here for the creatine

not just for body builders, ladies.

You guys, I am really excited about creatine, and I think after reading this, you will be too. If you follow my Substack or Instagram, you know that in addition to slow cookers and cloth napkins, l’m passionate about muscular health and growth. And initially, this is why I decided to start taking creatine. But, as I dug deeper into the research, I found so many additional benefits—from bone health, cognitive and mental health, and more, that I am now officially bringing creatine with me wherever I go.

Today’s email gets into the details of what creatine is, the benefits, who should take it, dosing, etc. I’ve done my best to be thorough, but feel free to drop any additional questions into the comments.

I am 39 and am very focused on building healthy muscle mass and maintaining strong bones. Honestly, I just feel really grateful that I have this information and can share it with all of you. x

What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally-occurring compound that is mainly found in muscle cells and in the brain. Our bodies make about 1-2g of creatine a day and we can also get creatine from food. The most potent sources are red meat and fatty fish like salmon and mackerel.

Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements on the market today. Decades worth of studies have supported its benefits for muscle growth and exercise performance, and emerging research is looking further into its uses for cognitive health and other medical benefits beyond athletics.

Why Supplement
Our body’s ability to make creatine is limited and while we can get some from food, it’s not much. On average, a person who eats meat gets about 1-2 additional grams of creatine per day. Supplementing with creatine can boost the creatine stores to increase strength, performance, and recovery post-exercise.

Why is this important? We lose muscle mass as we age—between the ages of 30 and 70, most people will lose 30% of their muscle mass. Muscle weakness is one of the strongest predictors of disability in older adults. There have been numerous studies showing that people who are stronger in midlife live longer. I could go on and on about this—it’s truly that important. If you want to have strong muscles and bones in your 80s, start as early as you can. The more strength you have going into it, the better off you will be.

Benefits of Creatine
I could say this until I’m blue in the face, but you can’t supplement yourself out of poor diet and lifestyle habits. The benefits of creatine are vast, but it doesn’t really work if you’re not exercising. With that in mind, here are some benefits of creatine:

• Exercise performance
  Creatine can improve performance during high intensity exercises like sprints and weight training. It also can help with endurance and strength, so you can cycle further, play tennis longer, lift heavier weights, etc.

• Muscle maintenance and growth
  Creatine hydrates the muscles, which can increase their volume and promote growth. It also slows the breakdown of muscles, which helps with recovery and age-related muscle loss. Plus, creatine will help you workout harder so you get better results from your workouts.

• Bone health
  Creatine acts as a fuel source for bone tissue which supports more efficient bone remineralization and may increase bone mineral content.

• Cognitive & mental health
  Creatine helps create more energy in the brain, which can improve short-term memory, focus, reduce brain fog, and general cognitive performance. This is especially useful when stressed or sleep deprived—your brain needs that energy. There is also some promising research being done on the benefits of creatine for depression and neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Parkinsons, and Alzheimers.

Beyond what’s listed here creatine is being studied for many uses among different groups of people—there is even very compelling research coming out about creatine supplementation in pregnancy. I’m excited about what we’ll learn. Watch this space!

Who Should Take Creatine?
Creatine is generally well-tolerated and safe for most healthy adults, but I’m most excited about this supplement for the following groups:

• Aging men and women looking to preserve and build muscle mass.

• Perimenopausal and post-menopausal women struggling with changes in body composition, mood, energy levels, and reduced bone density. Women in this life stage also tend to have to lower levels of creatine, which makes supplementation extra helpful.

• Vegans and vegetarians who don’t get a lot of creatine in their diet. Studies show that people who don’t eat meat have half the creatine in their muscles as people who do eat meat.

• People on GLP-1s who are trying to maintain muscle mass while losing weight.

Dosage & Timing
For muscular benefits, a dose of 5g a day is likely sufficient. Athletes will sometimes have a loading period where they take 20g a day for a week, but I don’t think the average person needs to do this.

95% of creatine is stored in your muscles, so if you’re looking for cognitive benefits, a higher dose of around 10g is likely more effective. You can have 5g with breakfast and another 5g in your water while working out (or after). If you want to ease into it, start with 3g and move up from there. Anything less than that is unlikely to really make an impact.

Creatine is a supplement you want to take daily. On days when you’re working out, it’s best to take after a workout (or drink during) — your muscles need to be stressed to trigger growth. On rest days, the timing doesn’t matter.

Taking creatine with protein (maybe with your breakfast or a post-workout shake) will help speed up muscle recovery and growth, amplifying the benefits of both creatine and protein (and your workout!).

Side effects
Most people will not experience any side effects. If you do experience any GI side effects, try splitting your dose up and taking a smaller amount 2x a day. Higher doses of creatine may initially lead to water retention or bloating, which might cause the number on the scale to increase slightly (and temporarily). This is not fat, it’s water.

Supplement Recommendations
Creatine monohydrate is the most bioavailable and the most common form of the supplement. Most of these are a flavorless powder you can add to water or a smoothie. I like this one from Thorne, but am also really into the individual packets for on-the-go like these ones from Momentus and these from MindBodyGreen, which also have taurine for antioxidant support, brain health, and recovery.

If you have a pre-existing condition or aren’t sure if creatine is right for you, check with your healthcare provider first!