Creatine ~ Not Just for Muscles!
If building muscle was one of your goals for the new year, you may have thought about taking creatine. Despite some stereotypes, creatine is not only for the “gym bros…” creatine is a beneficial supplement that not only aids in increasing muscle mass and endurance, but also cuts down recovery time, improves cognition, and supports the immune and reproductive systems.
It is especially advantageous for women trying to gain muscle mass through strength training!
What is Creatine?
Creatine is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Creatine works in the body as an energy source. When you are exercising, your body uses a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to keep your body in motion.
On its own, our bodies can only make so much ATP. This is where creatine comes in: it provides the body extra ATP while we are exercising. Taking creatine in supplement form allows you to store it and delay feelings of fatigue while exercising. This means doing one more rep or running one more mile will feel more attainable!
Creatine for Women
Creatine is naturally created in our kidneys and liver (with small amounts found in the brain and heart), but most of it is stored in our skeletal muscles.
Interestingly enough, the amount of storage varies between men and women. About 95% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle for men, but for women, it is only about 70-80%. To put it in perspective, men are tapping into about ¾ of their creatine storage while for women it is only about ⅔.
Why Creatine is Beneficial
The body creates between 1-2 grams of creatine through a diet with adequate amounts of protein–most easily from red meat, chicken, seafood, and dairy products. Those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, therefore do not get creatine from animal-based foods, may especially benefit from taking creatine.
Other benefits include:
Increase muscle mass
Increases cellular energy and promotes gains in strength and helps maintain and grow muscle mass as one ages
Increase fitness performance
Creatine improves physical endurance and extends the expenditure of workouts
speed up muscle recovery
Reduces dehydration, muscle cramps, and injury to muscles and aids in muscle repair
increases cognition
Supports brain and mental health and may help protect against neurodegenerative diseases
Supports reproductive and immune system
Creatine is an energy source for immune cells and may have some anticancer properties
Where Can You Find Supplemental Creatine?
The most common supplemental form of creatine is monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate has shown to be beneficial in high-intensity, short-duration resistance exercises such as weightlifting, cycling, and sprinting. Other forms of creatine do not offer the same benefits.
The creatine monohydrate I recommend is by Thorne. You can get 15% off using my Fullscript link here!
Taking Creatine
Thorne’s creatine is just 1 scoop mixed in 8 ounces of water and can be taken 30-90 minutes before or after exercise.
Pre-workout:
Take it before a workout to give yourself a little extra push with more energy
Post-workout
Take it after a workout to increase your “creatine pool” in your cells that have been depleted from intense exercise. This will help with recovery and overall regeneration.
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