Must you take creatine for menopause signs? Let’s discuss it.
Creatine is the brand new huge factor, particularly for girls in menopause. Touted as a miracle for the whole lot from mind fog to bone well being, creatine is displaying up extra often in dietary supplements marketed towards girls over 40. However does creatine truly work? Is creatine good for menopausal girls?
Let’s discover how the scientific analysis stacks up towards the commonest claims.
Declare #1: Creatine Improves Bone Density
Verdict: False
Bone well being is a significant concern throughout menopause. As estrogen ranges drop, bone mineral density (BMD) declines, rising the danger of osteoporosis. Due to this, many dietary supplements declare to enhance bone power or density — and creatine isn’t any exception.
Some have hypothesized that creatine might assist with bone well being by bettering muscle power, thereby enhancing mechanical loading on the bones. Nevertheless, the scientific proof doesn’t assist this concept.
A randomized managed trial (PMID: 25386713) involving postmenopausal girls discovered that though creatine improved muscle perform, it had no vital impact on BMD. Equally, a complete 2023 meta-analysis (PMID: 37144634) concluded that creatine doesn’t stop bone loss or osteoporosis.
In comparison with vitamins with well-documented results on bone well being — akin to calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium — creatine lacks a powerful physiological mechanism or scientific proof for bettering BMD in menopausal girls.
In abstract, whereas creatine might contribute not directly to musculoskeletal perform, it doesn’t improve bone density and mustn’t exchange confirmed osteoporosis prevention methods.
Declare #2: Creatine Helps with Cognition
Verdict: In all probability False
Many ladies going by menopause report signs like mind fog, reminiscence lapses, and problem concentrating. This has led to rising curiosity in brain-boosting dietary supplements like creatine.
Creatine performs a central function in mobile vitality manufacturing, together with in mind cells. The speculation is that declining endogenous creatine ranges with age might impair mind perform, and supplementation would possibly assist replenish these shops.
A 2018 assessment (PMID: 29704637) checked out creatine’s results on cognitive efficiency and located combined outcomes, with solely modest cognitive advantages in very particular conditions. For instance, some research used extraordinarily excessive doses (as much as 20g/day) and targeted on sleep-deprived or cognitively harassed people. These circumstances will not be consultant of the overall menopause inhabitants.
There may be additionally restricted proof on creatine’s function in bettering temper or melancholy. A 2024 pilot research (PMID: 39488067) discovered that creatine would possibly improve the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral remedy (CBT) in folks with melancholy. Nevertheless, extra strong trials are wanted to verify this potential profit.
Different analysis has examined creatine’s results in neurodegenerative illnesses, however findings are preliminary and never straight relevant to the typical girl experiencing menopause.
In conclusion, creatine will not be a confirmed answer for cognitive decline or melancholy in menopause, and any potential advantages are probably small and context-specific.
Declare #3: Creatine Helps with Muscle Energy
Verdict: True
One of the vital well-documented results of creatine is its potential to improve muscle power and energy, particularly when mixed with resistance coaching.
Menopause usually accelerates sarcopenia, the age-related lack of muscle mass and performance. This contributes to a decline in mobility, metabolic price, and total high quality of life.
A number of meta-analyses assist creatine as a helpful ergogenic help for older adults:
- A 2021 assessment (PMID: 34836013) confirmed that creatine supplementation improved upper-body power in older adults.
- One other 2024 evaluation (PMID: 40292479) reported that creatine, paired with resistance coaching, led to higher enhancements in power and lean physique mass than train alone.
Creatine will increase intramuscular phosphocreatine shops, which in flip helps produce extra ATP throughout quick bursts of high-intensity train. This results in higher coaching efficiency, higher workload capability, and sooner restoration.
Though creatine doesn’t straight construct muscle with out coaching, it does assist improve the advantages of weightlifting, making it a wonderful complement for bodily energetic menopausal girls.
Is Creatine Protected for Menopausal Girls?
Verdict: Sure
Creatine is among the most extensively studied sports activities dietary supplements and has a sturdy security profile, together with in older populations.
A 2021 place paper by the Worldwide Society of Sports activities Vitamin (PMID: 33800439) concluded that long-term creatine supplementation (3–5g/day) is protected for wholesome people. Widespread myths about kidney harm have been disproven repeatedly by scientific trials.
Creatine is usually well-tolerated. Some customers might expertise delicate water retention or bloating early in supplementation, however these results are non permanent. Importantly, creatine doesn’t negatively have an effect on hydration standing, liver enzymes, or kidney perform in wholesome adults.
Girls with kidney illness or different power circumstances ought to seek the advice of their healthcare supplier earlier than beginning any new complement, together with creatine.
Ought to You Take Creatine Throughout Menopause?
In the event you’re questioning whether or not creatine is price including to your complement routine throughout menopause, right here’s the quick reply:
- Don’t take it for bone well being or cognitive efficiency — the proof simply isn’t sturdy sufficient.
- Do take into account it for those who’re doing resistance coaching and need a protected, efficient means to enhance power and restoration.
On this context, creatine is a instrument to boost efficiency, not a magic capsule. However for energetic girls in midlife, it may be a part of a complete technique to keep up muscle, enhance exercise capability, and keep sturdy by menopause and past.
How one can Use Creatine for Greatest Outcomes
In the event you determine to strive creatine, right here’s the way to use it safely and successfully:
- Dosage: 3–5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate (probably the most researched kind)
- Loading: Not needed. Simply begin with the every day dose.
- Timing: Anytime of day is okay, although some proof suggests post-workout might supply slight advantages.
- Hydration: Keep effectively hydrated, as creatine attracts water into muscle cells.
- Consistency: Take it every day to keep up muscle saturation, even on relaxation days.
Remaining Ideas on Creatine for Menopause
Creatine will not be a miracle remedy for menopause signs, nevertheless it could be a priceless instrument for girls targeted on power, mobility, and total well being.
Right here’s the underside line:
- Creatine doesn’t enhance bone density or considerably enhance cognitive perform.
- It might improve temper when paired with different remedies, however extra analysis is required.
- It improves muscle power and efficiency, particularly with resistance coaching.
- It’s protected and well-tolerated in most wholesome people.
In the event you’re lifting weights, recovering from exercises, or managing age-related muscle loss, creatine is perhaps price including to your routine.
References:
- Candow DG, et al. (2015). Results of creatine supplementation and resistance coaching on bone mineral content material in postmenopausal girls. PMID: 25386713
- Forbes SC, et al. (2023). Creatine and bone well being: A scientific assessment and meta-analysis. PMID: 37144634
- Avgerinos KI, et al. (2018). Results of creatine supplementation on cognitive perform. PMID: 29704637
- Silva S, et al. (2024). Creatine in adjunct with CBT for melancholy: A pilot research. PMID: 39488067
- Chilibeck PD, et al. (2021). Impact of creatine supplementation throughout resistance coaching on muscle mass and power in older adults. PMID: 34836013
- Candow DG, et al. (2024). Creatine and resistance coaching in growing older: A vital assessment. PMID: 40292479
- Kreider RB, et al. (2021). Worldwide Society of Sports activities Vitamin place stand: Security and efficacy of creatine supplementation in train, sport, and medication. PMID: 33800439
