Creatine for Women: 4 Lesser Known Benefits and Side Effects

Can women use creatine? Does creatine affect women differently than men?

If you're looking to add creatine powder to your supplement game, you've come to the right spot.

Whenever you're adding a new supplement to your diet, it's a good idea to research what you're putting into your body and how it can affect you.

Keep reading to learn more about creatine and how it can help you reach your goals.

THE MOST WIDELY STUDIED SUPPLEMENT

Creatine is one of the most widely researched and popular supplements on the market.

Studied for the past 25 years, creatine has been known and scientifically proven to:

• Support Muscle Gain
• Maximize Strength
• Improve Endurance
• Improve Anaerobic Performance

Used by athletes for decades, women should be using creatine just as much as men do! The benefits aren't specific to gender.

In this article, we'll talk about four known benefits of creatine, what you need to know about creatine, how to use it, as well as some precautions.

Keep reading to learn more...

HOW DOES CREATINE MONOHYDRATE WORK FOR WOMEN?

The benefits of supplementing with creatine are not gender-specific, but there are some differences in how creatine can benefit women.

Women have less muscle density than men due to genetic makeup and differences in natural testosterone levels. As a result, most of the body’s creatine is stored in the skeletal muscles in the form of phosphocreatine.

The rest is stored in the brain, heart, and other bodily tissues.

 During strenuous physical activities, your body breaks down adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce energy, however, your body only makes about half of the ATP it requires.

Strenuous exercise, causes your body to burn through your ATP reserves much quicker than your body can produce it. This is where supplementing with creatine powder comes in.

Creatine works by increasing your phosphocreatine stores. The stores are a temporary reserve that increases the supply of ATP to your body when you need more energy. 

Creatine monohydrate is the best and safest form of creatine available in the market.

BENEFITS OF CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION

• Increases Bone Density
• Improves Brain Functions
• Improves Blood Sugar Levels
• Reduces Fatigue

Creatine is made in the liver and pancreas from three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Natural dietary sources of creatine include:

• Red meat
• Fish
• Vegetables like cauliflower

Creatine offers many great benefits to women like; increasing lean muscle mass, improving muscular endurance, and reducing fat mass.

INCREASES BONE DENSITY

Bone density is important to your overall health as it supports your internal organs and muscle mass.

Your bone structure and chemical composition change as you grow older because you lose bone density.  Most women reach their peak bone mass earlier than men.

Your body replaces the bones you lose over time, but the rate reduces with age. Your bones then weaken and become thinner, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than men because they start losing bone mass at an earlier age.

While you can’t regain lost bone density, you can help prevent further bone thinning and strengthen them over time with creatine supplementation.

Bone health is determined by weight-bearing and strength bearing. Both can be achieved through strength training.

During resistance training, your overall strength and increased muscle mass from creatine monohydrate increase the pull on your bones. The pull causes your bones to develop resistance, making them stronger and less susceptible to fractures.

IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTIONS

Your brain needs a good supply of ATP for optimal function.

Thinking is the brain’s version of exercising. When you think, you burn energy from creatine reserves, improving the brain’s function.

Your brain is connected to your entire body through the nervous system. The brain controls all functions by sending signals transmitted through neurons. Neurological diseases are linked to the degeneration of brain tissues.

Low creatine levels lead to the accumulation of neurodegenerative and white matter lesions in the brain, impairing its function. Supplementing with creatine helps to slow down the brain’s aging process, preventing the development of neurological diseases such as:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Huntington’s disease
• Ischemic stroke
• Motor neuron disease
• Brain or spinal cord injuries

A 6-week study on 45 vegetarian subjects examined the effects of creatine on intelligence scores. They were given 5 grams a day of oral creatine supplementation.

The results showed a significant increase in the scores, indicating improved brain performance.

IMPROVES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

To understand how creatine helps fight diabetes, you first have to know the basic physiology behind diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition where your blood has high sugar levels. Your body processes the food you eat, turning it into glucose to provide you with energy. The hormone responsible for this conversion is insulin.

When your energy levels drop, insulin signals your red blood cells to take in more glucose via glucose transporters. When you have sufficient energy, insulin signals your liver to convert glucose to glycogen, reducing your blood sugar level.

People with diabetes either don’t produce enough insulin, or their insulin is low-performing. As a result, their body can’t properly control blood sugar. Instead, they rely on artificial insulin to help with regulation.

How does creatine come into play?

Creatine monohydrate supplementation increases the function of glucose transporters, lowering blood sugar levels.

A 12-week controlled study investigating the effect of creatine on blood sugar level was conducted on 25 type II diabetic subjects, 9 of whom were women. They were given 5 grams of creatine supplements, a 35-minute exercise program, and no dietary restrictions.

Blood tests were taken before and after the program. The results showed a 14% decrease in HBA1c levels (average blood sugar level) compared to a 1% increase in the placebo group.

Women are at a higher risk of developing serious complications as a result of diabetes. Women taking creatine supplements can reduce their risks of diabetes or manage their symptoms better.

REDUCES FATIGUE 

During high-intensity exercise, your body requires rapid bursts of energy to keep you going.

Unfortunately, muscle ATP reserves can only last up to about 8-10 seconds before you run out. At this point, you must produce more to match demand, but your body can’t.

The result? Fatigue.

One of the benefits of creatine for women is changes in body composition. Creatine supplements burn your body fat, converting them to lean muscle. Over time as you build high-intensity exercise capacity, your muscle cells grow, increasing your ATP reserves.

Fatigue is your body’s healing response after strenuous physical activity. When your muscles are worn out, you need time to recover.

Women who take creatine over time increase their time to fatigue and are able to train harder, longer.

Creatine increases cell signaling in your body, which helps with muscle repair and new muscle growth.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends supplementing with creatine to reduce fatigue and improve muscle recovery. 

Women who incorporate resistance training into their lifestyle, can benefit by taking Creatine with a post workout recovery shake after their workouts. 

BOTTOM LINE

Natural creatine supplements are good for your health. They don’t contain harmful toxins, taste better, and are easily absorbed into your body.

At ATH Sport, we aim to support your healthy lifestyle by providing you 100% plant-based products. 

" I love this stuff. I love how clean this product is. I am very thoughtful about the products I consume and this product is clean!!! I don’t feel bloated after drinking it and it dissolves just fine in my water. ATH is going to be my go-to store for supplements.”

Rachael | Customer Review