Popping veins and bulging muscles isn’t the look you’re going for, right? That’s why you’ve left creatine to bodybuilders and men who want to bulk.
I don’t blame you for making this quick judgment. Men have used creatine for decades to make gains in the gym. But creatine might be the most misunderstood and underused supplement on the market.
Today, you’ll learn exactly what creatine is and why women, in particular, can benefit from it. Men, it’s time to hand over the supplement scoop.
What Exactly Is Creatine?
“Creatine” sounds like a gym supplement with a thousand ingredients, but it’s actually a compound that your body naturally makes. Today, you can buy creatine in powdered form and take it as a supplement.
Creatine is an amino acid that’s stored in your muscles, brain, and gut. It’s a natural source of energy that helps your muscles flex. Your body uses creatine for all of its fast, high-energy and demanding activities, like when you’re exercising or playing a sport.
We receive creatine in two ways:
- Your body makes creatine. Women produce about 0.8 grams of creatine each day (men produce around 1 gram).
- You also get creatine through your diet. High-protein foods like red meat, seafood, and milk contain some creatine. However, the total amount you can obtain from eating meat is small (about 1-2 grams per day).
Is Creatine the Same as Protein?
Protein and creatine are the two most popular supplements added to diets, but the two are not interchangeable. Protein is a macronutrient that helps build muscle tissue. Creatine is a compound your body uses for energy during high-intensity exercises or heavy lifting.
The Most Science-Backed Supplement on the Planet
Fitness fact of the day: Creatine is one of the most researched supplements on the market. Nearly all this research is positive, too.
In fact, after an analysis of several existing studies on creatine, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) states that “creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”
Can you believe it? Why have we women been dodging this stuff?
If you’ve heard that creatine will make you bloat, bulge, or bulk, I’ve got good news coming. Keep reading.
The Most Important Supplement Women Aren’t Taking
Creatine powder has been a go-to supplement for building strength and boosting gym performance. This supplement has traditionally been associated with male athletes, but creatine supplementation may be even more important for women than men.
Women have naturally lower creatine stores than men. Here’s a stat: We tend to have 70-80% lower levels of creatine stores in our bodies. That means that we respond better to creatine supplementation and could experience double the performance improvement than males!
Besides gym performance and building lean muscles, creatine can work wonders during hormonal changes throughout our lives. Researchers are looking into how creatine can be particularly important for women during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, post-partum, and menopause.
Why Women Love Creatine
Those of us who’ve sampled this supplement love how creatine makes us look and feel. Here are 4 changes you’ll notice after taking creatine:
1.Your Workouts Feel Amazing
Creatine is known to help you lift more weight and feel better doing it. That’s because creatine provides your muscles with energy during your workout in the short term. Additionally, you’ll have delayed neuromuscular fatigue, meaning you’ll get tired less quickly.
As a result, you can lift heavier, for longer, more easily. You’ll start growing in strength faster. You’ll also recover faster. Soon, your workouts will feel more natural, you’ll be energized throughout your entire workout, your body will be stronger, and you’ll feel more confident at the gym.
2. You Start Seeing Big Results, Fast
Creatine helps you build lean muscle in two ways: First, it helps you lift more for longer, as you learned above. Second, creatine draws water into your muscles, which increases levels of a hormone called IGF-1, which increases muscle growth.
As you’ve heard a thousand times, muscles burn more calories than body fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. You’ll be burning through more body fat even while you’re resting on the couch watching your favorite show on Friday night.
Creatine changes your body composition. It makes it easier to build lean muscle (if you’re scared of looking like the hulk, keep reading) and lose body fat. If you don’t believe it yet, check out Sarah Morsia’s 30-day transformation on creatine.
3. You’ll Be in a Better Mood
Creatine doesn’t just give you a boost on the bench. It can also reduce mental fatigue.
But get this. Creatine may also diminish depression symptoms. One review on brain health in women found that women with a major depressive disorder who took 5 grams of creatine experienced remission of depression at twice the rate of women who took only their antidepressants.
4. Hormones Won’t Wreak Havoc
Our hormones naturally shift in our 40s and 50s as we approach menopause. Meanwhile, our muscles, bone density, and strength decrease. Creatine in combination with strength training can counterbalance these symptoms. In addition to lean muscle gains for menopausal women, creatine can even promote bone formation.
Creatine’s later-life benefits have been so well proven that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) now recommends creatine supplementation alongside strength training to adults over the age of 55.
Will Creatine Cause Weight Gain and Bloat?
Sometimes the scale can be misleading. We step on every morning and skip breakfast if we’re 0.3 pounds heavier. The reality is that muscle weighs more than fat. If you lose body fat and gain lean muscle, you might love the way you look, but the scale might jump up a few pounds.
When women take creatine, they may gain 1-3 pounds. Don’t let this scare you. Instead, rest assured that any weight gain from creatine will be due to lean muscle gain—the kind we all want!
Water retention from creatine is another worry among women. Creatine, however, draws water into your muscle cells, making your muscles look more defined and toned.
The Best Way to Take Creatine
Reaping the rewards of creatine takes a little more than popping some powder into your protein shake. Before putting a new supplement into your body, you need to purchase the right produce.
Stick with creatine monohydrate. This type of creatine is easier for our bodies to absorb. This is my go-to creatine option and the one I recommend to my clients. Take this creatine, mixed with water about an hour before your workout.
Both the Brains and the Brawn
To sum up, creatine is a scientifically-backed supplement that many women will love. This single supplement can benefit both your brain and body composition.
Of course, talk to your doctor before taking creatine—people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have kidney disease, high blood pressure, or liver disease may not benefit from this supplement.
Once you’re in the clear, give my favorite brand of creatine a try! Want to learn more strategies like this one to speed up your weight loss? Join my program LEAN to receive my full list of recommended supplements, meal plans, workouts, nutrition strategies, and more.
