Creatine was once popular dietary supplement among bodybuilders since it helps increase muscle mass. But now everyone, including women, is discovering the benefits of supplementing with creatine monohydrate!
Regular female exercisers may benefit from taking creatine supplements to help them achieve their fitness goals. In reality, there are three distinct forms of creatine: monohydrate, magnesium creatine chelate, and ethyl ester. For the greatest benefits, it's essential to understand the best kind of creatine to take and how it should be used.
Here, we'll discuss the advantages of creatine for women who wish to increase their exercise efficiency, get rid of excess body fat, and develop lean muscle.
What is creatine, and is it safe?
Creatine is an amino acid produced by the body naturally, primarily by the liver. Our muscles and brain use it as a natural energy source known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). When we need energy, our bodies convert creatine into phosphocreatine. Our muscles use it as fuel.
It is found naturally in foods such as pork, fish, organ meat, and red meat. Creatine is also available as a dietary supplement in pill or powder form. Supplementing with creatine is a great way for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that their creatine levels are where they should be.
Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched sports supplements available on the market, and it is completely safe for people in good health. However, before integrating any supplement into your routine, always consult with your doctor, especially if you have a health problem or are taking medication.
What are the benefits of creatine for women?
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), one of the body's primary energy sources, is one of the compounds that creatine helps your cells make more of. When you exercise, your muscles can contract thanks to this energy. You can increase the efficiency with which your body produces ATP by taking a creatine supplement. When performing high-intensity, brief-duration exercises, you may be able to lift a little bit more weight and/or complete a few more reps by effectively increasing this cellular energy. Regardless of your goals, doing more reps and/or weight is advantageous because we are essentially building more lean muscle and metabolizing more calories.
In periods of mental activity, the brain's natural levels of creatine naturally drop, and just like muscles tire, so does the brain. For this reason, it's advantageous to take creatine supplements. In a study, 33 women were given a placebo or 5 grams of creatine for 18 weeks. Participants took an intelligence test to gauge their brain's processing speed at the beginning of the study and then every six weeks after that. The participants who received the creatine supplement showed a significant improvement on the test from start to finish (1). Another study's findings demonstrated that taking creatine supplements for even five days can directly reduce mental fatigue and improve the brain's use of oxygen (2).
When it pertains to consuming creatine and enhancing cognitive function, research is encouraging. There is evidence that creatine may help reduce age-related neurological diseases, according to more recent research. According to these studies, creatine appears to protect against the death of motor neurons while restoring cognitive function in those with these diseases.
Aging is a natural part of life, and women in particular experience several stages, such as pregnancy, pre-menopause, and post-menopause. The body's hormone levels change during these stages, which also affects the body's creatine levels. More specifically, estrogen levels begin to decline in women as they age. When this happens, there is increased oxidative stress and inflammation, which are factors in muscle loss, decreased bone density, and decreased strength. Creatine has been demonstrated to mitigate these effects and even assist women in reducing them as they grow older (3). Another study was done on postmenopausal women (ages 50–65) with osteoarthritis who were given creatine supplements along with resistance training. Their research revealed that creatine enhanced these women's physical performance, increased the amount of lean muscle in their legs, and enhanced their quality of life (4). As you can see, research suggests creatine supplements may significantly contribute to you feeling younger than your age.
Because it keeps your energy levels high during strenuous exercises like sprints, weightlifting, and interval training, creatine is an excellent sports supplement for women who are seeking to gain lean muscle. If you already engage in intense exercise, adding creatine to your diet may improve your results.
You can train harder and longer when you have more creatine available to your muscle cells. You can perform more repetitions or sprint a little bit farther thanks to the effects of creatine, which enable you to exert more effort before your muscles tire. By doing so, you can increase muscle gains, burn more calories and fat, and add more lean body mass.
According to studies, creatine can improve focus and mental clarity by raising the brain's oxygen levels (5). This is especially helpful when engaging in mentally demanding activities like boxing or dance routines.
Creatine dosage for women
Experts suggest that 5 grams of creatine a day can improve muscle strength and physical performance. No loading phase is required and you don’t have to cycle on and off of it.
The bottom line
Whether you work out frequently or not, creatine has many advantages for women and is an excellent supplement add to your daily routine. Creatine can enhance your overall health in a natural and safe way, enhancing everything from cognitive health to muscle building, physical strength, and fat loss. It might be every woman's best-kept secret for advancing her fitness and health.
Creatine + Hydrate is a great option because it not only contains creatine monohydrate, but also electrolytes to help you perform at peak. And it tastes great!
References
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2003.2492
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016801020200007X?via%3Dihub
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/877
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2011/08000/Beneficial_Effect_of_Creatine_Supplementation_in.20.aspx
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11383811_Watanabe_A_Kato_N_Kato_T_Effects_of_creatine_on_mental_fatigue_and_cerebral_hemoglobin_oxygenation_Neurosci_Res_42_279-285
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