Creatine The Secret to Strength in Midlife
Dear Friend,
Midlife women who want to maintain and build muscle fight an uphill battle against lower estrogen levels and age. And what middle-aged woman doesn’t want more muscle? After all, muscle is the organ of youth, promotes a more efficient metabolism, improves insulin sensitivity, protects against diabetes, and helps us burn more calories at rest. Recently, I researched what midlife women could do in addition to strength training and eating more high-quality protein to maintain and build muscle mass.
Here’s what I learned. Creatine monohydrate is the most researched fitness-based supplement of all time. And almost all of the research is positive.
After completing a research analysis on creatine, The International Society of Sports Nutrition declared that creatine monohydrate is the most effective performance-based supplement currently available for increasing lean muscle mass or high-intensity exercise capacity.
What is Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid compound found in our bodies, mainly our muscles but also our brains.
How Creatine Works
Creatine supports our muscle and brain function. Simply put, creatine helps muscles produce energy during weight lifting or intense exercise.
Benefits of Creatine for Midlife Women
One of the most exciting benefits for midlife women is that creatine monohydrate paired with resistance training can help women not only maintain but gain lean muscle mass. It is important to note that creatine has to be coupled with a good strength training program to impact body composition.
Creatine supports exercise by promoting more energy more quickly. This allows you to do more work and fatigue less quickly. Creatine can
Increase power
Increase aerobic fitness capacity
Enhance recovery time
Enhance hydration levels
Possibly increase heat tolerance during activity
Benefits Beyond Performance
Another exciting benefit of creatine is its role in mental health and brain function. Women tend to suffer more from depression and low mood, especially in midlife when hormones decrease. Creatine has been shown to help with memory, overall mood, mental fatigue, and potentially depressive disorders.
How to Supplement with Creatine
Creatine monohydrate generally comes in powder form. When buying creatine choose a high-quality product that is third-party certified.
Jenna Braddock, a performance dietician, suggests women start creatine with a front-loading phase to maximize exercise enhancement.
During the 5 to 7-day loading phase, you take .3 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight. You divide that amount into 3 to 5 doses in a day. Front loading your dosage saturates your tissues with creatine so you get benefits more quickly. Following the loading phase take .03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. About 3 to 5 grams once a day.
If you aren’t concerned about quicker performance benefits, you can start by taking 03 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. This usually totals around 3-5 grams once a day.
Best ways to consume Creatine
I put mine in my morning smoothie. It would work well in yogurt, coffee, oatmeal, tea, or milk.
Summary
Creatine is safe, effective, and affordable. It supports brain health, exercise performance, and muscle building and maintenance when paired with strength training. If you are interested in starting creatine, talk to your doctor. It may be the secret to better muscle and mood health.
If you are ready to feel more energized, healthy, and radiant by building a healthy lifestyle for lasting results, contact me today. We will schedule a breakthrough call at no cost to you! Experience hormone harmony through menopause and post-menopause, so you can rock your one wild and precious life feeling fabulous!
Dig Deeper
Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective
Creatine guide: What it is, how it works, proven benefits, and the truth on side effects