Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective - PubMed
Despite extensive research on creatine, evidence for use among females is understudied. Creatine characteristics vary between males and females, with females exhibiting 70-80% lower endogenous creatine stores compared to males. Understanding creatine metabolism pre- and post-menopause yields...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
On Dan Garner's Instagram post, he summarizes the article this way ;
1. Women exhibit 70-80% lower creatine stores compared to men.
2. Hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle directly influence creatine metabolism.
3. During the luteal phase, when estrogen peaks, creatine supports protein preservation and brain energy levels, helping to combat mood changes and fatigue.
4. Women are twice as likely to experience depression as men, particularly during puberty, postpartum, and menopause—all times when creatine metabolism is disrupted. Creatine supplementation has been shown to improve mood, reduce depressive symptoms, and enhance cognitive performance under stress.
5. As estrogen declines with age, muscle mass, strength, and bone density naturally decrease. Research indicates that creatine, especially when paired with resistance training, helps counteract these losses by reducing inflammation and supporting bone-building cells.
I have often praised creatine as one of the best all-around ingredients. While its original fame for enhancing muscle function has been fully solidified in the literature, there is emerging evidence that creatine supports nearly every aspect of daily living.
For performance and longevity, daily creatine supplementation is a simple, evidence-backed strategy. The article itself sets up multiple dosing schemes that have all shown success. I suggest keeping it simple and using a daily dose of 3-5g as this suffices for most all women and avoids the undesirable side-effects of fast loading.
