creatine supplementation can be of particular importance during life stages of hormone changes: menses, pregnancy, post-partum, and during and after menopause.5 

You can measure estrogen, progesterone, and much more with any of these Thorne tests: Fertility Test, Menopause Test, Weight Management Test, Advanced Health Panel, or Essential Health Panel.

Childbearing age

During childbearing years (from puberty to menopause) enzymes are primed to facilitate the conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine and supply the body with ATP (energy) using creatine stores. However, enzyme activity and creatine metabolism fluctuate with estrogen levels (among other metabolic demands). During a given menstrual cycle, females experience elevated estrogen levels in the luteal phase – after ovulation to the end of a cycle – which corresponds with increased protein catabolism and oxidation. Thus, creatine supplementation could be helpful during years of menses, when metabolism is active and protein breakdown is constantly fluctuating,5 to support optimal energy production and muscle storage.*

Women’s hormonal patterns affect mood and are dependent on phosphocreatine concentrations. Research has found greater cognitive improvements with creatine supplementation and reduced mental fatigue,9 suggesting creatine supplementation throughout the menstrual cycle might help with the undesirable side effects of hormone changes on the brain.*

Can you take creatine while pregnant?

While pregnant, although there are not many studies evaluating creatine supplementation, there is human data showing alterations in creatine balance and a reduction in creatine stores in pregnancy, which can result in low birth weight and pre-term birth.10 It is recommended to consult a health professional before using creatine during pregnancy. 

Menopause

About age 50 (give or take), women go through menopause, where estrogen levels drop. Creatine supplementation has been shown to support menopausal-related decreases in muscle, bone, and strength by helping to maintain normal inflammatory balance, oxidative stress, muscle integrity, and blood markers that impact bone resorption.11* 

In this life stage, many women are focused on maintaining weight as hormones are changing. In a meta-analysis of 19 studies analyzing men and women over age 50, creatine (2 grams a day or more) in combination with resistance training resulted in a greater reduction in body fat percentage compared to just exercise.12*

Postmenopause

In elderly women, the major health concerns are age-related reduced physical activity and a decrease in muscle creatine, muscle mass, bone density, and strength. Research shows there is evidence that creatine supplementation can moderate these age-related changes and support activities of daily living, longer.* In combination with resistance training, creatine supplementation can help maintain lean body mass, enhance fatigue resistance, and support muscle strength and bone density more than just resistance training alone.13* In this age group, too, sleep and cognition are impacted, and creatine can support brain health with both peripheral and central effects.*

Creatine use – how much creatine should I take?

Research suggests that females need higher doses of creatine than men because of differences in intramuscular creatine metabolism.14 For use as a general ergogenic aid with steady body water accumulation that coincides, a dose ranging from 0.07 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (equal to about 0.03 grams per pound of body weight) is best. In this case, a 140-pound woman would want 4-5 grams per day.

For quicker increases in the muscle pools, many use a loading dose of 5 grams four times daily for five days, then 3-5 grams daily. For brain saturation, the researched dose is 15-20 grams over a day for 3-7 days, then 5-10 grams daily.5  

Best creatine for women

Of the different creatine supplement forms, the most-researched option in women is creatine monohydrate. This form has been shown to be effective in supporting strength, power, endurance, and anaerobic working capacity, while maintaining body composition with different exercise and dosing protocols5 and over a woman’s lifespan.*  

Thorne’s Creatine is a creatine monohydrate powder. Because it is flavorless, Thorne’s Creatine mixes well with any other powder, or it can be consumed on its own daily (at a time of your choosing), including pre-workout or post-workout.  

References

  1. Butts J, Jacobs B, Silvis M. Creatine use in sports. Sports Health 2018;10(1):31-34.
  2. Brosnan JT, Brosnan ME. Creatine: endogenous metabolite, dietary, and therapeutic supplement. Annu Rev Nutr 2007;27:241-261.
  3. Bemben MG, Lamont HS. Creatine supplementation and exercise performance: recent findings. Sports Med 2005;35(2):107-125.
  4. Kreider RB. Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Mol Cell Biochem 2003;244(1-2):89-94.
  5. Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients 2021;13(3). doi:10.3390/nu13030877
  6. Riehemann S, Volz HP, Wenda B, et al. Frontal lobe in vivo (31)P-MRS reveals gender differences in healthy controls, not in schizophrenics. NMR Biomed 1999;12(8):483-489.
  7. Momaya A, Fawal M, Estes R. Performance-enhancing substances in sports: a review of the literature. Sports Med 2015;45(4):517-531.
  8. Schedel JM, Tanaka M, Tanaka H, et al. Consequences of one-week creatine supplementation on creatine and creatinine levels in athletes’ serum and urine. Published 2000. https://sgsm.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/Zeitschrift/48-2000-3/5-2000-3_Schedel.pdf [Accessed November 18, 2022.]
  9. McMorris T, Harris RC, Swain J, et al. Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol. Psychopharmacology 2006;185(1):93-103.
  10. Dickinson H, Davies-Tuck M, Ellery SJ, et al. Maternal creatine in pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study. BJOG 2016;123(11):1830-1838.
  11. Candow DG, Forbes SC, Chilibeck PD, et al. Effectiveness of creatine supplementation on aging muscle and bone: focus on falls prevention and inflammation. J Clin Med Res 2019;8(4). doi:10.3390/jcm8040488
  12. Forbes SC, Candow DG, Krentz JR, et al. Changes in fat mass following creatine supplementation and resistance training in adults ≥50 years of age: a meta-analysis. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2019;4(3). doi:10.3390/jfmk403006214.
  13. Rawson ES, Venezia AC. Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino Acids 2011;40(5):1349-1362.
  14. Mihic S, MacDonald JR, McKenzie S, Tarnopolsky MA. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine, or CK activity in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000;32(2):291-296.